For those of you who have finished your dance year, now is the time to really take a good look at your business and find ways to get everything in order. I know that in some states and in some parts of the world your season is not yet over, but whenever it is, take the time to look at ways to control any chaos that may exist. Chaos just causes stress and gives the people who work for you a feeling of insecurity and a lack of direction. Here are ideas to help you find order and in turn to increase the earning power of your business.
· Every office needs set routines with set procedures. Is your office littered with bits of paper from mail to invoices to choreography notes and goodness knows what else? Does that sound familiar? Studio owners are always on the go, not only running the business but usually teaching and choreographing and sometimes counseling as well! It is no wonder that it’s difficult to keep things in order. Whether you are the only staff member or have numerous people working for you it is important to have order. You will not only feel less stressed, but will also have the confidence of being able to find any information that you need when you need it.
· Even the most mundane daily tasks need to be done in a routine manner. This is the only way that your business will run smoothly. Set up routines for everything that happens on a daily basis. Set up a log so that when the first person enters the building each day, there are certain routine procedures that they not only have to follow, but also have to sign off on. For instance:
o Turn off the alarm.
o Turn on all lights.
o Turn on computers.
o Check bathrooms and changing areas.
o Listen to any messages and write them into a message book.
These are just a few things that need to be done each day; have a start-of-day checklist and a reverse one for the person locking up at the end of the day.
· Have a definite place to put mail and invoices and let just one person handle them and file them in the appropriate place. It is important not to let papers and mail pile up on a desk as it is so easy either to lose something or be unaware of notices that have a deadline. Make sure that everyone knows who to call if the computer crashes, the copy machine breaks down or one of the sound systems stops working suddenly.
· In order to have good office management everyone who works in your office needs to know exactly what they are responsible for and understand that they are accountable for it. Put one person in charge of ordering supplies. Someone also needs to be in charge of keeping and maintaining records. One person needs to know all of the passwords for the computer programs, but make sure that there is a backup on a disc or in hard copy in case of an emergency. In some cases you may be the only one to wear all of these hats—just remember that someone else needs to be able to access information in the case of an emergency.
· Enter newly registered students into the computer as soon as possible as this will help you know at a glance when classes are filling up. You will not run into the problem of placing too many students into one class and then having to switch some of them around.
· Stand or sit behind your front desk. Is everything that you need to keep it running smoothly at your fingertips? Can the person working there work comfortably? Are things logically arranged so that items you use the most are within easy reach? Do you have breakdowns of the payment schedules? Do you have a chart to prorate the payment amounts if students join later in the year? If you have a separate office, sit at your desk and make sure you have easy access to everything.
Eliminating chaos and having some clear spaces will help your business be more manageable and will be a lot more fun for everyone working at your studio.
Next month I will provide additional ideas on streamlining your studio office.
