Is Less Really More?
In the last post, I talked about my friend Nancy and how she did just about everything for everyone, to her own detriment.
I admit I used to be the same way. I always felt that I could never do enough. I was worried I might lose students or worse…that people wouldn’t like me.
I don’t use the word ‘worry’ anymore. But I am concerned about what people think of me. And I should be, I have people to teach and a business to run.
I am finally learning to set some boundaries and stop doing things that I think are unnecessary.
Here are some of the things I don’t do anymore, (Take what you like, and leave the rest.)
I don’t do make-ups I choose to allow families three missed lessons per year for any reason. I offer lessons online in place of an in-person lesson when possible. To compensate for lost income, I keep one or two extra students on my roster. This just works for me.
I don’t give out stickers, prizes, or gifts.
At recital time I no longer have receptions. Instead, I have grab-and-go snacks that I order on Amazon.
I don’t sell tickets or charge extra for recitals. I charge a premium rate for my area, and everything is included in the lesson price.
I don’t have a live recital in December. As an alternative, I put together a holiday video recital.
Although I have sent my students to exams in the past. At this time I am not doing this.
I don’t offer free lessons, family discounts, or scholarships. I’ve tried these things in the past, but I have decided to opt out of them.
I don’t teach lessons to family members or close friends. Again, this works well for some people, but it hasn’t worked for me.
I have found that cutting out some of these unnecessary things has made my life easier and my studio run more smoothly. However, I still do a lot for my students and families.
In the next post, I will talk about how I go above and beyond for my students and how it pays off in so many ways.
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