Online piano teacher

Families and adults in smaller towns or remote areas, and students who want flexible times without travel.

A fee per lesson or a monthly package billed in advance. Without travel, you can fit more lessons into an evening or weekend.

• Solid piano playing and music theory
• Explaining clearly through a screen
• Comfortable with video calls and basic audio setup
• Organised scheduling and billing

• Check whether you need a home-based business licence from your municipality, even for online work
• Check your province's rules on police record checks (including vulnerable sector checks), as parents of younger students may ask
• Sound lag and audio quality can limit what you can teach, so test your setup first
• Parents of young children should be nearby during lessons, so agree this upfront
• Check GST/HST registration once revenue passes the small supplier threshold, and how it applies to students outside your province
• Check that your business insurance covers online teaching

Startup costs are typically around $200 to $1,200, depending on your camera, microphone and audio setup, and any music resources you buy. These are estimates, so check what you already own first.

Monthly revenue is typically around $300 to $1,800, depending on how many students you take and how many hours you teach. The estimate starts from about 5 hours a week and is revenue before costs.

Things to check: whether you need a home-based business licence from your municipality, police record check expectations in your province, and whether your insurance covers online teaching. Also check GST/HST registration, including students outside your province.