If you want to teach guitar in Australia, read through this article as it will explain important points you must first consider. Before you start teaching guitar you need to make sure you protect yourself as well as set your self up properly.
Do You Need Qualifications?
If you want to teach guitar privately in Australia, you don't need to hold formal qualifications. Most students understand that having a qualification doesn't automatically make a great teacher. The only time you would need to consider getting a formal qualification is if you want to teach guitar in a school. Most schools would require some form of qualification. Some schools might be flexible with this if you have significant industry experience so if you're set on teaching in an Australian school, it's best to talk to somebody at the school to fully understand their specific requirements.
If a prospective student asks you about qualifications, how you handle their question can make a big difference. We've put together a comprehensive guide to help you handle this question if you don't have a qualification. Check out BQA-05 Questions on Qualifications and Experience for more help. But from a legal point of view you don't need a qualification to teach guitar privately.
Protecting Yourself
If you plan on teaching anybody under the age of 18, you must register for a Working With Children Check (WWC). The WWC Check is a comprehensive criminal record check. Once the check is complete you receive a WWC card. Having a WWC card will make it easier to talk to parents as they will want some reassurance that their child will be safe with you.
The requirements and name for the check is different from state to state. The best way to protect yourself is to make sure you comply with your state laws before you start teaching. Remember that this will apply if you teach anybody under the age of 18.
To apply for a WWC Check, visit the site for your state as shown below:
VIC: www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au
NSW: www.kids.nsw.gov.au/Working-with-children/New-Working-with-Children-Check
QLD (called a 'Blue Card'): www.ccypcg.qld.gov.au/bluecard/index.html
SA (a standard Police Check is required for employment): www.police.sa.gov.au
WA: www.checkwwc.wa.gov.au/checkwwc
NT: www.workingwithchildren.nt.gov.au
ACT: www.ors.act.gov.au/community/working_with_vulnerable_people
TAS (no legal requirement)
Where To Teach
If you want to teach from home, you first need to make sure you have an appropriate area to teach. A room such as a study that can be closed off from other people in the house is essential. You want to make sure you have a quiet and encouraging environment without any distractions. If this won't be possible due to having a small house you can either rent studio space of visit your students for lessons.
Renting studio space is an extremely expensive way to start out as a guitar teacher. It could take a while to build up the number of students you teach and having rent expenses can make things difficult. Avoid this option when starting out to avoid financial strain.
Teaching in student's homes can be practical as long as they have a room suitable for lessons. Teaching in a living area with other people in the house or a TV in the background will make your job incredibly hard. Make sure your students understand the need to have a suitable area for lessons before you start.
The Business Side of Things
If you plan on teaching on your own, you do not need to register a business. You will be acting as a 'sole trader' which means income you earn is taxed at your personal rate. It's best to consult a tax accountant before starting so you're aware of your responsibilities in regards to tax.
You can register a business name however this is optional. If you plan on opening a studio in the future you can register from a business name and ABN. But if you're just starting out it's best to just use your own name and you can take care of proper business structures once you get to that stage.
Although we cannot provide you with tax advice, we have a wide range of guides to help you with other areas of running a guitar teaching business. Whether you want to promote your business to your local area or you want to teach guitar via Skype to people around Australia (or worldwide), we have guides to show you exactly what to do. Check out our range of business guides here. One of the Live and Teach Guitar team members lives in Australia so if you want he can provide you with specific advice on promoting your guitar teaching business using best practices from other Australian guitar teachers.
Reading our business guides will give you a clear advantage over your competitors. As a starting point, we recommend listing on as many guitar teacher directories as you can.
Next Steps
This simple guide explains what is required to teach guitar in Australia. As you can see it's quite easy to get started and you don't need to set up complicated business structures first. The best path is to get started with the right planning. We have put together a wide range of guides to help you plan your timetable, attract students, set up a website, promote yourself along with teaching guides to help you learn the most effective teaching methods available.
Live and Teach Guitar Members have access to all the best practices and resources to help them succeed. Becoming a member will give you the best start and the support you need to succeed.