Today is Small Business Saturday, a day when we celebrate those entrepreneurs who are doing their own thing while simultaneously spurring our economy. It is so important that we purchase from the thousands of individuals and groups who are trying to make a living via their small business. Their success is our success, as their contribution to the local community can never be overestimated.
Days like Small Business Saturday allow us to focus on those who are trying to utilize their gifts in order to serve others while making enough money to survive on their own. One industry with which I am quite familiar is the music industry. Not everyone who loves music is destined to write, sing, and perform it in front of others. The good news is that there are tons of ways by which music lovers can pursue a career in the industry.
In honor of those whom today we’re celebrating and rewarding for their hard work, I’ve compiled a list of 8 great ideas for enterprising musicians who want to start their own small business. I hope these help you discover your passion and make a living while doing it.
Music teacher/tutor
So you have all this musical talent, but you’ve never really been keen on performing in front of people. Consider a career as a music teacher. As a teacher, you can either start start small by offering specially designed workshops or you can go big and start your very own music school.
If the school of rock thing is too ambitious, you could work with clients on a more personalized level as a musical tutor. I highly recommend this job if you are determined to teach folks how to play a single instrument, such as the guitar or piano.
Booking agent
Some of the coolest industry people I’ve met have been booking agents. If you’ve always been awed by the live stage and the energy in the room during concerts, but you’ve never really had the itch to get on that stage, this might be the career for you. Your job would be to book shows for bands, solo acts, etc. You’d also get to meet a ton of really interesting artists. This is a great gig for those of you who love organizing things.
Event promoter
Again, if you a natural organizer, you should consider becoming an event promoter. You could start small (think an open mic at a local cafe) and then work your way up to building more complex events (perhaps a spring concert at a local university). With the advent of the internet, it is now easier than ever to promote concerts and other music-based events.
Music therapist
Music has the incredible ability to heal bodies and minds. If you have a passion for music and medicine, you should definitely look into music therapy. It is a rapidly growing industry, so you’d be joining an exciting and relatively novel field. You can start your own business as a music therapist or bring your skills to places like nursing homes.
Music website designer
All musicians need a website. There’s simply no way around it. So if you have top graphic design skills and you love music, starting this type of business is perfect for you. It might take a while to build up your portfolio, but once you get rolling, your reputation will proceed you. Again, websites are pretty much always in high demand, so jump right in.
Music blogger
Do you love writing as much as you love music? If so, you should consider writing about music or even sharing multimedia on your own site. It is extremely simple to start your very own music blog. The key is to put out lots of content. Write reviews of shows you’ve seen. Do interviews. After a while, you’ll be able to run your blog as a business.
Instrument repair service
Are you handy with instruments? Are you the one who your friends always ask to repair their broken guitar string? If this sounds like you, you could build a business around doing repairs for musicians. Musicians are pretty good at breaking things, so you know there will always be a need.
Karaoke service
This one sounds like a ton of fun. I can count on one hand my friends and family who do not enjoy karaoke. Knowing this should inspire you to starting a karaoke service that caters to the rest of us who love to belt out tunes at full volume. This will give folks an opportunity to show off their musical skills, or, if they’re so unfortunate, their lack thereof.
Good luck in your endeavors!
The Music Mom: Eileen Carey 