It’s Tuesday and I’m in the thick of March Madness in my dance studios. I’m creating and setting new choreography for our recital’s opening number; I’m taking inventory of classes and planning my new season schedule; I’m also hiring, onboarding, and training new teachers, staff members, etc.
Not to worry, I’ve survived many a March before this one and I know this too shall pass. I look down at my to-do list and add “book flights to Cabo” for July after our last show so I have something to look forward to.
Connecting with studio owners through the Twinkle Star Dance community, my Diamond Circle coaching clients, and Dance the Dream parade events, I find many of us struggle with the same five pain points as dance studio owners:
Work/Life Balance
Financial Instability
Hiring and Management
Gaining Competitive Edge in Saturated Markets
Keeping up with Trends
After decades of owning and operating multiple, successful locations, I have enough failures under my belt to offer some solutions.
Work/Life Balance
First, ask yourself, do you feel like your studio is running you or are you running your studio? If your studio is running you, I want you to do the following:
Set Boundaries - Make a list of your non-negotiables and stick to it. When my children were young this looked like picking my kids up from school each day and not teaching Thursday evenings so we could sit down as a family for dinner.
Full Time Job - Hold regular office hours in a designated office space. Identify your most productive times of the day and prioritize the one thing you need to accomplish each day.
Utilize Systems and Delegate - There are so many wonderful platforms that make running a small business easier to manage today. Put systems in place, hire the right team, and manage the process.
Community - Connect with like-minded studio owners at live events so you have people in your corner throughout the season.
Want more insights and practical advice? Join me for a dance studio owner weekend getaway to Pinnacle Dance Conference and Retreat this July 20-21, 2024 at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain.
Check back next week for my tips and tricks to combat Financial Instability.
Meet Tiffany Henderson
Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert. Tiffany owns and operates multiple Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide.