Tag Archives: SOBuzz

To Do List: Spring Break

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With the students on Spring Break, it’s time to actually get some work done at the studio!

One of these years I will actually take Spring Break off, but for this year, there is much to be done in preparation for the rest of the year.

Anyway, I figured I’d share what I was up to on my “week off”.  What do you do when dancers are off from class?  Share in the comments!

On my to-do list this week:

  • Design this year’s Recital T-Shirt
  • Schedule recital rehearsals
  • Work on summer schedule
  • Hang up ten classes of costumes that just arrived (see below)
  • Re-tape dance floors (one of my least favorite tasks)
  • Finishing up taxes (nothing like last minute… hah)
  • Choreograph
  • Shop for props for my modern class
  • Sew straps onto costumes
  • Order dance shoes

It is Spring Break at your studio too?  What are you up to?

The UPS delivery guy is not a fan of costume time.

 

A Studio Owner’s Prayer for Competition Weekend

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Dear Lord,

Please let my dancers and parents travel safely and on time to the hotel.  Please let the hotel be clean and free of visiting boys sports teams.  I pray for no midnight phone calls from security or parents, no early morning fire alarms and that my wake up call arrives on time.

Please let the venue have ample parking and an area to unload props.  And a few strong men who are willing to carry props to backstage.  May the door guard be understanding that I will be at this event for 14 hours and yes, I understand there is no food or drink in the auditorium but I may kill someone without this coffee.

Please let the competition staff be friendly and organized.  May the event run on time and in order, and backstage be free of chaos.  May the other teams and their parents be as polite as my students and realize that everyone is there to do their best.

May the dressing rooms be well-lit and without windows and not more than one flight of stairs up or down from the stage.  May my male dancer receive a dressing space that isn’t the men’s bathroom.

Please let my CDs work without issue.  May the sound guy (or girl) play them at an appropriate volume and not start the music until the dancers have taken their places.  May there be floor microphones so my tappers’ sounds are not lost in the music.

May the stage be an actual stage with an even and non-slippery surface.  Let there be no dances immediately before mine that litter the stage with powder, paint, excessive glitter or feathers.

May wigs stay on and shoes stay tied.  May tights stay intact and straps secure.

Please let quick changes be swift and easy, may parents fingers be nimble with hair and deft with make-up.  May there be no arguments between mother and daughter.

Let each dancer have an abundance of safety pins, bobby pins and hair spray and that we receive no comments suggesting that we “spray down those fly-aways” or “the dancers should really pin those straps”.

May there be no need for the ice pack, ace bandage, knee brace or extra costume accessories I brought.

Let feet be stretched and arms be sharp.  Let lines be straight and spacing even.  May formation changes be clean and smooth.  May my dances be more powerful on a large stage than they were in the studio.  Let my dances perform better than they did at dress rehearsal.

Please let the judges be fair and impartial, with insightful comments and words of advice.  Let the competition hold true to its decree that it takes off points for inappropriate costuming and song choices and I pray that the awards reflect this.

May my team act like a team and be supportive of each other and share in each other’s victories.  Let the memories they are making be of performing and friendship and not the size of the trophy they won.  Let them know that their value as a dancer is not determined by the awards at the end of the day.

And most of all, let my students dance.

Let them perform to their fullest, enjoy their time on stage and feel accomplished at the end of the day.

Amen.

———

This post was in response to “A Dance Mom’s Prayer for Competition Day” over at Your Daily Dance.

SOBuzz: Family & Friends Discount Dilemma

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Just watched a great video from Marie Forleo discussing the “friends and family discount” that could easily apply to any dance studio owner.

When you own your own business, your friends and family often want to support you, but sometimes they are looking for a discount in return.  The message of the video below is whatever you choose, be clear and upfront about your policy.

If you can’t afford to give discounts because you’re just starting up or because you simply value your time, say so (in a polite way of course) and give them the opportunity to choose another dance studio.

Marie offers a script (around 2:14 in the video) to say to your family and friends when you don’t have a discount and I’ve adapted it so it works for dance teachers and studio owners.

“I’m so excited Susie wants to take dance.  Know that I’d never expect you to choose my dance studio because of our relationship.  Before she registers, make sure that our studio is the right fit for you because I don’t offer a friends and family discount.  If you want to move ahead, here are the tuition rates and available classes.”

This gives them an ‘out’ if they were only looking for a handout and let’s you be clear in advance without all the uncomfortableness that would come if you let them know this AFTER she signed up for classes.

What’s your policy for friends and family?  Share in the comments!

SOBuzz: 1099-K, What the wha??

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Do you accept credit cards? You may be receiving
a 1099-K this year.

If you're a business owner who accepts credit cards or PayPal at your studio, you might have received (or soon will) a new document for your taxes this year, the 1099-K.

You may be asking yourself, "why am I getting this and what the heck do I do with it?" while subconsciously rubbing your temples from the tax headache that's starting to form.

Don't fret!  It's actually not a big deal!  (Unlike the Dance Buzz, who is most definitely a big deal… I'm going to pull on my tax smarty-pants and see if I can shed some light on what is up with 1099-Ks)

WHY DID I GET A 1099-K?
A new law was passed that requires businesses who process payments (like PayPal or your credit card merchant) to report the amount of sales they processed and for whom it was processed (you).  They filed a 1099-K to the IRS reporting the sales they processed for your business.  That means that the government knows how much sales you did through credit cards. And you will report this amount on your tax return as part of your gross sales.

It is a way for the government to make sure everyone is playing fair and reporting all of their sales. In my opinion, I think it is in result of the major growth of online businesses.  This new law will help the IRS ensure that people who do a lot of business online are reporting their sales.  In the past, the IRS had no way of knowing how much income you received from credit card sales, which is an online business' primary method of receiving income.  Ok, I'm off my soapbox now.  Back to the subject at hand.

Read what the IRS has to say

Did you receive a 1099-K for your studio?

I ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS BUT DIDN'T GET A 1099-K.  WHAA?
You might actually not have to worry about it – you will only receive one if you had more than 200 transactions this year and more than $20,000 in gross sales.


OK, NOW WHAT DO I DO WITH IT?
If you have an accountant, give it to him or her.  They will need it to prepare your taxes.

If you do your own taxes, you are going to use this number to breakdown your sales income.

I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND, SHOW ME AN EXAMPLE

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Setting Goals: One Step At A Time

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One step at a time… like learning
ballet positions.

Want to read more about setting goals, specifically for dancers and dance teachers?  Check out "Circle Time" at Dance Advantage.  January 2012's topic is "Setting Goals".

January is the perfect time of year to talk about setting goals for the New Year.

As a person who wears "many hats" (dance teacher, studio owner, blogger, wife), its important to set goals in each area of your life.

And what's even more important than setting goals is figuring out how to accomplish them!

Are you serious about wanting to accomplish your goals?

Well, here's an exercise you can do to help SET and ACCOMPLISH your goals for 2012. You will need at least 30 minutes to an hour, so set aside some time for yourself.  This is time for you.  It is important. Do it.

Take out a piece of paper and label columns with all the different areas of your life – don't forget to include a column for personal goals or family!

Here's an example of what your column heading might be

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SOBuzz: Music Licensing Break-Down

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I will dance to a different drum…
unless that drum beat is owned by BMI.

It's that time of year again… music licensing!  If you're like my dance studio, you may have recently gotten an invoice from ASCAP and are contemplating hiring a band of musicians just so you don't have to pay the necessary evil that is music license fees every year.

(Dear ASCAP, BMI & SESAC… just kidding – I will still be paying you this year!)

I get many requests for what I actually pay for my studio's music license, so I thought why not do a post now?

Before you scroll down further, if you're a new dance studio owner, fitness instructor or dance teacher and want more information about WHY we you may need to pay music license fees, check out my previous posts on music licensing:

  • License-Free Alternatives – really don't want to pay BMI, SESAC or ASCAP?  Use only live musicians or license-free music.  Check out the pro's and cons here.
Ok.  All studied up?  Alright, let's move on to the money.

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Music Monday: License-Free Alternatives

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If you enjoy this post, take a moment to VOTE FOR US for Top Dance Blog of 2011 by commenting on the post (click this link). Thank you!
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Our most popular post to date has been Dance Studio Music Licensing FAQ.  If you haven't checked it out, it's worth a read whether you're a studio owner or instructor – including the comments!

After seeing more comments pop up, I became interested in researching royalty-free music.  While there are not that many specifically for dance studios, I did come across some alternatives.

My favorite alternative for royalty-free class music is the use of live music!  However, when live musicians are not easily available (or affordable), you maybe looking for some options.

You will notice that the prices for license-free music is much higher than the 99 cent or $1.29 per track cost of licensed music.  Because license-free artists do not receive royalties, the prices are higher. Either way, here are the tracks which you can use in class or for performance without paying ASCAP, BMI or SESAC:

1) Lynn Stanford's Ballet CD collection – I love Lynn Stanford's ballet music – possibly because my ballet teachers used his CDs throughout my childhood and then again in college.

The only one available on iTunes is #8301 "More Music For Ballet Class" More Lynn Stanford Music for Ballet Class - Lynn Stanford, but you can find the rest on danceclassmusic.com – The ballet music titles that are without license are: #8001, #8301, #8403, #8712, #9121, #9122 (prices range from $16.00-$30.00).

He also has Music for Modern Class ($26.00).

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Business: Avoiding the Growth Trap

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Room To Move StudioJust read a great small business article by Jay Goltz at the New York Times:

Avoiding the Growth Trap

Worth a quick read if you are a business or studio owner considering expanding your business to a second location or doing other “growing”.  If you’re like many small business owners, you are constantly looking for ways to improve your business or opportunities to expand.  It is hard to shut down that entrepreneurial spirit that may have even prompted you to open in the first place!

“It really comes down to priorities. Do you want to take outside capital and the “partners” that come with it? Do you want to take on more risk? More employees? More travel? More stress? More potential aggravation?”

Mr. Goltz also makes a good point that sometimes business owners get so caught up in growing their business and expanding that they forget to check if they are still making a profit!

“I have also figured out that business is not just about growth…it is also about making a profit, which many companies seem to forget as they grow themselves out of business. Business is also about understanding that bad things happen…choosing to over-expand instead of being prepared for this kind of stuff can put the company in jeopardy. “

Look before you leap, and really take a hard look at all the possibilities when you are considering expanding. Sometimes its the right move, but sometimes things may be better off left alone.  Figure out your priorities and you will figure out what is right for you and your business.

SOBuzz: New Season Wisdom 2011

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Hooray!  We just finished our first month of our 30th season at my studio and everyone is starting to calm down and get into the pattern of the new season.  It is always a busy and exciting time when we go back to school and back to dance school… new faces and new classes!

Here’s what I learned from the start of this season:

  • Repeating the same thing as last year and expecting different results really is insane… I did labels again this year for the preschool classes only to have TWO stuck to the marley this year.  Note to self: you are insane.. no more labels please.

  • No matter how long you have been in business, you have NOT heard it all.  There will always be a parent or student ready to supply you with a question that you are unprepared for.  This year’s winner:  Does she need to wear tap shoes for tap class?
  • Don’t put any book/magazine in the waiting room that you actually want back in one piece.
  • When decorating your studio remember – pink with never go out of style, but consider the few (or many) boys you also have at your studio.  Are you scaring them away with all that pink?
  • While this may be your 5th year (10th, 30th, 50th!) teaching, to some of your students (and parents), it is their FIRST DAY of dance.  Take time to enjoy the magic of their first experience and memories in the making.
And my mantra from last year:
  • You can’t please everyone!
Hope you survived your first month back and best wishes for a wonderful season!

Dance Studio Season Opener

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Today was the season opener at my dance studio.  I don’t teach on Saturdays, so I worked in the office and got to sit back (ha!) and observe for the first part of the day.

On Saturday mornings, we have many of our preschool classes and I always love watching kids experience the joy of dance for the first time!  I overheard a little girl tell her teacher, “I couldn’t sleep last night because I was so excited to do ballet!”

It’s also fun to watch the first-time parents… nervous that their child will follow directions or like the class – as a teacher I used to think the parents were watching me, until I had a niece take class and all I wanted to do was watch her!  We had a lot of dads bringing students today, which is also funny to see their reaction to “Daddy, look at my plie!”

After our morning classes, our performance team danced at a local community event (free advertising!) and then I enjoyed the rest of the night off!  After our first week back, I plan to take my office manager out for some margaritas… we’ve been working so much overtime these last few weeks to get everything ready for today, I think its high time for a night out!

If your studio opened this month, congratulations on a new season!  What did you do on your first day “back to work”?  Did you feel prepared?  Stressed?  Relaxed?  Hopeful?  Leave a comment!