Switching to Full-Time Teaching

[meli]

Hi guys,
 
I have been doing part-time teaching for almost 3 years now, and at the moment, teach 10 students as I work full-time. I would like to make the transition to full-time teaching, and hopefully build my own home studio.
 
Has anyone successfully made a transition to full-time teaching? What problems did you face?  I have been pondering over this for the LONGEST TIME, its scary to make a jump into a totally different career! Being a thinker rather than a doer didn't help either. My first concern is getting the students! But I live in a middle-class area, where there is quite alot of families with young children. I got almost all my students by word of mouth. It all started with teaching the neighbour's son. But if things don't work out, I also was wondering if I should just join a music school first (part-time) and secretly build my own home studio. 
 
Honestly, I felt its time to leave my current job. I am not happy with my full-time job but it did allow me free time. I put all my energy in teaching and studying music pedagogy and got my teaching diploma.
 
I would love to hear your experiences and advice. Thanks in advance!

[lilla]

I made the switch from a fulltime corporate job.  Here is how it worked.  I started teaching a friend on Sunday.  soon my Sunday was full 8am to 6pm.  Then I added Saturdays from 8am to 3pm.  I added weekday teaching starting at 5pm to 8pm. By this time I had reduced my working hours to part-time and I was starting to make more teaching than I was working.  My boss worked with me (he was unable to increase my pay) and we started reducing my hours even more. Soon I was working only four half days and teaching the rest of the time.  I figured that I needed 35 students to consider it full-time.  But due to a corporate buyout I lost my job.  I had 30 students and figured I'd give it a shot.  I thought I'd agressively recruite more students - home schooled, seniors, preschool- something for morning times.  But I never did that.  I live on a tight budget, but it's doable.  And I am loving it.  It is so freeing not to have to go out the door everyday or not to have to answer to a corporate boss.  No more traveling, so much less stress.

I had always considered my part time piano teaching as my back up retirement plan.  And that is exactly how it worked out.  Thank goodness I had that backup income in place.

So, best of luck to you.  But consider your income and hours carefully.