Like their engineering counterparts, recording studio engineers must juggle a variety of roles. Keeping the studio running on a sound business footing is only the most obvious example--technical knowledge is also critical, especially in deciding whether to buy or replace critical pieces of equipment. Booking and coordinating sessions is only half the battle--since most business is on a word-of-mouth basis, the manager will likely be expected to solicit clients based on their own musical connections. Writing a business plan that outlines how the studio will stand out in a crowded marketplace is equally essential, as well as generating ideas that are likely to attract fledgling bands to working there.
Securing the most critical component--the recording studio itself--exemplifies a task that will fall into the manager's lap. Getting MP3 samples or virtual tours isn't enough, since only a personal visit can gauge the quality of equipment, the types of projects that have been recorded there, and the suitability of the location as a musical workspace--in other words, an expensive piece of real estate outfitted with all the latest whistles and bells may be unsuitable for simple demo work, or recording the local punk band. Conversely, a glossier approach may work wonders for other genres, such as dance music--either way, the manager is the person most involved with making that decision.
Running your own recording business is no different, in many respects, than running any other kind of small business. Working with the cream of a local scene's musicians may yield better-paying jobs down the road, while establishing the studio's cachet as a suitable meeting point for those who are involved. Assuming that the studio succeeds on an elementary business level, the manager can essentially set their own hours, and delegate more time-consuming tasks to junior employees (if the budget stretches that far). Finally, although the home recording revolution has led to a decline in major studio business on the East and West Coasts, it's a different story for local spaces--because capturing the highly-compressed, beefier sound that radio stations favor is tougher to capture in a home studio setting.
Expect to work long hours for little or no pay, particularly in the beginning, as the drive to establish the studio gets underway--as a full- or part-time job may be needed to augment lengthy periods where work is questionable. Developing a keen sense of the local scene's up-and-comers is crucial to success, because recording a lot of marginal bands will do little or nothing to raise a studio's profile. Although the manager shoulders the lion's share of the business load, their efforts ultimately depend on many other people--notably, the bands and the recording engineers--to keep any halfway decent studio running. Keeping a keen eye on other sources of income is also critical, since many studios don't totally survive by recording music alone, particularly in the startup phase.
Giving away recording time for free or reduced rates is the lot of any fledgling studio--but will likely require a serious rethink as the word gets around. Falling into the trap of working too cheaply may seriously harm the studio's long-term business health, as will recording marginal acts that don't actually sell any copies of their work outside their small circle of friends. Fans don't judge music by quantity, but quality, which means that the manager, engineers and other employees must put quality first--otherwise, all their efforts are useless. As time passes, the manager can adjust studio rates accordingly--which will weed out acts that are either unable, unwilling or uncommitted to presenting their music properly. Failure to follow these principles may lead to the studio's demise.