All year long it seems that dance studio owners are on the run. Each day there’s a new set of challenges that can arise in the running of the dance studio and each day if you are also a dance teacher there are classes to prepare and choreography to create and complete, just to name a few things that we are required to take care of. All of this requires teamwork of major proportions. Perhaps you own a small dance studio or are just starting out it really doesn’t matter, you still need a team to make it all work. Your team could perhaps consist of two people or twenty; the main objective is that whoever you surround yourself with as a dance studio owner needs to be an asset to your business. The most important thing that you can do for the growth of your business is to make yourself more valuable. So, how do you do this? I really do believe that the best way to give you more value in every aspect is to keep finding ways to improve yourself.
You may be thinking as a dance studio owner where do you start? I like to make a yearly plan for myself. I find that if I don’t chart it all out it is so easy for the days to fly by and all of a sudden the year is gone. It is hard to find time to devote to self improvement in our business because let’s face it, our days are full and generally pretty exhausting and that’s not even taking into consideration any personal life!! I try to incorporate any courses I take into my regular schedule rather than use my vacation time, as those days off are really important to our mental and physical health. Sometimes, especially in the summer there is time to devote to doing extra things and we are generally more relaxed during those weeks.
Finding business seminars in your area is a good way to start. Local community colleges generally have continuing educational classes on a variety of subjects from computer programming, QuickBooks, marketing, management, website design and even basics like keyboarding are offered. I’m sure you will also get a number of offers in the mail for one time seminars. Try to take advantage of some of these courses and if you are not able to devote time or feel that it is not your thing, try to get someone else on your team to go for it. Decide where you need the most help or what direction you feel that you want your business to go. Enlisting the help of others is important because it is impossible to do everything successfully by yourself. If there is really a part of your business that you feel out of your depth with, find someone who can help you out and help them to get any extra training that they may need. In the long run it will benefit you.
Improving your organizational skills will also go a long way to fine tuning not only your dance studio business but also by giving you more quality time to be able to devote to the elements that are your favorites. There is nothing like eliminating clutter and being able to find things at a moment’s notice to help you feel free and able to concentrate on more important aspects of your business.
Improving the look of the dance studio. Find ways to constantly update and refresh your studio. It might be as simple as cleaning off scuff marks on walls and floors or putting new pictures on the wall. Have flowers on your front desk or perhaps a seasonal display. The idea is that the studio becomes a very inviting and warm place for the students and their parents to come to. A lot of dance students spend many hours during each week at the studio and you really do want them to have that feeling of a home away from home. I think it is even more important in today’s world than ever before simply because so many parents need to work and it makes them feel comfortable to have their children spend time at your studio if there is a welcoming atmosphere. I am not in favor of encouraging parents to just hang around waiting for their children unless it is for a short period of time or because the children are very young. In my experience when parents have too much time on their hands they tend to get overly involved with what is happening at the studio and that can sometimes prove to be a detriment to them and you.
Improving yourself as a dance teacher is of utmost importance because you are your brand and product, so it is necessary for you to keep up with the latest teaching ideas and trends. That doesn’t necessarily mean that if you are a Ballet teacher that you now have to become a Hip Hop teacher but it does mean that it is a good idea to offer your students a variety of styles to make their dance experience complete. It also makes business sense to give your students as many reasons as possible to take more classes. Of course, there is also then a better chance of their level of technique improving too which then makes your dancers one of your best marketing tools. If you do all the teaching and feel uncomfortable or not prepared to teach other styles of dance it will be worth it to you to hire someone else to do those classes and increase your enrollment. If you already hire other dance teachers then it is a good idea to make sure that they are doing ongoing training. It is a worthwhile investment for you to spearhead their continued training because ultimately it is going to give you a better trained faculty which, in turn will help your business and increase your customer satisfaction.
