SSmmaallll BBuussiinneessss AAwwaarrddss 22002235 || 1199 the classroom is equally important. At Focus Music, we value educators who go the extra mile – whether through community music projects, training in Special Educational Needs (SEN), or challenging themselves musically.” On the back of the strengths laid out above, Focus Music is planning to continue growing at the same rate it has over the last couple of years, with plans for 2026 including opening a second music school nearby and extending its schoolbased provision to 30+ new schools in the region. Should these goals be achieved, Focus Music will have successfully grown its recurring subscription revenue to 8x what it had at the start of 2025. Longer term, as these co-founders tell us: “We are also looking to expand our services by providing more online lessons, courses, and workshops, alongside starting a talent agency to give our students and teachers a path into the commercial side of music.” We wish Focus Music Agency Ltd the best of luck with these endeavours and are proud to recognise it as the Most Outstanding Music Education Service 2025 – London in this programme. Finally, Liam and Chris requested a moment to thank the Human Kind Café in Billericay, Essex, the owner of which agreed to sponsor a number of students and allow them to perform at the location on certain Sundays throughout the year. As a result of this sponsorship, two students have already completed their first exams, achieving fantastic grades. Contact: Liam Hughes and Chris Hatwell Company: Focus Music Agency Ltd Web Address: https://www.focus-music.co.uk/ Working primarily with students aged 5-13, Focus Music prides itself on providing these individuals with opportunities for extracurricular music lessons either during or after the school day. The business currently supplies music teachers to ten primary schools across the region, with these accredited professionals – many of whom come from esteemed institutions such as the Royal Academy of Music – delivering engaging music lessons spanning guitar, piano/keyboard, or vocal lessons at an affordable cost at these locations. Outside of its offering for local schools, Focus Music’s modern music academy in Essex’s MyPlace Youth & Community Centre sees it provide group tuition for students across a number of instruments. The aim is to allow them to achieve the highest possible mark in their musical grade exams, as well as to perform throughout the year to show their friends, family, and musical peers all they have learned over the course of these sessions. Last but not least when discussing Focus Music’s services, the company offers online keyboard and guitar workshops through Lounges TV, a platform delivering live streams, videos, and one-to-one experiences. Focus Music is one of the only musical education providers on the platform, and the affordable nature of its videos makes them easily accessible for anyone looking to kick-start their journey with an instrument. Thanks to these unique provisions, Focus Music has found tremendous success over the last couple of years. For its co-founders, this comes down to two things: the continuous drive to innovative and the quality of the teaching talent it boasts. Both of these elements have been crucial for Liam and Chris since day one, as their aim for Focus Music has always been to give music teachers better opportunities and treat them with the respect they deserve – at the same time allowing both them and their students to grow musically. Both of these differentiating factors give Focus Music an edge over the competition, most of which comes from the council-run services that have been running now for many years. Despite their longevity, or perhaps because of it, these often do not listen to the needs of their teachers on how to make the job easier or the provided service better. Focus Music makes sure to do exactly the opposite, celebrating its talent and letting their qualifications, experience, and passion for music do the talking across their lessons. Taking a closer look at these experts, Chris told us: “A teacher’s background and portfolio are essential to becoming part of our team. Where they studied, their experiences outside of formal education, and their personal goals as an educator all play a vital role.” Liam continued: “Experience beyond Allowing students from across London and Essex to find their own rhythm, Focus Music Agency Ltd was established in 2023 by the duo of Liam Hughes and Chris Hatwell. From its home at the Forest Row Centre in Romford, as well its Focus Music Online and Focus Music in School options, the aim is to support children and adults as they grow musically, building confidence and allowing them to express themselves creatively in the process. We had the pleasure of catching up with its co-founders on the back of this music school featuring in our Small Business Awards 2025. Most Outstanding Music Education Service 2025 – London
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUyMDQwMA==