Should I Step Back From Teaching to Focus on Studio Business?
Should I step back from teaching to focus on studio business? There are only 2 questions you need to answer to make this decision. I meet a lot of studio owners in my travels, and there seems to be one thing that unites us—we all have a similar backstory. Somewhere along the way in life […]
When is it Time to Add a Second Show to Your Recital? 4 Factors to Help You Decide
There’s nothing more satisfying than the feeling you get when your studio is thriving! When the hallways are buzzing and the classes are full, you feel such pride in having grown your business to a successful place. But it’s not all sunshine and daisies, of course. Success can also mean growing pains in every facet […]
Are Dance Competitions Worth It? Three Questions to Ask Yourself
There’s plenty to consider when asking the question “Are dance competitions worth it?” for your studio—-the endless hours of preparation, the cost to attend and the time it takes to travel. And yet the results for your students can far outweigh the headaches if competition opportunities are an important part of your studio goals. If […]
3 Best Practices For Coaching Your Dance Studio Staff
By now your studio’s season is officially in full swing and your classes are humming along. Your students and their families are getting used to their new dance schedules, school commitments, and carpools. Your staff members have also settled into your new routines around the studio and you are starting to find your “new normal” […]
4 Ways to Boost Dance Studio Retention Early In The Season
You’ve held your open house. You’ve put out your back-to-school social media campaigns. You’ve advertised in a local parenting publication. If you’re like me, you are feeling like you are on a roll for getting new students into the studio this time of year! The good news is, new students are coming in and you […]
Six Keys to a Successful Dance Studio Open House
It could be the BIGGEST promotional day of the year at your studio…the open house! You know you want your studio to look its best, and you know you want to positively engage with prospective customers in addition to current customers. This is your opportunity to love on returning clients, WOW potential customers and invite […]
Dance Class Size: Why 9 Students Are Much Less Profitable Than 8
About seven years ago I was a partner in a business that managed five daycare centers. It was an excellent learning experience, but one lesson continues to rise above the rest: The concept of “break points” in enrollment. And, this is how I learned that 9 students are less profitable than 8! Curious about this […]
Three Ways to Evaluate Your Dance School Enrollment
As I travel the country talking to studio owners the question I hear exchanged more often than any other is some version of: “How big is your studio?” I understand the motivation behind the question and have asked it several times myself. I believe the enrollment size questions are motivated by a few things: We […]
Dance Studio Teacher Staff Meetings That ROCK
The school supply lists are posted at Target, the mailbox is filling up with registration paperwork for my children’s schools and Facebook is blowing up with pictures of kids in backpacks. It’s officially time for back-to-school and that means it’s time to get serious about back-to-dance! As a studio owner, I’m a big fan of […]
First Impressions Still Matter
In business we call it “first impressions.” Psychologists call it “thin slicing.” Regardless of what you call it, career experts say it takes just three seconds for someone to determine whether they like you and want to do business with you. According to BusinessInsider.com (2015), you have even less time to make a good first […]
Summer Dance Camps and More: Filling Hours at Your Studio
To borrow a made up word by one of my favorite bloggers, Glennon Doyle Melton, Summer is a BRUTIFUL season at the dance studio. BRUTIFUL? Yes. Beautiful + brutal = brutiful. Summer at the dance studio is BEAUTIFUL for several reasons: It’s a break from the marathon of weekly classes. There is a more relaxed […]
Dance Studio Registration: Back-to-School Starts TODAY!
It’s mid-April, right? If you own a dance studio, that’s not EXACTLY true. It may be the middle of April on your Google calendar, but if you are like me, your mind is somewhere closer to September. Not convinced? Just take a look at your to-do list. Finalize fall schedule Find one more teacher for […]
Backstage Management Tools for Dance Recitals
As a studio owner, I have three lists running in my brain at all times. I’m always asking myself the following three questions: What needs to be done today? What needs to be done in the next 2-6 months? What can I make for dinner without going to the store? (Not kidding on that last […]
Parent Teacher Conference for Dancers
Looking back, I feel like I have had three different lives as a studio owner: Studio owner before kids. Studio owner with young kids. Studio owner with kids in other activities. Before I had children, my studio centered on the needs of the classes. Whatever worked best for the classes took first place. If we […]
7 Ways to Ensure a Strong Dance Summer
As I sit down to write this article, it’s 10 below zero outside the doors of my studio. We are in the depths of winter in Wisconsin and summer is on my mind. But, I’m not thinking about vacations or visits to the local pool. My mind is fixed on the programming I can offer […]
