Читать книгу Start & Run an Art Teaching Business - Tanya Freedman - Страница 16

Using an area of your home (or maybe a building on your property) for your studio can have many benefits. For starters, you are in control of your own environment and have no one but your family to answer to about what goes on in your studio; for example, your students can smash tiles to make mosaics and not worry about being too loud when working on their art projects.

Another benefit is that you can have as few classes as you like without having to worry about the studio earning its keep, increasing rental costs, and other unexpected expenses, especially in the beginning. (The period it takes to build up a client base and awareness and trust from your neighborhood and community can be between one to three years, depending on the activity and profile of the school and the effectiveness of your marketing strategy.)

Your hours can be flexible according to your schedule or other responsibilities, such as a part-time job in the mornings. You could concentrate on teaching art classes in the afternoons, evenings, and weekends. On the other hand, if you rented a studio space, your hours might possibly be dictated by the owner of the building or the district in which your studio is located.

The best part of having a home-based studio is that you will not have to commute to work nor will you have the additional expenses of gas and car maintenance.

However, before you leap into transforming a space in your home into a studio, you should consider the disadvantages. First of all be aware that having a studio in your home gives it a “hobby” and “passion for the arts” feel, rather than seeming like a dynamic business that is constantly looking for more students. As well, some people find it harder to stop working for the day when their work is in their own home. It becomes tricky to set boundaries between personal life and business life. Your family may become upset when dinner or family time is interrupted by phone calls or when your attempt to accommodate your students’ busy schedules for classes and other programs interferes. It may also cause problems when students show up unexpectedly to discuss a project or drop off a late assignment.

You must also consider the fact that your neighbors may not like having their parking spaces used, even for quick pickups and drop-offs of students. In fact, zoning restrictions may not allow you to have a home-based business (discussed in more detail later in this chapter).

You may also need to do some renovations to provide for adequate ventilation and lighting. This could be costly, but you may decide that the costs for redesigning a space are cheaper than renting.

When making any major decisions about my business I start by creating a “SCOT analysis” to understand all my strengths, challenges, opportunities, and threats.