This is a podcast episode titled "No Bulls#$t Business Tips 15 - Teaching in Local Schools for Dance Studio Growth" recorded in March 2024. It features Amanda Barr and Bec discussing strategies for dance studio owners to grow their business by engaging with local schools and preschools through free and paid dance programs, networking, and community involvement. The episode is part of a series hosted by Amanda Barr and her business partners, focusing on practical business advice for dance studio growth.
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 Principals United or check it out here on the podcast as a bonus episode every week. Hope you love it. Hey friends, Amanda and Bec here with another episode of no Bullshit Business Tips. Today we're talking about something that I know you're super passionate about, Bec, and it's teaching in schools and networking in the schools and the preschools in your local area.
Right guys? I think this is a no brainer. It is something that you can do that will automatically bring students into your school and it's super easy to do. So I'll tell you a couple of the different ways that I do it and that I suggest you guys do it. So if you've never gone into schools before, the first thing I want to tell you is you need to give back to them first before they're going to give to you. And that's my best advice. So, so email or go into your local schools and say, hey, I'd love to do a dance group with your school. I'm happy to do it for free. Now I know what you're all thinking. You couldn't do it for free. But like that leads to so many other things. So something that you may or may not know about me is that I still teach at my local schools. I still take the local dance groups in those schools. And you know, it is an absolute game changer because then those kids who are doing dance come to my dance studio. Once you've developed that, then, then you can do things like a 10 week program which I'm doing at the moment. Now, it is hard work definitely and it is a lot to be doing, but it is totally, totally worth it. So you can offer a 10 week program. I normally charge between $2.50 and $3.50 per child. Check with your school what the budget is. You do a 10 week program, so it ends up being $25 a child, but it's like an $11,000 contract at the end of the day. So you do earn pretty good money from it. Not just that though. I, I can then go in and give flyers out.
Absolutely. And that's such a game changer. Such a great tip is getting into those schools. For me, when I first started, I haven't actually done that full paid program. However, I go into all the local schools and say, what can I do for you? Hey, I'd love to help out the school community. Would you like to borrow some costumes? Because I have a huge wardrobe of costumes. Do you need any costumes for your musical, whatever that is. Right. And then I also go, oh, hey, it's almost Christmas. Do you want me to come in and choreograph anything? I can donate some teachers to come and do that. And then they're really happy to help you out by advertising, giving out pamphlets, doing all those things. And you can do this in preschools too, right? Not just schools.
You absolutely can do it in preschools. Now, I haven't done it in a lot of preschools myself, but I've done a couple of things. Like, for example, I've taken a character to their Christmas event.
Oh, wow.
Yeah, so like, we have lots of suit characters. And so I just offer the local preschools if they would like us to come to their. You know how they have like the Christmas graduation kind of event. Every preschool does that. So it's a great time for you to go, hey, I'll bring a reindeer and a fairy to your event for free. Can I hand out flyers while I'm there? I've done things like that, but I haven't done classes in preschools. But I know a lot of people have.
Yeah, and we were doing that. We were doing them both on a paid level as well as just like drop in random free classes as well, which works really, really great. And I just love going out and introducing yourself to the preschool owners. You know, that is such a great, powerful tool as well. You know, we've spoken before about networking and how important that is. But just going out there and saying, hey, I'd love to come and help. You know, what can I do? Can I come and teach a free class? Could I give out some fly? You know, what can you do? And you know, that's where our ideal customers are. So it's a great way to connect with so many potential new clients.
It totally is. Now, you know, sometimes we give you lots of things, and I don't want you to get overwhelmed with the things. Just do one. And that one thing might be contact that school and see if they want a dance group. That one thing might be contact that preschool cause it's Christmas time and see if they want a character there. Like, just do the one thing to start and then build on it. Right?
Absolutely. So we'd love for you to take action on this today. Make sure you let us know what you're gonna do. Hold yourself accountable, put it in the comments below. Drop us a dm, whatever that is. Because you need to be held accountable. And sometimes it's good to have people checking in on you.
Right? Absolutely. Take action. Let's do this shit.
