Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in music education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ashley Bowers, Founder of Ashley The Music Teacher, located in Livermore, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am in the business of teaching music to anyone and everyone from ages three and up. The things I teach would be summed up as Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano, and Music Theory. Sometimes I am called into classrooms to help coach, not just the orchestra but sometimes the band director as well. I believe that music is a powerful social tool for people across all cultures, so I have made it my goal to introduce all of my students and clients to what music means for them and how to use it to enrich their lives beyond the practice room.

Tell us about yourself

It all started with my first job, cutting down boxes in the back of a music store when I was sixteen. One day someone asked, "Hey, new girl, you play viola, right? Come help us figure out what's wrong with this cello." I knocked around the wooden seems and found a hole in it. I became their small town luthier until another emergency arose. After a few months, we found out that our strings teacher had skipped town, leaving us with students who had no teacher! I took it upon myself to take over his old studio and start my teaching career while I was still in High School. When it came to schooling, I originally went for Music Therapy, which taught me I might not be good at working with people who are sick and hurting, so I circled back to my roots and found out how I could make my music lessons unique. Doing so helped me decide to go to university for anthropology, and now I am able to share the music I learn when I'm on site. Traveling the world, when I can draw up 120+ lesson plans for every possible scenario for my substitute instructor. Now I pour my whole heart out to those I teach because getting the world's perspective on music in play, performance, and even ritual has made my passion for teaching clearer than ever.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Finding a studio to work with, instead of for, when COVID hit. I genuinely feel that I am a part of an amazing team of musicians, and I am not going into debt over a ridiculously high studio rent. I get to decide when I work when I need to take time off, and what I teach. That last part is super important because some studios are really dedicated to material that might be outdated and/or horrendously edited.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Scheduling is so hard sometimes because I don't believe people should have to choose music over everything else in their lives. So I am getting practice playing Tetris with my google calendar monthly, figuring out exactly how it can work for my client and me.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Talk and network with everyone. When I was starting out, I talked to everyone I came across, like they, or someone they know, is already my client. I was able to generate enough interest that I got to keep a waitlist.
  2. Do not take a client leaving for someone or something else personally; consider it space for a new client because you can't be everyone's number one instructor forever. Just wish them well on their next journey, and reiterate that your door is always open for them.
  3. Get an education in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) marketing, or better yet, pay someone else to do it for you. It took up so much of my life when I was between studios I barely had the mental bandwidth for actually doing my job.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If you have been thinking about starting something of your own one day, today is that day. Set goals, and don't be afraid of what mess it might make. The worst-case scenario is not nearly as bad as never pursuing your goal.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.ashleythemusicteacher.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleythemusicteacher/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-bowers-ashleythemusicteacher/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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