Going for a mix and funny money

What is better 30 minute lesson for £20 or an hour lesson for £35?

Today we are entering the world of funny money where things are expressed in ways more attractive to the punter and better for you.

How many ads for insurance have you heard that state 'for only 50p a day you can have....'? If they asked for £180 for the same thing you might reject the idea straight off.

How have you positioned your teaching? If you are little Minnie's guitar teacher and it is a hobby that she does you are going to be cut out very quickly when the funds run low.

I see lots of people do this and you really need to position yourself as something special in her life that enriches it gives her skills that will be super valuable in the world that is coming. So things to look at,

Various payment levels that encourage people to pay for lessons in blocks and in advance.

Flexibility in the payments cash, bank transfer, cards etc.

Lesson flexibility; do they have to be every week? Could they be also be every two weeks or every month?

Encouragement for arrangements that you want; so make the time of lessons that you do not want more expensive.

Paying for a block of lessons being better financially for the pupil.

In all cases think yourself into the shoes of the person that you are dealing with and do things in such a way that helps them while helping you. So if they want lessons every two weeks well fine let them do that if that lesson would have been half an houra week then make it an hour a fortnight

The other angle/aspect that I like to do is trading skills, like lessons for computer maintenance and back up or help with book keeping. You can trade anything for lessons just think outside the box on this. Obviously not all lessons can be like this but several can be. I have currently have someone who teaches me yoga, someone who does computer work for me and someone who roadies and does other work around the house and garden when needed.

Let us be creative about what we do and how we trade that skill, there is more to business than money, originally there was no money and that means that people who have no money but have a skill or something that is an asset like a musical instrument that you can take in payment or any item for that matter then you are opening up the market to people that may not have the funds for lessons but have something else like a skill.

I find this a liberating way to think being far more democratising than just dealing with the currency that is imposed on us.

Vic

www.bluescampuk.co.uk music summer school in the amazing Tonbridge School in Kent UK