Home studio piano teacher

Parents of school-age children, plus adult beginners and returning players.

A fee per lesson (usually 30, 45 or 60 minutes), often billed monthly or per term in advance. Regular weekly students give steady income.

• Solid piano playing and music theory
• Patience and clear explanations
• Comfortable teaching different ages
• Organised scheduling and billing

• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence or has zoning rules for visiting students
• Check your home insurance covers business visitors, or ask about commercial general liability cover
• Check your province's rules on police record checks (including vulnerable sector checks); parents often expect one when you teach children
• Register as a sole proprietor with your province if required, and check GST/HST once revenue passes the small supplier threshold
• Think about noise and neighbours, especially in apartments or semi-detached homes
• Keep a regular tuning schedule for an acoustic piano

Startup costs are typically around $200 to $2,000, depending on the teaching materials, room setup and any piano upkeep you need. These are estimates, so adjust them to the instrument and space you already have.

Monthly revenue is typically around $400 to $2,000, depending on how many students you teach and how many hours you offer each week. The estimate starts from about 6 hours a week and is revenue before costs.

Things to check: whether your municipality needs a home-based business licence or has zoning rules for visiting students, and whether your home insurance covers visitors. Also check police record check expectations for teaching children, and GST/HST registration.