$15,000 raised
·21 donations
Seres Piano Studio
Donation protected
Update: We just discovered how to add offline donations to the campaign. If you would like to give a gift but would prefer not to have 5% go to GoFundMe, please contact adrian[dot]becca[at]swissmail[dot]org. We apologize to those who have already given. Thank you!
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Seres is in need of good news. While the landscape and the people are beautiful, the concept of beauty seems to have all but disappeared as it's either been replaced with gaudy marketing or smothered by religious legalism. Additionally, there is a sense of immobility among the community here, a subtle hopelessness that quenches creativity. After all, in a society where copying and reproducing are so easily accessible and rewarded, why bother creating new beauty?
That's why, after two years living here, we have decided to start a piano studio. Through our own experiences and those of many whom we respect, both in this country and back in North America, we see the power of music to bring hope and beauty where they once were not, and to bring people from different walks of life together. We believe that all people are inherently musical. Music can bring out the best in them, and bring an array of color to their otherwise greyscale lives.
Moreover, while piano is somewhat popular already in Seres, it has been treated more like a tool than a means to create music. With my western training--and a particularly unique one at that--I hope to bring joy, enthusiasm, and wonder to the task of learning piano, something that has scarcely been tried here. The need for this became abundantly clear when I began advertising: in less than one month, over 20 students have registered despite my anonymity in the music community here, the relatively high tuition rates, and the several-months-long wait before the business will be in operation. Those who've signed up have shared with me that they have been waiting for such an opportunity; in other words, many may not even have considered piano studies (for themselves or their children) were it not for the alternative pedagogical approach that I bring.
While we are planning for profitability and sustainability, we also hope this business can be a blessing to the local community. We've committed therefore to use a portion of our profits to support the local community, particularly those who may not otherwise be able to afford to learn piano. This may include free or heavily subsidized programs for at-risk children in our neighborhood as well as in nearby rural counties where children may never have even touched a keyboard, much less considered learning to play one.
All this is to say, we are excited to officially launch this business before the end of 2016, but we need your help! There are requirements for foreign investment capital which exceed our actual startup costs, but will serve to provide a cushion for contingency situations. Our total goal is $35,000 (USD), and we're excited that we've already received $20,000 through other means, which leaves an additional $15,000 remaining to be raised. We've budgeted a monthly profit rate of over 30%, a conservative estimate based on fewer hours (in order to prevent burnout) and little-to-no activity during holiday seasons (which is likely to change with time). Should we decide to hire additional teachers, both cost and revenue would increase, in which case the additional startup capital would be helpful.
Why are we using GoFundMe? This is a legitimate question in light of the roughly 5% that the website takes off of every gift. Instead of accepting donations directly, we felt GoFundMe would be both convenient for supporters and also good for accountability, as the GoFundMe page clearly shows how much has been raised. This way, there is transparency in the process and backers know exactly how much we've raised and our remaining need. Please note that your gifts for this business are not tax deductible. If you are interested in working out a loan agreement instead, please contact us at adrian[dot]becca[at]swissmail[dot]org.
Also, please contact us if you would like a copy of our business plan or if you would like other materials about the business.
Thank you for joining us as we seek to serve the people of Seres!
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Seres is in need of good news. While the landscape and the people are beautiful, the concept of beauty seems to have all but disappeared as it's either been replaced with gaudy marketing or smothered by religious legalism. Additionally, there is a sense of immobility among the community here, a subtle hopelessness that quenches creativity. After all, in a society where copying and reproducing are so easily accessible and rewarded, why bother creating new beauty?
That's why, after two years living here, we have decided to start a piano studio. Through our own experiences and those of many whom we respect, both in this country and back in North America, we see the power of music to bring hope and beauty where they once were not, and to bring people from different walks of life together. We believe that all people are inherently musical. Music can bring out the best in them, and bring an array of color to their otherwise greyscale lives.
Moreover, while piano is somewhat popular already in Seres, it has been treated more like a tool than a means to create music. With my western training--and a particularly unique one at that--I hope to bring joy, enthusiasm, and wonder to the task of learning piano, something that has scarcely been tried here. The need for this became abundantly clear when I began advertising: in less than one month, over 20 students have registered despite my anonymity in the music community here, the relatively high tuition rates, and the several-months-long wait before the business will be in operation. Those who've signed up have shared with me that they have been waiting for such an opportunity; in other words, many may not even have considered piano studies (for themselves or their children) were it not for the alternative pedagogical approach that I bring.
While we are planning for profitability and sustainability, we also hope this business can be a blessing to the local community. We've committed therefore to use a portion of our profits to support the local community, particularly those who may not otherwise be able to afford to learn piano. This may include free or heavily subsidized programs for at-risk children in our neighborhood as well as in nearby rural counties where children may never have even touched a keyboard, much less considered learning to play one.
All this is to say, we are excited to officially launch this business before the end of 2016, but we need your help! There are requirements for foreign investment capital which exceed our actual startup costs, but will serve to provide a cushion for contingency situations. Our total goal is $35,000 (USD), and we're excited that we've already received $20,000 through other means, which leaves an additional $15,000 remaining to be raised. We've budgeted a monthly profit rate of over 30%, a conservative estimate based on fewer hours (in order to prevent burnout) and little-to-no activity during holiday seasons (which is likely to change with time). Should we decide to hire additional teachers, both cost and revenue would increase, in which case the additional startup capital would be helpful.
Why are we using GoFundMe? This is a legitimate question in light of the roughly 5% that the website takes off of every gift. Instead of accepting donations directly, we felt GoFundMe would be both convenient for supporters and also good for accountability, as the GoFundMe page clearly shows how much has been raised. This way, there is transparency in the process and backers know exactly how much we've raised and our remaining need. Please note that your gifts for this business are not tax deductible. If you are interested in working out a loan agreement instead, please contact us at adrian[dot]becca[at]swissmail[dot]org.
Also, please contact us if you would like a copy of our business plan or if you would like other materials about the business.
Thank you for joining us as we seek to serve the people of Seres!
Donations
Organizer
Adrian Tam
Organizer
Concord, MA