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 On
My Mind
By Rhee Gold
Words
from the publisher
There’s a
cool new trend in the dance world: more husbands in the
dance-school business picture. Having just completed a
five-week Project Motivate tour for the UDMA, I noticed that
these men are filling roles ranging from business partner and
studio manager to spousal support system. They’re everywhere!
One fellow
told me, “I love working at the studio and the clientele
really likes my attitude. I have no problems with late
accounts, nor is there any gossip in my waiting room!” Another
husband said, “Until I got involved in the school, I had no
idea what a huge responsibility my wife had. I always thought
it was a nice hobby! Today I have a great deal of respect for
the business end. I love being a part of the kids’ lives,
watching them grow and succeed. I’ve never enjoyed a job as
much!”
Despite
this growing trend, there are probably hundreds of
dance-school owners who wish that their spouses would become
involved in the business or offer them more support. If you’re
one of them, maybe it’s time to get your husband involved.
Have you ever asked your significant other to attend a
rehearsal or watch you teach a class? Has he ever pulled a
curtain for your recital or helped to hang scenery? If not, go
for it!
Why, you
ask? Because the trend also reveals that school owners who do
have a spouse involved in their business seem to be very
successful. It’s like a yin and yang effect. One is the
artistic type who shines in the classroom or with
choreography, and the other is the practical business manager
who keeps things rolling so their artist-mate can be an
artist. How cool is that?
Husband-and-wife business teams are common enough that they
even have a nickname, “copreneurs,” cited by Patrick J. Sauer
on Inc.com (see www.inc.com/magazine/
20050401/26-cardinal.html). Sauer quotes psychologist and
business consultant Kathy Marshack, author of
Entrepreneurial Couples: “Lots of husband-and-wife teams
won’t acknowledge their competitive personalities, so this
sounds like an ideal setup because it levels the playing field
for each one’s strengths.” In increasing numbers, two-career
couples are choosing to start their own businesses. “The
couple bond is a significant element of success of
entrepreneurial businesses,” writes Marshack in her book. “Not
only do these partners negotiate with each other for love, . .
. status, and support, but they also rely on the relationship
for their own self-definition.”
In an
industry that is so often a family affair—many teachers and
school owners follow their parents into a dance career or
enjoy having sons and daughters working by their sides—there’s
no better way to start the new year than by thinking about how
your “better half” can share your passion as well.
Congratulations to those of you who make a family business
truly the whole family. Happy New Year!
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