7 Mar 2024 · 3 min
Amanda Barr and Bec talk about why dance studio owners need to network locally and with each other to grow. They share personal stories and push you to be brave about building relationships in your community.
Hi, friends.
Welcome to no Bullshit Business Tips by the Dance Principals United team. Each week we're dropping short, actionable tips for you to grow the studio of your dreams. You can find this video on our free Facebook group at Dance Principles United or check it out here on the podcast as a bonus episode every week. Hope you love it.
Hi, friends. Welcome to no Bullshit Business Tips with Bec and Amanda. And today we are talking to you about the importance of networking. Now this is something that Amanda and I are huge believers in because if we didn't put our there and start to network with other people, we would never have met each other.
Absolutely. Now, networking in your local community is so, so important and it's often overlooked and there's so many great ways to be putting yourself out there. You know, all that could mean to start with is going to introduce yourself to the local coffee shop owner, you know, the businesses down the road saying, hey, I just wanted to introduce myself. I own a studio. You know, how can we work together? What can we do together? Because that is where the power really starts, right?
It totally does. I'm hugely involved with our Penrith community out here, and I was doing a festival one day and, you know, I used to be that dance studio that just took their trip to a festival and went home and that was it. And I actually took the time to go and speak to the organizer and say, hey, I'd love to support you more. What can we do? That has turned into me now, you know, having so many events in the local community, being involved in so much stuff. And it was just that one little conversation that was the game changer.
Absolutely. And I think as business owners, we need to be brave. We need to put ourselves out there just like we tell our, our students to do. Right. You know, go and introduce yourself to people in your community, whether that's, you know, the mayor of the area, whether it's the local coffee shop owner, whatever it is, because really making sure that you share your story and why you do what you do will get you more students in the future, right?
Absolutely. And always like giving value rather than going, hey, can you advertise my business for me? Like, talk to them about what you can do for them, because that's the best way to build those relationships. But Amanda, I wanted to talk about another type of networking as well, which is networking with like minded studio owners. Absolutely. And I think that is so important as well.
Absolutely. It's such an important thing to be networking with other studio owners as well, because, you know, together we're stronger, you know, having that support from other studio owners, other people that get it, because we know it can be lonely, you know, really is so, so important and such key Now.
I want to tell you all, and I know people don't always believe me when I say this. I used to be the most petrified person to put myself out there, to talk to people, to get up on stage all the. And it really took a lot for me to do that. It even took me ages to talk to Amanda. And we were in a business group together for a long time before I was even brave enough to go and talk to her. I'm so glad I did, obviously. But if you are someone out there who's listening to this going, yeah, but I just don't feel brave enough to put myself out there. Do it because it will be such a life changer for you.
Absolutely. So put yourself out there, introduce yourself to someone new, whether that's a dance studio owner on Facebook or at an event or the coffee shop owner. We'd love to see you do that today. We hope that you take action on this today.
Yeah. And don't be scared to go to events. Like, I feel like people are so scared to go to the event. Sometimes they even book the event and then they're like, no, I don't want to go to the event. I'm talking about myself here. But, like, actually go, you know, like, actually go. And when we had expo, that was the first thing that we spoke to everyone about. We brought everyone in and we said to them, be brave. Go and say hello to the person next to you. Because you never know, they might just become your best friend.
Absolutely. So great event to come along to is Dance Teacher Expo.
Check it out.
We would love to have you there. It is such a great way to network with other studio owners, but yet really think about the power of networking this week.
Because no one gets it like us. No one understands what it's like to be a studio owner, except another studio owner. And when you have those people around you, you are going to grow so much better and you've got someone that you can talk to. And I think that's what's about the communities that you guys can be a part of and, you know, developing those relationships, then you don't feel alone.
Absolutely.
