Burgess Hill guitar teacher’s business roars back after Covid pandemic: ‘I’m extremely grateful and it’s great to see’

Tom Holmes, 33, of Middle Way, said he is ‘extremely grateful’ to his loyal students at Guitarlearn.

Tom, who picked up the guitar at a young age, said: “We’re not quite fully booked but we’re back to what I would call a ‘normal level’ before the pandemic.”

Tom founded Guitarlearn in 2012, saying: “I remember it being really hard to get started. There was a year where I only had a couple of students and it was really difficult.”

But he established himself by working at a Bolney recording studio, focusing on his website (guitarlearn.co.uk) and advertising. Eventually, the business became Tom’s full income.

“I was almost in disbelief,” he said. “I really love music so when people would pay me to teach them guitar I almost felt like I didn't deserve it.”

Tom said he was close to being ‘fully booked’ in 2020 but when Covid struck he lost about half of his students. But he said he understood and adapted to the challenge of social distancing by moving lessons online while receiving some government support.

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He said: “I think in business you often have major setbacks and it doesn't necessarily dissuade you – it kind of spurs you on. My brain was concerned but my heart was saying ‘let’s go for it’.”

Since the pandemic ended, Tom saw a ‘slow uptick’ in students but now his business has fully recovered.

“I’m extremely grateful and it’s great to see,” he said. “It’s great to see people are still loving music and enjoying it, especially with the cost-of-living crisis.”

He added: “Music is sometimes seen as a hobby – and I suppose it kind of is – but to musicians music is like a way of life, it’s an essential part of my expression.”

Tom, who also plays drums, bass and ukulele, said he loves to see the satisfaction students feel when they successfully try something new.

He recommends business owners going through a difficult patch do everything they can to market themselves, their websites and social media, while providing a quality service. His main advice is: “Don't give up. It does get better. With a lot of uncertainty often comes a lot of opportunities.”