The Search for Portable Ballet Barres

Posted in Uncategorized by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

An example of a homemade metal ballet barre

I have been on a hunt for cheap but sturdy ballet barres to replace the adjustable single barre we've had at our studio for 20+ years. It no longer "adjusts" and just sits at the lowest setting.

After hours of research on the web, I am deciding whether it's worth my time and effort to build my own, buy a kit or just bite the bullet and pay the shipping for a pre-assembled barre. After the jump are my research findings – hopefully saving you some time!

If you have any suggestions about ballet barres – chime in with a comment!

16Dec2010

Studio Owner Buzz: Accounting is Awesome… or is Cash Still King?

Posted in Uncategorized by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

T his article by NYTimes writer Jay Goltz, is a must-read for small business owners which also means… studio owners.

Many times studio owners open their businesses because they love dance, teaching dance or didn’t like the way their previous studio ran things. And many studio owners fail because they don’t have any understanding of how a small business operates. To start any business, including a dance business, you need to have a basic understanding of accounting or at the very least, some business understanding.

One trap that many studio owners fall into is not understanding profit, which is discussed in the NY Times article. Business owners will see a steady flow of cash coming in but at the end of the year are shocked when their accountant says they made only a few thousand, if any profit at all!

BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR DOORS
There are many books out there that are geared towards small business owners who don’t want to sift through accounting jargon. Borrow one and read it! Many times, your town or city will have a small business organization who can help you understand. Use these resources before you begin your studio.

WHEN SETTING YOUR TUITION PRICES
First figure out what you need each month to break even. Then look at studios in the area and adjoining areas to get an idea of the range. Then push quality over value. Being the cheapest in the area will only make you look like your instruction is cheap. When it comes to their kids, people want quality instruction. John Morgan of Brand Breakout said it best in his recent tweet: “Don’t be the cheapest price in your industry. You’ll never win. Sell value, not discounts.”

SHOULD I OFFER DISCOUNTS?
Should you offer multiple class discounts, family discounts or other rewards to your most loyal clients? A word of advice: Make your highest discount the REAL price that you want for classes. If you need to bring in $50 per student, per class, per month, then make sure your lowest discount reflects that. The non-discounted tuition is more money in your pocket.

Even if you have had your studio for a while, but are not seeing the profit you think you should, you can use these resources to make changes to your current tuition system or business plan. If math is not your forte and the word accounting makes you tune out everything else in the sentence… hire an accountant who will review your business and make suggestions. For a few hundred dollars investment, some small changes could result in thousands of more profit for you.

See other articles in Business
*********************************************
If you enjoyed this post, take a moment to VOTE FOR US for Top Dance Blog of 2010 by commenting on the post (click this link). Thank you!

10Dec2010

Blog Soul Searching

Posted in Uncategorized by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

Hi all!
Nichelle’s Blog Contest really got me thinking. She’s asking people to enter their blogs to win “Top Dance Blog” and in order to do that, you have to put your blog into a category.

I realized that when I started this blog three months ago, I naively would have said my category was “Dance”. I didn’t realize the vast number of dance blogs out there that fill every niche and corner. I took some time to reevaluate where I want to go with this blog and narrow my perspective.

Looking back at posts, my most successful ones were aimed toward dance teachers and studio owners (iTunes post, playlists, new season wisdom) which is not surprising, considering I am both of those. Starting now, I am going to aim more of my posts towards dance teachers and studio owners.

So dear readers, if you are out there, consider this a New Year’s Resolution of some sort–my goal for 2011 is to find my blogging niche and fill it! I hope you’ll come with me and enjoy the journey!

7Oct2010

Studio Owner Buzz: Facebook Marketing Tips

Posted in Uncategorized by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

Four Fantastic and Free marketing ideas using your Facebook fan page to hold a contest!

1) Picture Match
Make a status on your fan page say something like:

“One Week Only! Change your profile picture to match ours and be entered to win a $20 gift certificate to the studio. One entry per day, per family.”

Within minutes you will see your logo EVERYWHERE!

2) Instant Testimonials. Ask your fans to leave a comment about “why they joined” or “their favorite memory of last year was” to get entered in for a drawing.

Your fan page will be covered with fabulous testimonials!

3) Recruit Fans!
Another type of contest results in your page getting more fans. Your fans must try to refer new people and the new fans must post a comment and say who their friend was that linked them.

At the end of the time period, the person with the most referrals wins the prize.

4) Fan Photos.
Ask your fans to upload a photo of their child to your fan page and have all of their families and friends “like” the page & their child’s photo. The student with the most likes wins.

Prize Ideas: a free week of classes, or free month, free costume, free dance bag or simply a dollar amount gift certificate. Don’t have the money to give away – give “parent of the month” or “student of the month” or post the winning comment / picture somewhere prominent in the studio or year-end program.

——-Find Us on Facebook!————

19Sep2010

Studio Owner Buzz: New Season Wisdom

Posted in Uncategorized by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

I apologize for my absence over these past two weeks – my studio just finished our opening week of the season! 400+ families in and out of the doors makes for a very tired (and slightly cranky according to my boyfriend) studio owner!

Here is some “wisdom” I gained from this past week:

Name labels for the preschool students seem like a good idea until you find one stuck right in the middle of your newly cleaned marley floor.

The waiting room walls you painted this summer will be scuffed within 30 seconds of opening the doors.

Take some time to evaluate what items/decor in your lobby looks climb-able to younger brothers and bolt them to the wall of floor, using twice the amount of bolts you think is necessary!

Important Assistant Teacher Training Topic: Identifying the “toddler potty dance” and taking immediate action

Write a handy list of FAQ’s with stock answers for your receptionist/office manager to reply to parents with. Topics should include, but are not limited to: “When can my 3 year old go en pointe”, “My child is much too advanced for this class” and “I have soccer practice/cheerleading/piano lessons – can I just start in November”?

And probably the best advice:

You can’t please everyone!

Here’s to a great season for all of you Studio Owners who are starting up!

9Aug2010

Studio Owner Buzz: Negotiating a Lease

Posted in Uncategorized by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

Studio Owner Buzz is a series of posts on useful tips for Studio Owners. Costume catalog reviews, business tips, and more. Click here for past SOBuzz articles
———————
Most studio owners got into the dance business from their love of teaching and of dance, not their love of contracts, business management and administrative details. However, being a studio owner also means being a businessperson and often that means negotiating with business people who have been in business much longer than you and will not be afraid to throw some punches.

My first year of owning my own studio, I was 22 and had no official "business" experience. Walking into a meeting to "negotiate" a lease with my future landlord, I might as well have been a lamb being brought to slaughter. I had no idea what I was talking about, and probably came off nervous and lacking experience… which I certainly was. Sure I had done my research, but that's not the same thing as actually negotiating. I ended up signing the lease for 2 years more than I had wanted to, but got more square footage out of the deal so I felt somewhat accomplished.

But you! You're smart! And are doing even more research so you can learn from my mistakes and be ready to negotiate with the big dogs.

First, let's learn about commercial leases.
Read more after the jump
Read more »

28Jul2010

Resources for Male Dancers

Posted in Uncategorized by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

If you Google ‘resources for male dancers’ or ‘my son dances’, you’ll get a lot of mother/son wedding suggestions or some suggestions more fitting for the bachelorette party! Here are a few links to some great resources for male dancers, parents of male dancers or studio owners who want to attract more male dancers!

Boys & Ballet – A collection of news stories about boys and ballet. The great part is that the author’s pre-teen sons choose which articles are featured. There is also a “library” section information on training, physiology, nutrition, schools, helpful hints on drawing more boys to your school, and interviews with dancers.

MySonCanDance.net – Another mom’s blog about her and her son’s struggles and triumphs with the world of dance. Many great interviews and suggestions shared.

DanceAdvantage – This site has a TON of useful information for all dancers, but there are a lot of good articles on male dancers (see here, here, oh and here!)

Forum for Parents of Male Dancers – A great forum to post questions and respond or just browse for more information.

Dance Dot Net Forum for Guys – Another forum for guys only!

27Jul2010

Studio Owner Buzz: AWCT Value Catalog

Posted in Uncategorized by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

We are debuting a new type of post we’re calling “Studio Owner Buzz” (or SOB for short… wait a second… just kidding ;))

We will feature information that might be useful to all of you studio owners out there – costume catalog reviews, tuition ideas, recital hints and more! All of these posts are all on my own – I am not being paid to write about any of the catalogs, companies or products.
———————
Today’s SOBuzz is about the A Wish Come True’s Dance Values costume catalog. Just got it fresh from my cranky postman’s hands. They also sent the Latin Rhythm Collection and Holiday Wishes, but that’s for another post.

Now I won’t post prices in here because just like any other retail place, SOs have to mark-up costumes to make a living, but I will tell you that the “values” is truly value. But don’t let the term “value” turn you off. Sometimes when you get the discount catalogs it clear why they are marked down. They either have no normal sizes left or the costume is so hideous, no one wants it. Sure, there are a few like that in AWCT….

Which looks like a pattern my grandma would make curtains out of, but for the most part, the costumes are just plain cute! They range from simple silhouettes:

To more glitzy designs:

Love, love, LOVE this one.

And just like all their other costumes, AWCT doesn’t skimp on quality when it comes to making costumes. We ordered multiple costumes from their regular line last year and everyone loved the fit and the costumes were very well made.