Dance Studio Business Plan

Gilded Serpent presents... Opening a Bellydance Studio Tips for Success by Keti Sharif Keti Sharif has run several bellydance studios worldwide in Perth, Singapore, El Gouna and Cairo. She has been teaching and dancing internationally for 17 years and has created an A-Z teaching system that is now operating on a global level. She has recently retired fully from bellydancing but offers great advice on business plans for dancers wishing to expand their hobby into a career. Here are some tips on opening a studio for teaching and practicing bellydancing. There are many points to consider - studio location, space and fit-out as well as issues of renting and sub-letting. Studio owners need to plan their programming, studio schedule, and finances well in advance for business success. How do you implement quality control and create programs that set you apart from the rest? Here are some of the key factors that should influence your decisions. 1. Studio location a. Safety and visibility Is the space you have chosen safe at night with good lighting, does it have ample parking and street signage, and is it easy to find? b. Transport and distance Is the studio within close driving distance for most of your student base? Is there public transport nearby: buses, trains, a safe night transport service? c. Nearby cafes Is your destination near shops and convenience stores or a cafe so students can get coffee or a bite to eat after class? Students often like to chat after class, especially morning and weekend classes. If there are no nearby cafes, can you offer coffee and tea or order lunches in from a local cafe for workshops and special events? d. Neighbors Will your neighbors be tolerant of the noise levels from class? Can you shuffle classes so that noisier classes are held after work hours? Who are your neighbors; are there shops nearby that appeal to women, including fashion and supermarkets, or is it industrial? e. Studio location and cost Is the area relatively inexpensive and slightly further out, perhaps in an industrial area where students would need to drive to, or is it in a choice central area near shops, cafes, main streets and public transport, making it easily accessible to more people but costing more in rent? Weigh up the costs. 2. Studio space, fittings and décor a. Student accommodation How many people will the studio accommodate? Will these numbers be achievable? Will these numbers cover the costs of running the studio, advertising, paying outgoings, and paying teachers or yourself? b. Flooring and mirrors Does the studio have a dance-safe floor? Is it wooden, parquet, rubberized or special dance flooring? If not, how much will it cost to convert, and are you allowed to change or cover the flooring? How much do mirrors cost? When installing, unless you own the property, it is wise to have mirrors mounted instead of siliconed to the wall so they can be removed if you leave. c. Comfort and safety Is there a comfortable place to sit, especially for aged students? Is there a place to get changed and store bags so they don't create a safety hazard? Are all walls, mirrors and sharp edges protected? If there are carpets on the floors, are they away from the dance area? d. Ventilation and lighting Is there adequate ventilation, heating, and cooling available? It may be necessary to install a reverse cycle air-conditioning system – each person omits 100 watts, so a room of ten people can heat up quite quickly, especially when dancing. Is the lighting conducive to dance atmosphere fluorescent lights are uncomfortable; try small spotlights and pearl globes. Make sure the teaching or instruction area is well lit. e. Decorate with style Middle Eastern dance evokes a certain style with its art pieces, pictures, carpets and trinkets. Choose colors and images that reflect a certain theme '40's Glamour Oriental, Egyptian Pharonic, decadent Ottoman harem-style, earthy Moroccan, or tribal, modern eclectic bellydance. Other creative ideas are to get artsy friends to help create unique effects; the inside of a Jeanie's bottle, a 3D desert landscape mural with carpets and pictures of dancers with coins and fabric glued on, clay or paper mache Pharonic wall, a Moroccan fountain with Islamic tiles, a gypsy's tent with the scent of essential oils. Creative spaces make people comfortable while creating atmospherics. 3. Studio Rental and Subletting a. Rent or buy Weigh up how much you would be paying in rent monthly. How many years do you plan to run this studio as a business? Does it work out better to invest and buy the property, so the growth is 10-20% annually? Make a five-year plan and see what makes better sense financially in the long term. b. Subletting options Even if you run a dance studio alone and work every day, you probably won't be using all time slots, so consider sub-letting to dance, fitness and yoga groups. If you are renting, ask permission from the landlord. If you own, seek advice from the local council on rules and regulations. c. Insurance Make sure to get insurance and public liability. If subletting, make a standard contract where all hirers must pay an annual group insurance fee. See a lawyer and get the best advice; it could save you money in the long run. 4. Programming, studio schedule, and finances a. Work 3-6 months in advance It is wise to make an overall annual plan for your year, looking at the program in terms of school terms or in course blocks, and then revise and refine the schedule every 6 months. Advertise at least 3 months before main events or course start dates. b. Develop a workable payment system for your students Decide on your system. Up-front payments usually provide an overall discount and have an early-bird option available; this makes sure your cash flow remains steady. If you choose to run pay-as-you-go classes, it is advisable to offer bulk classes with a good discount or free gift incentive to get payment up front to cover your costs instead of hoping a good number will show up. Up-front payments equal commitment. c. Offer crystal clear program flyers Create clear program flyers with clauses outlining general refund guidelines and what happens in cases of illness and missed classes. d. Set clear enrolment dates and class sizes Apply a cut off date for course enrollments with discounts and state the limit of numbers in each class. Honor the class numbers you set, and if you have extras, see if it is viable to start another class. If not, students quickly learn to enroll on time. When this becomes your studio policy you will gain more respect, and therefore your quality and value increase in the eyes of your participants. e. Get a good accountant and banking system Seek an accountant who deals with small business and related fields. Find out what you can and can’t claim as tax deductible expenses. Keep records and learn basic bookkeeping, or pay someone to do these jobs for you. Set up a credit card merchant facility and even online secure booking forms if you wish to boost revenue through ease of booking for students. Keep your bank updated with business developments. 5. Teacher qualification: a. What levels of qualification do you have? Do you and all teachers working with or for you have good experience? Have you all studied with professionals and updated your teaching skills? b. Do all teachers working with you have a first aid certificate? No dance teacher should be working without one. Make it a pre-requisite for teachers to obtain one. First aid certification usually only takes a day and is available through local ambulance, hospital or fitness institutes. c. Do teachers agree on teaching styles? If students choose to move between teachers or classes, it is important that teachers liaise with each other and understand how everyone else works. A conflict of teaching styles can be unsettling for students. Regular meetings are necessary. d. How do you assess quality control? Make sure the teachers and class programs have a general theme in terms of wording, level description and follow through – how can the student build on the past classes or courses for their own personal development? These issues should be worked out during programming and teachers must meet to decide on congruent systems. Decide on a feedback system or regular pre- and post-course group meeting to assess overall quality and delivery of teaching. e. Set clear standards You are the studio owner and administrator. Make sure all teachers working with you understand your basic principles. State and write them clearly and then get the teachers to repeat back to you in the way they understand. What do you expect from teachers (and yourself) in terms of teaching standard, quality, outcome, repeat students, follow through events? Create a mission statement and review it regularly. What is fixed policy and what is negotiable? 6. Implementing programs; setting you apart from the rest a. Invest in your skills and credibility Educate yourself and expect that teachers working with you continue their education. Make sure your research is up to date and your skills are polished. Continue to study and research if you wish to grow as a teacher: read regularly, attend workshops, use the internet and take courses in teaching and business management. b. Plan your programs to include basic skills and specific focus areas Offer solid programs with the basic dance skills required for everyone, and then follow with specialized, culturally stylized or genre-specific courses, graded in levels. With student development in mind, how can a student progress within your system or school? c. Complimenting classes Can you introduce fitness, pre-natal, yoga, Latin dance, children's, senior's, a dance troupe focus class or other dance-related classes? Find the balance of a core set of classes and then introduce something special -not all at the same time. Keep the program streamlined, and test what works before introducing too many options. 7. Marketing and advertising a. Develop an identifiable style in your marketing material Design a flowing market spread of business card, studio flyer, program updates, web page, basic advertisement copy, email signatures, etc. Use the same general font, pictures and style so your studio is identifiable and creates a string image. Keep wording succinct and powerful. Include all class information and contact details. b. Free marketing is easy to get if you know how! Learn how to write a press release and include a picture (press release kit) for magazines and local papers. Remember to state how the studio or event benefits the community or has a special story attached. Source free advertising in local papers – they often have a community notice board, list special events or run small adds in the classified section. Go online and list your studio on as many free dance websites as possible and exchange links with other studios if you have a website. c. Budget wisely; your marketing material is an investment Is it worth getting a professional artist to design your logo? Should you have some professional photos taken? Is it wise to invest in quality printing instead of photocopying? These things must be planned and budgeted for, as they carry your message and can make your business look either professional or cheap. Participants often use your marketing as their entry point in decision making. If a flyer looks as though it has been made on a home computer, people don't expect to pay as much for the service as for classes that are detailed in a glossy flyer or presented on a professional website. d. Everyone loves a freebie Offer something free once in a while – not too often, but use this as promotion; for example, a free class for a friend, a free CD with a course, or a free evening event if people bring four guests. If participants are loyal to you, it is worth acknowledging their loyalty with a special gift or discount several times a year. 8. Other options to boost your business revenue and profile a. Workshops and sponsorship of "big names" This will add to your revenue and generate more business even outside your immediate school. Invite other schools to participate and watch your business expand! b. Sell products Buy wholesale bellydance scarves and jewelry or even costumes from Cairo, India or Turkey, where the currency is relatively low, and sell items in your studio. You usually need to make an initial trip abroad and set up contacts face to face, but thereafter you can usually liaise and order by fax and email. Sell music and DVD's, too, but remember, no copying; buy wholesale from other teachers. You usually make 10-25% on small amounts and up to 30% on large quantities. c. Events and charities Hold several events annually and at least one fundraiser or charity event each year. Charities are firstly a great cause, secondly a wonderful way to promote your event in the media, and thirdly a way to make people feel good about participating. d. YOU are your business! Conduct yourself with dignity. Remember that your public profile must be strong yet flexible – you’ll get respect from implementing clear, dynamic principles and ethics, and some flexibility and an easygoing attitude with win you “likeability,” which is important in the personal business fields. Create a business persona that is attuned to the real person and you can't go wrong. Remain authentic, wildly promote your art form, and sing praises about your students, your fellow teachers and the dance …rather than about yourself. Others will notice, and they will be the ones to compliment you and ultimately raise your profile. Have a comment? Send us a letter!

BELLY DANCE MARKETING PLAN

Introduction

Whether you are a seasoned pro, a student aspiring to launch your dance career, or starting out as a vendor, marketing yourself effectively can play a major role in how successful you are. Here are some suggestions on how to package yourself the way a marketing professional would. Start by understanding the basics of marketing. Professionals in the field refer to the "Four P’s": Product Price Place Promotion. Product refers to you and the teaching / performing / merchandise that you offer. Price, of course, refers to what you charge for your services. Place refers to how visible you are to prospective customers. Promotion refers to how you advertise your availability. Taken together, these factors will give you an edge over others when marketing yourself. This article offers an introduction to this topic. However, if you should have an opportunity to take Shira's "Artistic Marketing" workshop, you'll find there's much more to it than this! Ask your local event organizers to consider bringing her to town! PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Pixie Vision, Glendale, California.

Product

Make sure you understand the Product you are offering. If you’re not selling what people want to buy, then all the time and energy you spend on promotion will be wasted. Think in terms of what people are willing to pay money for, not in terms of what you want them to pay money for. For example, if you are most comfortable dancing in a ragged cotton dress that has food stains on the front, you may find joy in dancing, but there aren’t likely to be many people who would pay you money to do a show for them dressed like that. Ask yourself these questions. Be honest: What makes your classes, your performances, or your merchandise unique? If you have trouble answering this, then you need to develop that uniqueness. In marketing language, that is known as "differentiating your product". Is the quality of what you have to offer truly good enough to stand up that offered by your competitors? If not, then why would you expect people to come to you when they could get a better teacher, performer, or merchandise by going to someone else? What, exactly, is your product? As a teacher, do you want to promote your local classes, your services as a workshop instructor on the national circuit, your services as a workshop instructor on the worldwide circuit, or an instructional video? Be realistic here — look at what you have the practical means to accomplish, not what you wish might be the case. In the business world, one key criterion that analysts apply to businesses when evaluating their likelihood of success is "ability to execute". That means it doesn’t matter how grand your dream is, if you don’t have the practical skills to turn it into reality. Simply saying you are "famous", "talented", or "exciting" doesn’t make it so. Keep yourself well-rooted in what you can realistically achieve, and focus your marketing efforts on that. Define a clear vision for what type of gig you want to seek, and then ensure that you are perfectly suited for that gig. For example, if you want to be hired to perform at Arab weddings, you'll need to be familiar with a large repertoire of Arab music, own a variety of sparkly high-end costumes ranging from modest to edgy in style, be able to lead a debke line if requested, be confident dancing with a shamadan or cane if requested, and be capable of dancing in a style that Arab audiences will appreciate. PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Michael Baxter, Santa Clara, California.

Price

Price is an important thing to consider in promoting yourself. How much do you charge? This is a tricky question — if you charge too much, people will hire your competitors. If you charge too little, the market will see you as a "cheap" dancer and make assumptions about your skill (or lack of it) accordingly. First, compare yourself to the competition. Start by identifying what kind of competition is relevant. If you'll be marketing the classes you teach locally, find out what local ballet and tap dance teachers as well as other local belly dancers charge. If you're selling merchandise via mail-order, find out what other mail-order vendors charge for similar products. And so on. Once you have identified who your competition is, find out: What do other teachers charge for group classes paid by the month, group classes paid on a drop-in basis, and private lessons? What is the standard fee paid to dancers by the various restaurants in your community? What do most singing telegram companies charge for the "bellygrams" they sell? What do other dancers charge for the private parties that want a show that’s longer and more polished than the typical bellygram? If you sell merchandise, what do other people charge for comparable items — not just vendors who sell to belly dancers, but also those who sell to the general public? For example, if you’re going to sell mugs with an adorable cartoon of a snake on them, find out the price of novelty mugs at gift shops in your local mall, as well as what other belly dance vendors charge for similar items. Next, compare yourself to the skill level of the other dancers who are working in your community. Are you better than them, about the same, or not as good? If you are significantly better than them, you may be able to get away with charging more than they do. If you’re about the same, then you’ll certainly want to charge the same. If you are not as good as other dancers your community, maybe it’s best if you initially stick to doing only free public service shows: community events, nursing homes, etc. Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of saying, "Since I’m not as good, I’ll charge less than everyone else." That is a Bad Thing! Undercutting the fees of other dancers will make you an outcast in your dance community, pull the pricing scale down for everybody, and further reduce the respect that employers have for dancers. Don’t do it! It’s much better to get your performing experience in the free venues, and then later start charging the same amount as other seasoned dancers once you reach a comparable skill level! PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Pixie Vision, Glendale, California.

Place

Make sure your distribution channel (methods for selling to customers) is making it easy for people to see what you offer and attractive to buy from you. That's what Place is all about. A belly dance performer, for example, could: Advertise herself directly through "being seen" performing in restaurants, at charity events, at city festivals, and other promotional environments Work through an Internet-based gig-booking agency such as Gigmasters Network with other professionals such as event planners, wedding planners, DJ's, photographers, and others who might be in a position to refer leads to her Engage the services of an entertainment agency to help her get gigs Similarly, a belly dance teacher could either market her classes directly or offer them through a studio that does all the marketing for her. Whichever distribution channels you decide to employ, you'll need to choose wisely, and you'll need to ensure that you package your image optimally for each such channel. PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California. It's not the best strategy to "be seen" dancing all over town. For example, if you dance for free at every possible event that will accept you, people could grow weary of looking at you: "Oh, there she is again, doing the same thing she was doing when I saw her last week dancing on the straw in the camel pen at the petting zoo. The week before that, she was dancing at the fundraiser for that foot fungus research foundation, and again doing the same boring thing. I guess nobody wants to hire her, if she has time to dance for free all over town. Maybe for my next party I'll hire a magician - I haven't seen one of those in a long time...." People hiring entertainers usually want something special or unique, something that their guests don't see every day, something that will enhance their reputation as a host who throws the best parties. For that reason, it's much more effective to choose a limited number of places to do promotional shows, and those places should be carefully chosen to ensure that you are being seen by the people with both the money and the interest in hiring a dancer.

So how do you place yourself for optimal success? First, think about what type of gigs you want to focus on attracting. What types of performance opportunities exist (or could exist) in your community? Ethnic wedding celebrations? Birthday parties? Corporate functions? Women's groups? Museums? Next, what type of dance performance will your prospective clients want with respect to music, costume, props, and dance style? Finally, what type of distribution channel will provide the best environment for showcasing your ability to provide an exciting performance for the clientele you want to attract? For example, if you want to aim for the ethnic wedding gigs, performing in a high-class Middle Eastern restaurant may be the best way to showcase your skills in front of your prospective clientele. But performing for museums, libraries, and colleges may require you to list your services through your state's arts council roster. Corporate clients may do all their booking through event planners and entertainment agencies. PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Kaylyn Hoskins, Solon, Iowa. A similar thought process can be applied for offering belly dance classes. First determine the demographics of the customers you wish to attract, then think about where to offer your classes or merchandise in order to reach them. For example, if you want to offer daytime classes to women with children, can you schedule a late-afternoon class that will finish just before school lets out, at a studio near a school? If you want to offer lunch-hour classes to working women, can you find a studio next door to a large office building?

Promotion

Most people think of advertising when they think of Promotion. Although advertising is one aspect of promotion, there’s much more to it than that. In the consumer products world of selling pet food and laundry detergent, promotion may involve putting a coupon into the local advertising circular that offers a small discount on the purchase price of the product. A hair salon owner may promote her services by joining the local chamber of commerce and attending meetings regularly to network with other local professionals. A massage therapist might build a web site that shows clients which times openings are available and accepts online bookings. Think about how you can translate those ideas into promoting your own product. For example, can you join a group of women who own their own businesses and look for ways to collaborate on referrals to each other? Can you place a coupon in the local ad circular for $5 off the price of a 6-week session of classes? Does your web site contain descriptions of the types of performances you offer, with published prices for each? Can you team up with a real estate agent to include a flyer advertising your classes as part of a "welcome package" for people who buy new homes in your community? It may be tempting to perform for free at events all over town as a way of giving a free sample and "being seen", but as mentioned above in the Place section of this article, that strategy can backfire by oversaturating the market. Look at it this way - if you received a packet of free shampoo in the mail every week, you wouldn't need to buy any shampoo, would you? It's better to pick and choose a small number of places to do "showcase" performances, selecting ones that are most likely to attract clients with money available to hire dancers or pay for classes. Of course, you'll also want to invest in advertising. You can put up posters around town, purchase ad space in local arts newsletters, experiment with social media ads or search engine ad words, etc. You'll want to build a compelling social media presence, and offer a polished, professional-looking web site. Perhaps you can share the cost of joint marketing ads with other professionals who target the same market as you, such as wedding photographers and DJ's. PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

In Summary

There is much more to being a "professional" than dancing well and proclaiming yourself to be one. Think of your teaching, performing, or vending as an overall "product", and let that lead you into thinking about how you can apply the methods used for selling toilet paper, computer software, fast food, and other items to the "general public". Since very few dancers think in these terms when they decide to pursue a professional career, you'll give yourself an edge by looking at things from this business perspective.
Before spending money on advertising, it is important to first define your market niche, ensure your "product" fits the niche you are aiming for, and develop your distribution channels. Once you have this foundation in place, your promotional investment will be much more effective.
Would you like to know more? Shira offers a lecture workshop titled "Artistic Marketing" that explores this topic in much more depth. Ask your local belly dance event producers to consider bringing her in to their next event to present it.

Belly Dance Studio Planning

Opening a Bellydance Studio
Tips for Success
by Keti Sharif
Keti Sharif has run several bellydance studios worldwide in Perth, Singapore, El Gouna and Cairo. She has been teaching and dancing internationally for 17 years and has created an A-Z teaching system that is now operating on a global level. She has recently retired fully from bellydancing but offers great advice on business plans for dancers wishing to expand their hobby into a career.
Here are some tips on opening a studio for teaching and practicing bellydancing. There are many points to consider - studio location, space and fit-out as well as issues of renting and sub-letting. Studio owners need to plan their programming, studio schedule, and finances well in advance for business success. How do you implement quality control and create programs that set you apart from the rest? Here are some of the key factors that should influence your decisions.
1. Studio location
a. Safety and visibility
Is the space you have chosen safe at night with good lighting, does it have ample parking and street signage, and is it easy to find?
b. Transport and distance
Is the studio within close driving distance for most of your student base? Is there public transport nearby: buses, trains, a safe night transport service?
c. Nearby cafes
Is your destination near shops and convenience stores or a cafe so students can get coffee or a bite to eat after class? Students often like to chat after class, especially morning and weekend classes. If there are no nearby cafes, can you offer coffee and tea or order lunches in from a local cafe for workshops and special events?
d. Neighbors
Will your neighbors be tolerant of the noise levels from class? Can you shuffle classes so that noisier classes are held after work hours? Who are your neighbors; are there shops nearby that appeal to women, including fashion and supermarkets, or is it industrial?
e. Studio location and cost
Is the area relatively inexpensive and slightly further out, perhaps in an industrial area where students would need to drive to, or is it in a choice central area near shops, cafes, main streets and public transport, making it easily accessible to more people but costing more in rent? Weigh up the costs.
2. Studio space, fittings and décor
a. Student accommodation
How many people will the studio accommodate? Will these numbers be achievable? Will these numbers cover the costs of running the studio, advertising, paying outgoings, and paying teachers or yourself?
b. Flooring and mirrors
Does the studio have a dance-safe floor? Is it wooden, parquet, rubberized or special dance flooring? If not, how much will it cost to convert, and are you allowed to change or cover the flooring? How much do mirrors cost? When installing, unless you own the property, it is wise to have mirrors mounted instead of siliconed to the wall so they can be removed if you leave.
c. Comfort and safety
Is there a comfortable place to sit, especially for aged students? Is there a place to get changed and store bags so they don't create a safety hazard? Are all walls, mirrors and sharp edges protected? If there are carpets on the floors, are they away from the dance area?
d. Ventilation and lighting
Is there adequate ventilation, heating, and cooling available? It may be necessary to install a reverse cycle air-conditioning system – each person omits 100 watts, so a room of ten people can heat up quite quickly, especially when dancing. Is the lighting conducive to dance atmosphere fluorescent lights are uncomfortable; try small spotlights and pearl globes. Make sure the teaching or instruction area is well lit.
e. Decorate with style
Middle Eastern dance evokes a certain style with its art pieces, pictures, carpets and trinkets. Choose colors and images that reflect a certain theme '40's Glamour Oriental, Egyptian Pharonic, decadent Ottoman harem-style, earthy Moroccan, or tribal, modern eclectic bellydance. Other creative ideas are to get artsy friends to help create unique effects; the inside of a Jeanie's bottle, a 3D desert landscape mural with carpets and pictures of dancers with coins and fabric glued on, clay or paper mache Pharonic wall, a Moroccan fountain with Islamic tiles, a gypsy's tent with the scent of essential oils. Creative spaces make people comfortable while creating atmospherics.
3. Studio Rental and Subletting
a. Rent or buy
Weigh up how much you would be paying in rent monthly. How many years do you plan to run this studio as a business? Does it work out better to invest and buy the property, so the growth is 10-20% annually? Make a five-year plan and see what makes better sense financially in the long term.
b. Subletting options
Even if you run a dance studio alone and work every day, you probably won't be using all time slots, so consider sub-letting to dance, fitness and yoga groups. If you are renting, ask permission from the landlord. If you own, seek advice from the local council on rules and regulations.
c. Insurance
Make sure to get insurance and public liability. If subletting, make a standard contract where all hirers must pay an annual group insurance fee. See a lawyer and get the best advice; it could save you money in the long run.
4. Programming, studio schedule, and finances
a. Work 3-6 months in advance
It is wise to make an overall annual plan for your year, looking at the program in terms of school terms or in course blocks, and then revise and refine the schedule every 6 months. Advertise at least 3 months before main events or course start dates.
b. Develop a workable payment system for your students
Decide on your system. Up-front payments usually provide an overall discount and have an early-bird option available; this makes sure your cash flow remains steady. If you choose to run pay-as-you-go classes, it is advisable to offer bulk classes with a good discount or free gift incentive to get payment up front to cover your costs instead of hoping a good number will show up. Up-front payments equal commitment.
c. Offer crystal clear program flyers
Create clear program flyers with clauses outlining general refund guidelines and what happens in cases of illness and missed classes.
d. Set clear enrolment dates and class sizes
Apply a cut off date for course enrollments with discounts and state the limit of numbers in each class. Honor the class numbers you set, and if you have extras, see if it is viable to start another class. If not, students quickly learn to enroll on time. When this becomes your studio policy you will gain more respect, and therefore your quality and value increase in the eyes of your participants.
e. Get a good accountant and banking system
Seek an accountant who deals with small business and related fields. Find out what you can and can’t claim as tax deductible expenses. Keep records and learn basic bookkeeping, or pay someone to do these jobs for you. Set up a credit card merchant facility and even online secure booking forms if you wish to boost revenue through ease of booking for students. Keep your bank updated with business developments.
5. Teacher qualification:
a. What levels of qualification do you have?
Do you and all teachers working with or for you have good experience? Have you all studied with professionals and updated your teaching skills?
b. Do all teachers working with you have a first aid certificate?
No dance teacher should be working without one. Make it a pre-requisite for teachers to obtain one. First aid certification usually only takes a day and is available through local ambulance, hospital or fitness institutes.
c. Do teachers agree on teaching styles?
If students choose to move between teachers or classes, it is important that teachers liaise with each other and understand how everyone else works. A conflict of teaching styles can be unsettling for students. Regular meetings are necessary.
d. How do you assess quality control?
Make sure the teachers and class programs have a general theme in terms of wording, level description and follow through – how can the student build on the past classes or courses for their own personal development? These issues should be worked out during programming and teachers must meet to decide on congruent systems. Decide on a feedback system or regular pre- and post-course group meeting to assess overall quality and delivery of teaching.
e. Set clear standards
You are the studio owner and administrator. Make sure all teachers working with you understand your basic principles. State and write them clearly and then get the teachers to repeat back to you in the way they understand. What do you expect from teachers (and yourself) in terms of teaching standard, quality, outcome, repeat students, follow through events? Create a mission statement and review it regularly. What is fixed policy and what is negotiable?
6. Implementing programs; setting you apart from the rest
a. Invest in your skills and credibility
Educate yourself and expect that teachers working with you continue their education. Make sure your research is up to date and your skills are polished. Continue to study and research if you wish to grow as a teacher: read regularly, attend workshops, use the internet and take courses in teaching and business management.
b. Plan your programs to include basic skills and specific focus areas
Offer solid programs with the basic dance skills required for everyone, and then follow with specialized, culturally stylized or genre-specific courses, graded in levels. With student development in mind, how can a student progress within your system or school?
c. Complimenting classes
Can you introduce fitness, pre-natal, yoga, Latin dance, children's, senior's, a dance troupe focus class or other dance-related classes? Find the balance of a core set of classes and then introduce something special -not all at the same time. Keep the program streamlined, and test what works before introducing too many options.
7. Marketing and advertising
a. Develop an identifiable style in your marketing material
Design a flowing market spread of business card, studio flyer, program updates, web page, basic advertisement copy, email signatures, etc. Use the same general font, pictures and style so your studio is identifiable and creates a string image. Keep wording succinct and powerful. Include all class information and contact details.
b. Free marketing is easy to get if you know how!
Learn how to write a press release and include a picture (press release kit) for magazines and local papers. Remember to state how the studio or event benefits the community or has a special story attached. Source free advertising in local papers – they often have a community notice board, list special events or run small adds in the classified section. Go online and list your studio on as many free dance websites as possible and exchange links with other studios if you have a website.
c. Budget wisely; your marketing material is an investment
Is it worth getting a professional artist to design your logo? Should you have some professional photos taken? Is it wise to invest in quality printing instead of photocopying? These things must be planned and budgeted for, as they carry your message and can make your business look either professional or cheap. Participants often use your marketing as their entry point in decision making. If a flyer looks as though it has been made on a home computer, people don't expect to pay as much for the service as for classes that are detailed in a glossy flyer or presented on a professional website.
d. Everyone loves a freebie
Offer something free once in a while – not too often, but use this as promotion; for example, a free class for a friend, a free CD with a course, or a free evening event if people bring four guests. If participants are loyal to you, it is worth acknowledging their loyalty with a special gift or discount several times a year.
8. Other options to boost your business revenue and profile
a. Workshops and sponsorship of "big names"
This will add to your revenue and generate more business even outside your immediate school. Invite other schools to participate and watch your business expand!
b. Sell products
Buy wholesale bellydance scarves and jewelry or even costumes from Cairo, India or Turkey, where the currency is relatively low, and sell items in your studio. You usually need to make an initial trip abroad and set up contacts face to face, but thereafter you can usually liaise and order by fax and email. Sell music and DVD's, too, but remember, no copying; buy wholesale from other teachers. You usually make 10-25% on small amounts and up to 30% on large quantities.
c. Events and charities
Hold several events annually and at least one fundraiser or charity event each year. Charities are firstly a great cause, secondly a wonderful way to promote your event in the media, and thirdly a way to make people feel good about participating.
d. YOU are your business!
Conduct yourself with dignity. Remember that your public profile must be strong yet flexible – you’ll get respect from implementing clear, dynamic principles and ethics, and some flexibility and an easygoing attitude with win you “likeability,” which is important in the personal business fields. Create a business persona that is attuned to the real person and you can't go wrong. Remain authentic, wildly promote your art form, and sing praises about your students, your fellow teachers and the dance …rather than about yourself. Others will notice, and they will be the ones to compliment you and ultimately raise your profile.