Understanding cash flow—and some moves to manage it Joe Naftal grew up in the dance studio business—his parents founded Dance Connection in Long Island, New York, in 1989—and he can still recall his introduction to the term “cash flow” as a child. After exhausting his father’s supply of dollar bills to play an arcade game, […]
Q: What is the best answer when a parent asks what the registration fee covers? (I know that during advance registration, I can say it holds your spot.) “Administrative costs” sounds vague and doesn’t seem to satisfy them. Suggestions? A: Many educational programs charge a registration fee to cover the cost of administrative processes. We […]
RoboForm roboform.com Password management software Your studio’s online accounts, like banking, Facebook and e-mail, each demand their own secure password. But the tricky mix of numbers, signs and upper and lowercase letters can be difficult to remember, and keeping them on a Post-it or in a Word document on your computer isn’t safe. Highly encrypted […]
Square squareup.com/register Portable POS System Its small credit-card reader looks innocent, but Square is a POS powerhouse—and it got a few updates recently. At its most basic, the free app/account for iPhone, iPad and Android provides users with a Square Reader that plugs into mobile devices to accept credit and debit card payments; businesses pay […]
Q: We’d like to rent out our studio space during the daytime. How do we determine the pricing for this and what should we be aware of? A: We have found it very beneficial to rent our studio to ballroom groups, music teachers and certified teachers in Zumba, Pilates and yoga. We not only earn […]
Q: We are looking into having field-trip events to grow our student base, and we would like to target pre-schools, Girl Scouts, homeschooled children, etc. Any advice? A: A specialty-group program works well when you create an “Introduction to Dance” class or session at a discounted group rate. For example: We have a Montessori school […]
Starting an adult program to grow your studio Brenda Bufalino’s adult tap class at ATDF is always a hit. “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance” dish up plenty of reality-television drama that viewers love, but for the millions who watch, there’s another takeaway: proof that dance can be performed by […]
Target these small improvements for big impact. Taking the time to address a few small fixes will help your studio stand out. Jenny Samuelson-Jangula set up a website for her Bismarck, North Dakota, dance studio eight years ago, and it pretty much ticked along on autopilot—until her students at Let’s Dance Studio started teasing her […]
Three owner-tested ideas, with marketing and budget tips Valerie Stead Potsos hosts a popular workshop for Girl Scouts each year at her studio. With new studios popping up on every corner, studio owners can’t expect to build a successful business simply by teaching classes and putting on a yearly recital. To stay one step ahead […]
Q: This is one of my first years with a competitive program, and quite possibly the first time we have a real chance at winning. I would like to set a policy for any monetary prizes we may take home. What’s appropriate action for money my students win? A: Allocating prize money can be a […]