Thread: Teaching from a home studio?

I am considering different options for teaching in the area I've just moved to. My boyfriend and I are going to turn one of the extra rooms into a studio for my dancing and his martial arts. He started teaching private lessons at his student's homes which he's fairly successful with, but not all his students have the space. So he's considering using our soon-to-be home studio for private lessons. So that got me thinking maybe I could teach from the home studio as well. I don't mind having students over, specially since the room has it's own entrance so it won't feel like they're walking all through the house. Also my boyfriend is very neat, so between the two of us the house stays pretty presentable. One less thing to worry about. I would be taking on new students, so they would be strangers. That's a concern. I also don't want people visiting my website and seeing that I only teach private lessons from my home, then thinking I must offer... something else. Maybe a nice big picture of me with my boyfriend in uniform and a blurb about how we're both teachers would deter that crowd

I'm wondering if anyone has tried this and how it worked out for them? What sort of things need to be taken into consideration?

A retired teacher I know used to do that. She converted her large 3 car garage into a nice studio space... put in a floating floor, painted murals, added a wall of mirrors, a heating unit, a simple sound system and some of her middle eastern knick-knacks from travels. It was a nice studio... couldn't fit more than 15 people comfortably I think though. She had a separate entrance to the studio, so people wouldn't walk through her house. She did not have her address listed on her website or on flyers, but had it on her business cards and gave it to those who called or emailed to inquire about classes. I think her business would have been better if her house was more conveniently located in town instead of on the outskirts in a big subdivision. Neighbors were sometimes a concern. Some neighbors would get upset that so many cars would be parked on the street and in her driveway on some nights (which was really rediculous, because there is no traffic on the street and locals park in their big driveways so there isn't any space issue). Other neighbors were upset that a belly dance studio was next to their house, but this is a big mormon town, so that is probably more of a concern here than where you live. Anyway, you are bound to have at least some troubles with neighbors being jerks. One thing that helped this dancer was to invite all the neighbors to her annual halloween halfa and to "normal" bbqs on occasion just so that they got to know her and see that she wasn't running a strip club or anything. You will also need to check regulations on having a business in your home. Some places require you to get a permit, others will absolutely not allow a business in a residential area. You'll probably be ok without all that so long as your neighbors are cool with you being in the area. You'll also want to plan classes and privates so that you do not have students or extra cars past 10pm just as a courtesy to your neighbors.

I know several teachers in LA who do this including Mesmera. You don't have to list your address on the website, I believe Mes says something like, call to see if room is available and for address. She then vets potential students. I believe that Lila Varesa also has taught from a her home based studio.

{{{HUGS}}}

I've been in four home studios like this and know of others I haven't had reason to visit. In addition to finding out the legal details of what needs to be done if/before you can open a home business, you will also want to investigate insurance coverage. If a student gets injured in your class or on your property, you want to protect yourself from the possibility of your home getting sued out from under you. I know we don't like to think those things will ever happen and that students are decent enough not to do that to a teacher, but good fences make good neighbors and so on.

Safety is a legitimate concern, but the best you can do is to try to screen your students carefully and not arrange to meet strangers when you are conspicuously alone. Just like with other work, you have no obligation to indulge potential customers who give off creepy vibes.

One thing that may come up later is whether students or student-teachers will want to use the space when you are not there. If the room has direct outside access, can you arrange for it to have locked inside access? It's not uncommon for students to want the space to rehearse or for a student or other dancer to offer to guest-teach if you are ill or otherwise unavailable. Sometimes teachers with home studios flat-out refuse--it is their personal domain, after all. Others want to entertain the possibility and extend the courtesy to students.

Do you have pets? One teacher I know lost a regular student when she set up her current home studio because her housepets had access to the room, and the student was highly allergic.

What about bathroom access? Students may be able to go directly in and out of the studio, but will they have to traipse through the house to change clothes or use the bathroom?

Do you have good temperature control? How easy is it to correct if the room is too hot or too cold?

Can the neighbors see into the room during your classes?

How high is the ceiling in this room? Can multiple people swing a cane without hitting the ceiling or flip a veil without catching on light fixtures, if you teach those topics?

If you teach finger cymbals or drum, how are the acoustics? Does much sound leak out of the house? How noisy is the room when multiple people are playing?

What about mirrors for students to check their progress?

Some more ideas... this particular teacher made it very clear on her website and in first classes that there would be no bathroom available since she didn't want people running through her house. She also set up a nice little curtained area in the corner of the room. Inside was a bench and space for changing.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

I've been in four home studios like this and know of others I haven't had reason to visit. In addition to finding out the legal details of what needs to be done if/before you can open a home business, you will also want to investigate insurance coverage. If a student gets injured in your class or on your property, you want to protect yourself from the possibility of your home getting sued out from under you. I know we don't like to think those things will ever happen and that students are decent enough not to do that to a teacher, but good fences make good neighbors and so on.

Adding on to this, I have talked with my insurance agent about teaching classes from my home, to see if either homeowners or our umbrella liability policies would cover or protect us, and the short answer is no. As soon as you accept payment from the client you require business insurance, like Venbrook Insurance Services - myfitnessinsurance.com - About Us for example.

My current teacher just started teaching from her home studio, she moved the class there from the local rec. The room is sufficiently large, full mirrored wall, direct outside access and attached restroom. We all love the change. But we live in a small town, you may have different experiences in a city.

Originally Posted by dima

I am considering different options for teaching in the area I've just moved to. My boyfriend and I are going to turn one of the extra rooms into a studio for my dancing and his martial arts. He started teaching private lessons at his student's homes which he's fairly successful with, but not all his students have the space. So he's considering using our soon-to-be home studio for private lessons. So that got me thinking maybe I could teach from the home studio as well. I don't mind having students over, specially since the room has it's own entrance so it won't feel like they're walking all through the house. Also my boyfriend is very neat, so between the two of us the house stays pretty presentable. One less thing to worry about. I would be taking on new students, so they would be strangers. That's a concern. I also don't want people visiting my website and seeing that I only teach private lessons from my home, then thinking I must offer... something else. Maybe a nice big picture of me with my boyfriend in uniform and a blurb about how we're both teachers would deter that crowd

I'm wondering if anyone has tried this and how it worked out for them? What sort of things need to be taken into consideration?

i have had my studio in my home for 40 years . feel fre to PM me any question, any time!

the one thing we as artists never think about is insurance....we live in an unfortunately litigious society and as much as we like to believe that no student of ours, especially after we have forged a bond would do it to us, people would love to make a quick buck at the expense of others. Make sure you talk to a lawyer (or somebody who knows about the legal aspects of this) or insurance agent before you make any drastic decisions.

Also make sure that all students sign a contract, mostly releasing you from liability or whatever other terms you make up. a contract is also important for timely payment, continuation and consistency of classes, etc. It in essence protects you and your students.

And yeah...bathroom access...really important.

Every couple of months this topic floats up...check out the previous posts. they were filled with invaluable information.

Good luck!!!

Originally Posted by Zobeida

the one thing we as artists never think about is insurance....we live in an unfortunately litigious society and as much as we like to believe that no student of ours, especially after we have forged a bond would do it to us, people would love to make a quick buck at the expense of others. Make sure you talk to a lawyer (or somebody who knows about the legal aspects of this) or insurance agent before you make any drastic decisions.

Also make sure that all students sign a contract, mostly releasing you from liability or whatever other terms you make up. a contract is also important for timely payment, continuation and consistency of classes, etc. It in essence protects you and your students.

And yeah...bathroom access...really important.

Every couple of months this topic floats up...check out the previous posts. they were filled with invaluable information.

Good luck!!!

I plan on getting insurance before I start teaching anyway. Something which covers me wherever I teach.

Bathroom access I have thought about. They would have to walk through the living room and dining room, but I don't think that would be a big deal. I'm going to test it all out with a friend I've offered to teach.

And I did try to search previous posts. Maybe I'm not searching right, but I always have a really hard time finding what I'm looking for.

Originally Posted by dima

And I did try to search previous posts. Maybe I'm not searching right, but I always have a really hard time finding what I'm looking for.

I'm always horrid at searching. What insurance are you looking at? The company I used went out of business

Look at the bottom of the page, some related posts are always there. The new Bhuz certainly has made that easier.

Originally Posted by lylagus

I'm always horrid at searching. What insurance are you looking at? The company I used went out of business

I used to use an insurance for fitness instructors which also covered dance instructors. I forget now the exact name but it was something to do with fitness. I haven't shopped around much yet, since it's still a ways off and I don't have the cash right now anyway. I have looked a little for myself and for my boyfriend. And let me tell you, martial arts insurance is way more expensive!

Also bear in mind that sometimes when students come to your home, they don't want to leave. This is more of a problem with a home studio, and you may want to figure out strategies to gently move your students out the door shortly after class.

Originally Posted by bintbeled

Also bear in mind that sometimes when students come to your home, they don't want to leave. This is more of a problem with a home studio, and you may want to figure out strategies to gently move your students out the door shortly after class.

True! Good point.

I have been teaching out of my home for a few years now, and I love it!

Insurance is a big thing to consider when teaching anyplace, not just out of your home.

I keep my home classes to a few privates or semi-privates. I occasionally do intimate workshops in my home studio as well. I try to maintain as much privacy as possible when teaching out of my home. I live in a duplex and our neighbors have small children so I ALWAYS make it a point to set up an initial meeting with perspective students in a neutral place such as a local coffee shop. I bring all my contracts with me so we can get all the paperwork out of the way immediately if they decided to take private lessons with me. This gives me a chance to feel out the people I'm bringing into my home. It also gives the student a better idea of the kind of teacher I am.

I also do not list anywhere that I offer classes out of my home. I only tell people my private classes are out of my home after I have met them and we sign the paperwork. That way I can protect the privacy of my neighbors as well as myself and my boyfriend, who also lives with me.

If you do share walls with other people it is important to keep in mind the time of day you are teaching and the subject you are covering. For example, I make sure my zill classes are at convenient times for my neighbors (after 9am and before 7 or 8pm). And I try not to blast the music :)

Parking is also a concern for my students, so if you don't have a driveway where they can park, it is important that you find alternative parking for your students and convey where the best parking can be found. And let students know ahead of time what the parking situation is all about, so they don't park in someone's spot and you need to have them move their car half way into the lesson.