Strategies to Improve your Studio

With the school year just around the corner, MTNA would like to help you to develop strategies to improve your studios and profits.

MTNA has formed a partnership with Nova Merchant Services, which allows members' businesses to begin to accept credit cards for payments. This service will ensure consistent payment cycles and will improve your billing process for both your studio and your students.  For more information on the potential benefits of taking advantage of this partnership, click  http://www.mtna.org/Programs/MerchantServices/tabid/598/Default.aspx.

Another way to sustain business is to increase services and develop creative marketing strategies like branching out into Recreational Music Making (RMM). This concept focuses on teaching retirees or adults with some disposable income and time. Along with expanding your studio, you also can branch out to this market by visiting country clubs, retirement communities, nursing homes and so on. For more information, check out the special focus on the RMM program and the adult learner at the 2010 MTNA National Conference. More information about this track will be available soon.

To promote excitement with current students eager to learn and to retain those in your studio who may be ambivalent about continuing, look to develop new programs. Check out MTNA's "Music for Everyone Programs." Maybe you can develop a studio festival or extra recital program! Click this link for information http://www.mtna.org/Programs/MusicForEveryone/tabid/280/Default.aspx.

MTNA continues to work on your behalf as the national mouthpiece for the importance of music. In times like these, it is important to remind the decision makers that music and the arts have an important and necessary position in all lives. MTNA will work to assist you in whatever we can and offer ideas and solutions to the independent music teacher

Also, be sure to attend the 2010 MTNA National Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This will be MTNA's 124th National Conference and will once again be the largest gathering of independent and collegiate music teachers in the country. To find out more about the conference or to register, visit http://members.mtna.org/conference2010/index.html, and check out the December/January MTNA Conference Preview Issue of American Music Teacher.