Money Matters How I Use MTH to Run My Studio

MUSIC TEACHER'S HELPER SHOWCASE MTNA NATIONAL CONFERENCE CHICAGO

MARCH 23, 2014

PRESENTED BY: YIYI KU!1

Why I Use Music Teachers Helper

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Money Matters

Save Time

Save Money

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Teaching

Taking care of Business

Available Work Time50%

50%

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Taking care of Business Teaching

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Never enough time!

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Time is

Money!

Less time doing office work

• more time for teaching • more energy for teaching • more time for self improvement • more energy to try new ideas

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Happy and productive teacher!

• happy and productive students

• happy parents

• awesome studio reputation

• waiting list of quality students

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Successful studio!

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Yiyi Ku Piano StudioHoliday Recital Dec 21, 2013

Grace Presbyterian ChurchTemecula CA!11

MTH Saves Time

1. Student Database

2. Calendar

3. Communication

4. Billing

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Student Database

1. Active Students - constant contact

2. Waiting List - new inquiries

3. Former Students - keep records

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Tips1. Make yourself a "student"

• Schedule all teacher events - rehearsals, meetings, concerts, conferences, adjudication, lessons, important appointments

• Useful documentation for certification application/renewal

2. Create a "fake" student

• Schedule and invoice one-off events, trial lessons, accompanying, consultation fees

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More Tips Why do I need MTH?

I already have other email accounts!• I can access student database from any computer - if my

computer crashes, all is not lost.

• Keep student database separate from my personal email account.

• If my hotmail gets hacked, I will not loose all my student information!

• Never loose a contact. Make all new inquiries into Waiting List students. When I have an opening, I email the list.

• Keep contact with Former Students. Invite them (and those on the Waiting List) to studio recitals.

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Calendar

1. Customizable

• Font size, first day, slot minutes, time format

2. Sortable

• filter by students, categories, locations

3. Syncable

• Google Calendar, iCal

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Tips1. Color code - use different colors for different categories:

• Regular lessons

• Make-up lessons

• Group performance class

• Recitals

• Music Festivals/Auditions/Exams

• Teacher Appointments

2. Block holidays/non-teaching days.

3. Quickly email/invoice/delete students on a particular date - useful for unexpected schedule changes.

4. Interactive calendar.

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More Tips Turn on these features

Lesson Notifications Daily Summary• MTH emails reminders to students and

myself one day before scheduled events.

• I can see if it is what I had in mind for that day, or if I had forgotten to reschedule someone - there is still time to make changes.

• MTH emails me a Daily Summary . I can easily and quickly see (without logging into my account) who I am teaching that day, how much they owe, and any important notes from their last lesson.

• Good reminder for my own appointments, too.

• To-Do List.

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Lesson Notifications

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Daily Summary

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Communication

1. Lesson Reminders

2. Lesson Notes

3. Email

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Lesson Reminder

No more excuses!

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Lesson Notes

Quick Feedback for Parents

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Email

Customizable Templates

• Reply general inquiries

• Welcome letter

• Studio updates

• Automatic Birthday Emails

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Tips

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• Use MTH to send all studio related communications - One-stop data storage.

• Quickly and easily search and see Lesson Notes from as long ago as I want.

• Permanent Email History.

• Lesson History - quickly generate a summary of how many lessons I have taught a particular student during any time frame I specify.

Email History

You can prove you sent it!

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Lesson History

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Easy to generate student report!

Billing Headaches

Paid? Not paid?

Paid too much? Paid too little?

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I don't remember!

No More Headaches!

• Transaction Log • List of Payments/Fees • Invoicing

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Transaction Log

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Quick Overview

Payments

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Email payment confirmation

Fees

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No lost income!

Invoicing

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Quick Resend

Tips

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1. Charge a Registration Fee to cover office supplies, incentives, awards, and even sheet music and books.

2. Charge a flat monthly Tuition instead of per lesson.

3. Use Auto-Invoice - can turn on and off as needed.

4. Turn on Overdue Invoice Notifications.

5. Use Paypal integration.

MTH Saves You Money• No paper - save a

tree, too!

• No ink

• No stamp

• No datebook or planner

• No forgotten fees

• No non-payments

It Adds Up!

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There is More....

Save A LOT of Money!

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Professional Studio Website

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Free!

WHO NEEDS A WEBSITE?

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Easy and Free!

• No programming skill

• No website hosting fee

• No maintenance fee

• No static (boring) content

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Yes, Yes, and Yes!• Studio logo

• Your own URL - can change anytime

• Professional, customizable themes

• Registration form

• Contact form

• Student logins

• Add your own personalized pages

• New Blog feature

• Integrate with existing website!40

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Tips1. Update website frequently:

• Studio Announcements

• Photos and Videos

• Resource Links

• Blog

2. Promote your website:

• Teachers associations

• Online listings

• Business cards

• Recital programs

• Everywhere!

Don't forget social media!

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If you post, they

will follow!

More Tips Should you still use MTH even if

you already have a website?1. Privacy - Use MTH Contact Form so I don't disclose my personal email

- Eliminate junk mail and scam letters!

2. Save Time - Students fill out MTH Registration Form - I don't have to spend time to set up a file for them.

3. Practice Log - students can enter their practice amounts.

4. Individual Student Login account - such a professional feature - very difficult and expensive to implement on my own website.

5. More is better - it is good to have a back-up website. It is also good to separate content so my MTH website is dedicated to my teaching studio, while my personal site can be freed up for blogging about performance and pedagogy.

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Other MTH Features

• Lending Library

• Mileage Tracker

• Income/Expense Report

• Repertoire Tracker

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The bottom line

Can I run my studio without MTH? Yes, but it will take me much longer, and ultimately cost me more to take care of the business side of teaching.

Without MTH, I would need at least 10 different programs to take care of scheduling, billing, lesson notes, student database, email, student reports, finance reports.........

MTH works for me 24/7.

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I have more time, money, and energy to focus on pedagogy because of MTH.

Yiyi Kuwww.yiyiku.com

yiyiku@hotmail.com

"ank Y# for Coming!

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