|
 Smart
Stewardship
By
Tracy Bauer
Do
you run your business, or does it run you? Get out of the rat
race by focusing on strategies, not tasks.
School
owners often feel like there’s barely time to breathe once the
school year starts. They’re teaching classes, dealing with
parents, fixing equipment, cleaning the studios, holding
auditions, choreographing dances, collecting tuition,
coordinating performances, ordering costumes . . . the list
goes on and on. It’s amazing how many responsibilities they
take on. However, if you’re the kind of studio director who
tries to control and be a part of every aspect of your
business, then your business is controlling you and not the
other way around.
There is a
big difference between a business owner and someone who is
self-employed. People who are self-employed are often busy six
or seven days a week at all hours of the day and night. They
deal with every detail and decision and can’t seem to find
much time for anything other than work. Many studio owners
fall into that trap. Smart business owners, on the other hand,
make top-level management decisions, focus on strategies to
make the studio more efficient and profitable, delegate
responsibilities, and know that if they took a week or two off
the studio would run fine without them. These people not only
run more successful businesses, they are also free to live
their lives. They work smarter, not harder.
Successful
entrepreneurs don’t just work in their businesses, they
work on them. You cannot be teacher, costumer,
choreographer, producer, director, receptionist, office
manager, and marketing director all by yourself and expect
your business to grow. People who try to do that either burn
themselves out or drive their schools out of business because
they can’t afford to keep them running. Therefore, even if you
have what seems like an endless “to do” list, it is imperative
that you focus on long- and short-term goals for your school.
You may be
surprised to discover that by making time for high-level
decisions, particularly about marketing strategies, you can
spare yourself many of the tasks that are consuming your time.
That’s because effective marketing brings in customers, which
gives you the financial freedom to hire quality people to
support you. It also gives you the freedom to expand, make
improvements, and dismiss delinquent customers. You can
delegate and trust others to do plenty of administrative tasks
if you train them properly. However, you should be in control
of your marketing strategy. Only you can ensure that your
vision for the school gets communicated properly to your
current and prospective clients.
It is easy
to get caught up in the daily details of running a studio, but
as a business owner you must make marketing a top priority if
you want your school to grow. So put aside a day, a morning,
or a couple of hours every week or two for brainstorming,
planning, and reviewing results. Close your office door, take
no calls, and forget the pile of tasks on your desk and the
messages that demand a response. They will still be there when
you come out. By finding time to work on, not in, your
business, you will be on your way to financial success.
Excerpted from Tracy Bauer’s
Definitive
Guide to Dance Studio Marketing
Send
Page To a Friend
|
