The Truth About Dance Studio Ownership

It’s funny – there are a handful of words that I continue to hear over and over when I’m chatting with dance studio owners who share how other people would describe them.  

Determined.
Driven.
Achiever.
Ambitious.
Perfectionist.

Do any of these sound familiar?

Don’t worry, they aren’t a negative! These are all character traits that are not only common, but I truly think that they are necessary to be successful as a studio owner in the dance industry. And let’s face it. If you didn’t have the passion or the drive to keep working obsessively towards your goals as a dancer, teacher, choreographer or studio owner then I have no doubt that you would have given up on that dream years ago.

Why?

Because owning a dance studio is hard work. Hard work, yes – but also incredible work.

Whether you are running a studio as your full time career or you work it on the side; whether you opened 5 days ago or have been a dance studio owner for decades, there is one overwhelmingly universal truth about dance studio ownership that we all share.

It’s the thought that can keep us up at night, as well as the motivation to get out of the bed each morning.

And here is that truth: The success or failure of your dance studio is 100% determined by you.

For some studio owners, this can be tremendously liberating – in fact, it’s the exact reason why you’re not working a 9-5 or teaching dance classes for somebody else right now. But there are also times (more often than not) when it’s terrifying. This is where a support network, specialised resources and an actionable game-plan will provide you and your studio with the oxygen you both need to grow and thrive while getting your life back outside the studio walls.

Inside the Dance Studio Owners Inner Circle, there are many ways that our coaching dream team and our members consistently overcome the very real pressures and challenges that they are facing everyday as a dance studio owner, and today I wanted to share with you our Top 4. 

1. Find Your Tribe.

Running a dance studio can be a lonely business at times. Your friends and family just don’t quite ‘get it’ and it can be so hard to find someone who truly understand what it is like to feel grief when a longtime student leaves your studio for your competitor, or why you can’t just ‘let go’ of that under-performing staff member who just happens to be your roommate from college.

This is why there is so much value in establishing a network of people who know exactly what you are going through in this unique industry. Studio owners who have been where you have been, and come out the other side with wisdom and actionable strategies to share. A group of generous studio owners who aren’t your competition, and therefore are completely open about what is and isn’t working in their business, as well as where they want to go.

2. Set Yourself Up To Win.

Having systems, training and coaching at your fingertips is going to become your ‘go-to’ when things get tough in your business. Whether it’s a dance teacher calling in sick at the eleventh hour, a recital catastrophe, or for some unforeseen reason you need to step out of the studio for a prolonged period of time, the only way your studio will continue to thrive is if your systems are in place to allow for growth when you are not there.

Your team is a big part of this picture, but even moreso are the processes and standards you have set to ensure that no matter what, a trusted team member could step into any role and keep your studio not only surviving, but thriving.

3. Invest In YOU. 

Chances are, you became a dance studio owner because you love dance and you love to teach – surely that’s enough to run a great dance-business where you can set your own hours, right?

Not quite (although that would be nice!).

Running a successful dance studio means you need to have a solid grasp on finances, marketing strategy, content creation, social media management, leadership, administration, student attraction and retention strategies, customer experience, copywriting, project management…and the list goes on!

The only way to truly thrive in business as a dance studio owner and reach your potential is to invest in continued professional and personal development across every area of your business.

4. Love Your Life Outside Of Your Studio. 

This is perhaps the most important part of running a successful dance studio. You need to be able to take time to do the things you love, that fill your cup outside of your studio walls. Friends. Family. Recreation. Downtime.

Just think about those times when you are in an airplane. You know when the flight attendants tell you that if your oxygen masks drop, you need to fit your own before helping others?

In that case, the reason seems obvious: if you serve everyone else first on that plane before you fit your own mask, you’re going to be no help to anybody.

The same thing applies in your business. If you continue to give and give all of your time and all of your energy to the studio, then your relationships outside the business are going to suffer and you are going to burn out. It’s not a matter of ‘if’, it’s a matter of ‘when. This is why it’s so critical to have simple, proven systems and strategies plugged into the business to give you the breathing space and downtime that is needed to rest and ensure you have more than enough ‘oxygen’ for YOU.  

If you are ready to take your studio to the next level and work with our team to overcome the challenges that come with running a studio, Click Here to find out about the Inner Circle – the exclusive mastermind group for dance studio owners that helps you ignite your studio’s growth while getting your life back.