Road Trip to Studio Success!

It’s a brand new season, and that means it’s time to plot a new course for success in your studio this year! Get out your compass and map…Let’s go on a ROAD TRIP!

Just like most road trips, you first need to know where you’re headed so you can map your way to your destination. The same goes with your own goals–you have to identify them before you set out to achieve them. We want to help you plan your ROUTE to SUCCESS!

Think of each of these routes as points on the map on your road trip to success…little stops along the way to help you reach your destination!

Route to becoming (or continuing to be) a successful studio owner:

• Think big picture! A lot of your day-to-day role is dealing with the many proverbial trees and not the forest itself. But it’s important to zoom out and view your studio from 30,000 feet. When you do this on a regular basis, you’ll see the areas you most want to improve/grow/change/explore, and that will help you find a meaningful focus as you move forward.
• Take time for yourself!  Hopefully your summer break served as a time for refueling your tank to prepare for a road trip to a super successful year! If not, make time for you! You can’t be all the things all the time…take the weekend off, plan a vacation, and schedule (and go to) those doctors’ appointments you’ve been putting off. Rest Stop! A clear mind will help you think strategically about what you want to achieve this year

Route to a more productive faculty:

• Plan for fun! Last fall, we held a pumpkin-decorating breakfast with our staff and it was so much fun! And–bonus–we used the pumpkins for fall studio decor! We are working on ideas now for this year’s fun fall event. It doesn’t have to be extensive or expensive, but just a scheduled time to socialize with our fellow dance teachers outside of the classroom a few times a year keeps the team strong!
• Spark their creativity! Our creative planner for fun dance teachers–spark*source–is our current top seller and the perfect tool for motivating and inspiring your faculty. Read about it in detail on our recent blog post and consider gifting one to each of your staff members. Each of our staff members received a spark*source at our recent faculty retreat, and we used a few of the exercises in the planner to foster meaningful discussions and setting important goals.

Route to a successful recreational program:

• Deliver an awesome recital! Involve your faculty and dancers in determining a fun recital theme. Create a hashtag around that theme that you start using and promoting NOW to build excitement! Create a recital packet that is informational but also fun and cute! Check out a few of our previous blog posts for some fun recital resources, including our tried and true recital planning retreat! Your rec dancers will love being part of this fun show, making them more likely to return next year!
• Make them feel special! We can all become consumed at times with our performing companies, but it is super important to make your rec dancers feel just as special as your competitive groups. A few ideas to make them feel included: Make sure you are posting all your dancers on social media, unite the entire studio for a fundraiser, hold a social media contest that encourages all dancers to participate, or implement a dancer of the month program where rec dancers are featured.
• Communication is key! Make sure the parents of your once-per-week dancers are informed and included. We created a monthly email newsletter that goes to all current dance families with all our latest info plus lots of fun stuff.

Route to a stronger competitive team:

• Create team-building opportunities! Whether spontaneous or pre-planned, a stronger team will always lead to a stronger performance. Implement a big/lil program (with guidelines), take the entire group out to dinner after a rehearsal, hold a painting party, a spirit sesh or a team lock-in/sleepover. There are lots of ways big and small to facilitate a fun event that will draw your teams closer together!
• Change up your training program! Pull from your and your faculty’s full range of expertise. Maybe your ballet teacher also teaches pilates, your hip hop teacher trains with athletes in another sport or one of your alumni has a specific commercial dance experience he or she can share with your dancers. Use all the resources that are available to you without having to try too hard. Of course, bringing in guest artists when budget allows is a great way to harness diversity in your training program.

Route to becoming (or remaining) a standout studio!

• Keep your studio atmosphere welcoming, fresh and cohesive with your brand! When dancers walk into your studio, they should not only feel welcomed, but they should also feel a familiar setting that mirrors your website, your Instagram feed and other social media. That shelf you haven’t touched in two years? Dust off the cobwebs and throw out those old magazines. Add a few fun, inexpensive throw pillows to your seating area. Hang some fun dance-related art, like our fun Wall Flair poster packs! A fresh coat of paint is always a good idea. Put in a little extra effort to make your dancers feel welcome and proud to be part of your studio!
• Be active in your community! Perform for local fall festivals, donate branded baskets and/or tuition coupons to organizations for silent auctions, encourage volunteerism among your teams (another team-building opportunity) through local charities. Your customers do care about your presence in the community, plus you will feel good doing it!

There are so many places you can travel and routes you can take on your road trip to success, it’s up to you to pinpoint your destination, chart your course and get going. Sure…expect speed bumps, road blocks and detours along the way, but once you are cruising in the fast lane, your destination will be closer than it’s ever been before, and you’ll be so glad you made time for this important road trip! Bon voyage!