The business owner wanted to appeal to a more upscale market, expand the business, and increase profits especially in the summer. The consultant recommended increasing lesson prices, rebranding with a new name and location, and streamlining operations policies. These changes resulted in the first summer profit in a decade, decreased cancellations and reschedules, and increased efficiency. The business has continued to expand successfully under the new brand.

1. Achieved First Seasonal Profit in a Decade case study
Josephine M. Giaimo
123 Johnson Street, Highland Park, NJ 08904 | 732.501.6213
josephinegiaimo@acm.org
Upgraded Business, Rebranded,
Streamlined Operations
Business Challenge
The client was a small business providing music
instruction services, including voice and
instruments, after school and on weekends.
Owner purchased “The Music Factory” which
was located above a deli in central New Jersey.
Owner wanted to appeal to a more upscale
market, and expand the business. Owner
wanted to move the school to a larger venue,
and rebrand the organization. Owner sought to
increase profits, especially in the summer, when
students often went away for months.
The Solution
I applied my marketing and operations
knowledge to address this business owner’s
pain. I recommended increasing the price for an
individual lesson, which increased profits, with
the added benefit of eliminating a few
challenging customers from the customer base.
We rebranded the school, and found a new
location a few miles from the “factory”. We
streamlined operations and policies regarding
scheduling lessons. We held a meeting to obtain
input from existing faculty members. We wrote
a monthly newsletter, distributed with the
regular monthly invoices. We diversified the
opportunities for participation, including a
musical theatre summer session, Broadway
vocal training, and other options.
Client
 Music school with several dozen part-
time faculty and several administrative
staff, and more than 100 students
Challenge
 Company name and brand did not
support owner’s financial and other
goals
 Several customers were difficult to
please
 Summer student enrollments dropped
precipitously each year
Results
 New name, location, and brand
 New pricing consistent with profit goals
 Streamlined operations improved
efficiency in the office
 First summer profit in a decade
The Results
Business turned a summer profit for the first time in ten years, and successfully moved to new
Spotswood, NJ, location. Individual session cancellations and reschedules decreased, resulting in
increased efficiency in daily operations. New customers for whom the new logo, company name, and
business marketing collateral resonated signed up for lessons. See academyofmusicanddancenj.com for
current offerings. Owner has gone on to expand her business, write a book on time management, and is
a sought-after speaker at women’s conferences about her experiences in entrepreneurship.