Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in entertainment but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Uwe Urbann, Founder of School of Pop, located in Vienna, Austria.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a singing teacher, and I run a singing school in Vienna, Austria. My clients are people from all walks of life who want to improve their singing. Some of my students are complete beginners who want to learn to sing from scratch, but also experienced singers who want to improve their singing technique and get tips on how to use their voice even better and more efficiently.
Tell us about yourself
I've been playing guitar since I was 13 and have sung in various bands since I was in school. Through my first vocal training, I realized that with the right training, you could improve your singing enormously, and since then, I have also been supporting other singers in working on their voices. What motivates me the most is my students' successes, whether it's that they can sing a song much better than before in class or that they tell me how much the singing lessons have helped them to perform better on stage and to inspire their audiences.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My greatest achievement as a business owner is being successful in business for 15 years. Despite all the ups and downs, I still enjoy working with my students on their voices and celebrating their successes with them.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things, from my point of view, is not losing focus and staying motivated. As a sole proprietor, I teach many students myself, and I am responsible for communications, marketing, running my studio, accounting, and many other things. I'm also constantly educating myself, and I have to make sure that I stay in training myself. I also play in a band so that I don't miss out on my own music.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Try to build up your own business on the side. Business takes time and patience, and you have to expect setbacks.
- Don't rely on your business to keep going on its own. You have to keep reinventing yourself, staying on the ball, and being flexible, especially in times like these.
- To grow, try to free yourself from everyday tasks that take a lot of time but don't advance your business. Concentrate on your core competencies and network with cooperation partners who open up new markets for you.
Personally, I am in the process of setting up an online business so that I can work more flexibly in terms of time and place in the future.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Take enough time for yourself, your family, and your social environment. Your business is important, but it's also important to maintain a work-life balance. At the end of your life, you will remember the people with whom you shared loving moments and not just your professional achievements.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.schoolofpop.at/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schoolofpop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schoolofpopwien/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uwe-urbann-850545214/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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