La Bene Vita

Budgets and Food Log: 9/15/15

I have to cut costs in my Gahanna campus. Big time.

Two factors affect our student counts: enrollments and withdrawals. Of course we prefer if every student studies their instrument forever, but that's not realistic. Some students never practice. Some pick up too many sports and can't juggle music into their schedules (no, seriously, that actually happens. ) Some stay with music but they move away or leave for college. And the one that breaks my heart the most is when they lose a job or for some reason can no longer afford lessons, even though the student is passionate about their instrument.

In an ideal world, we always have more enrollments than withdrawals, and we keep getting bigger and bigger. But in the last year, our student counts have been gradually declining. Where we once had nearly four hundred students, we now have only three hundred.

My budget meeting yesterday was painful, but I think we've found ways to cut budgets without too big of a hit on morale or cutting salaries or wages. It was HARD, and there will still be sacrifices. Some perks will be going away, and we'll have to limp along without repairing or replacing computers that run too slow, guitars and violins that have to be tuned every time, and pianos that have keys that don't work.

I have to believe this is temporary. We soared past three hundred originally. I can't believe this is our steady state. One theory is that with the economy on the rebound, people have been going on vacation and buying the car they've been limping along without, which ties up their monthly funds. Another theory is that the construction on the main road around the school and in the plaza itself is causing too many headaches for people to walk in our doors. A third theory is simple marketing 101: we've increased our prices gradually every year, and as prices go up, volume goes down.

Here's hoping that when the construction ends, people rearrange their budgets, and people realize that inflation is a thing, we'll climb back up again. In the meantime, I have to cut costs just to break even in Gahanna. This is not a get-rich-quick business. It's an "I love my job" business, an "I'm making a difference" business, an "I'm sharing my passion with others" business, an "I employ a lot of people" business.

Our newer (Polaris) campus, by the way, is still growing. It's growing a lot slower than Gahanna ever did but at least the growth is headed in the right direction.

On a happier note, we are launching a scholarship program this year for underprivileged middle schoolers in the two local public school districts that house our two campuses. We can afford it because I, along with a couple of my instructor employees, are willing to take on a handful of pro bono students. We will be working with the school districts to get candidates. Students who are on discounted or free lunch may apply, and they have to get a recommendation from their music teacher stating that they have natural musical aptitude and are hardworking, and they have to perform at a minimum number of our recitals.

So that's good, at least.

Yesterday was a busy day, and one that had me outside of my house for most of the day with little access to food. Although it was painful budget meetings keeping down my calorie count, I suppose I should celebrate the little victories.

Food Log: 9/15/15
- Coffee w/sugar free creamer
- Peanut butter
- Half bagel with ham, cheese, tomato
- Banana
- Chipotle: One steak taco w/fajita veggies/tomatoes/cheese, half serving chips/guac
- Lance cheese crackers (very questionable but the least junky thing I could find)
- ZonePerfect bar