The aim of this stage is to create a strong brand and business on which to build your thriving studio business. We’ll set up your policies, procedures and processes in order to launch with success and start filling your studio with happy students.

Business Plan

Most teachers never receive formal training in accounting or finance. We’ll help you establish a 2-page business plan to formalise your approach.

Know your numbers

While we might not like them, numbers are vital to the success of any small business. We’ll help you work out the most important metrics to track.

Legal and regulatory

We’ll help you work out the right structure for your business and get you over some of those legal obstacles including insurance.

Studio name, branding, & logos

Contrary to popular belief, logos shouldn’t be the first priority for a new business! Knowing your brand and how you want to be perceived is far more important.

Studio policies

Studio owners young and old struggle to know how to properly word a studio policy (and stick to it). We’ll give you a template and show you the important factors.

Billing and Scheduling

Don’t waste time with Excel spreadsheets, cashing checks, creating invoices and chasing-up missed payments. There IS a better way!

The aim of this stage is to help you plan and integrate new teaching styles into your studio and to ensure that you can confidently teach anything!

Getting more creative

One of the main reasons that people join TopMusicPro is to get some fresh ideas for creative teaching and step-by-step plans for implementation. That’s what Adapting is all about.

Improvising and composing

Improvising isn’t just about jazz. In this stage of the roadmap, we’ll be sharing lesson plans around helping students compose in pop and rock styles as well as blues and jazz.

Chords and lead sheets

Chords and harmony form the basis of just about all music, but ideas for teaching this aspect of music are few and far between...except here in the Roadmap where we lay it all out.

On and off-bench games

Keeping students engaged through games isn’t just about having fun. Games are one of the best ways to teach and reinforce knowledge.

Technology

If you bought an iPad but find you’re not really using it, you’re not alone. Let us show you how to integrate technology into your teaching and make it a habit your students will love.

Special needs

Every teacher will experience the struggles and joys that come with teaching a special needs student at some point. Here is the ultimate guide to coping with a variety of special needs.

The aim of this stage is to set up your teaching processes including curriculum overview, lesson planning and student motivation and practice goals. We’ll also consider approaches for reporting progress and assessing students.

New student interviews

What to do (and what not to do) to get the most out of interviews and trial lessons with new students.

Lesson and Curriculum Planning

Organising your approach to lesson planning is vital to having a calm and structured approach to your teaching and reporting.

Which beginner method?

We summarise the main beginner methods to show you what works best for students of all ages.

Sheet music and repertoire

What’s the best music for your students as they progress? How do you keep the teens happy? What about “pupil savers” when students need extra motivation?

Exams and Recitals

If you think recitals are just about a grand piano on a stage and students taking turns playing, then we’ve got some great new ideas for you.

Parent communication

Keeping in touch with parents about their child’s progress, while setting boundaries and expectations, is a fine line. Let us help you with your approach.

The aim of this stage is for you to understand the possibilities for taking what you’ve built in your own studio and growing it even further through expansion that suits your lifestyle and goals.

Marketing and Advertising

If you want to grow your studio numbers, you’ll probably need to actively market and advertise your studio. But what’s the best way? We’ll show you how to get started.

Retention

The forgotten metric of studio businesses. If you’re regularly losing students, then there’s a problem in your studio. Let’s fix that leaky bucket!

Group Teaching

Converting to a group teaching studio is one of the best ways to leverage your time and create more income. But it’s not for everyone. Will it work for you?

Summer camps

Summer camp programs, masterclasses, recitals and special events not only help to supplement your income, but they are also important community-building activities.

Hiring teachers

What do you do when you’ve got a waiting list or want to cut down your teaching hours? You could charge more or you can hire another teacher. Is it as hard as it sounds?

Building an Academy

If you’re ready to take your studio to another level, this is the stage for you. We help with leasing property, hiring admin staff, marketing and growing student and teacher numbers beyond your dreams.

The aim of this stage is to help you pivot into the next phase of your career by leveraging the power of technology to launch a brand new offering to the market.

The big brainstorm: What’s next?

So you’ve got a studio that’s thriving and a great team in place. Now you’re itching for the next move… let’s brainstorm what’s possible.

Content marketing

How to build an audience and grow a following. How to start and grow a blog. How to get traction and get your ideas found by other people.

Breaking it down and setting goals

Launching a new business or product is a HUGE process. Let us help you break it down by looking at case studies and hearing from people who’ve been there and done it already.

Validating your idea

Before you go full-on into your new business, it’s important to test your offering first. You do that by creating a “minimum viable product”. We’ll show you how.

Marketing and Gaining Exposure

Getting in front of as many potential customers as possible is vital in the early days of a new business and will dictate how fast you can scale. A few tricks should get you rolling.

Launch day

The day has come: it’s time to launch your new product. How are you going to build interest and get people excited? Let’s help you make that launch the best thing you’ve ever done.