Briar

So today we are going to be talking about how to organize the start of your season. Some tips and tricks to get us going with your new year in your dance studio.

So Lia, how would you begin? What would you think about as the priorities for your first month of classes?

Lia

Well, I think the first month, and particularly that first week of classes, can be so chaotic and really feel overwhelming and a lot of different pieces are happening at the same time. You're probably selling dancewear, you're figuring out class placements, you're probably still taking registrations, new families are coming in, asking questions, wanting to get into a studio.

All of those things are probably happening at the same time and your staff is desperately trying to make sure they're addressing everyone's different needs.

It can feel really overwhelming. I think this is where knowing and focusing in on what we call in Clockwork, your QBR, your Queen Bee role, this is The How, the most important thing that you're doing to deliver on your big promise, knowing what that is and being able to help your staff remember we have to make sure we're doing this one thing above all the other things, right?

Whatever that one thing is for your studio, make sure we're doing this one thing above all the other things. It's going to feel chaotic anyways, so having that sort of grounded space for you and your staff. I think can really help and can really make sure that all of your clients and all of your families coming in are going to have the experience you want them to have even when they have to wait a really long time to be helped with fitting a dance shoe, or when they have to wait a long time to talk to the teacher, or they end up in the wrong class because they haven't chosen the right class or the class placement hasn't been right. If we can make sure you're hitting that QBR, that most important thing, then you'll most likely be able to make everyone have a good experience regardless. Does that make sense, Briar? 

Briar

It does make sense and I guess that's you know why it's so important to work through the Clockwork system almost in order to make sure that we've hit those points ahead of time so that we truly have those things like our QBR ingrained in us and in our systems already happening within our studio and making sure that our staff, like you mentioned, not only are on board with those but also that they have their IPOs set up and know what their individual plan and organization and actions are as well.

Lia

Yeah and knowing for each member of your staff what their individual priority is going to be right. So like you say, Briar, not just having the outcome that we want but knowing what you are going to be primarily focused on selling dance wear this week, that's what we want you to focus on. We're going to have somebody sitting by the phone, sitting by the computer to process registrations and answer those questions. And certainly if you get those questions it's not to say no I can't answer you but you know we want to have different people focused on different areas so that we're not all stepping on each other's toes right? I think that is part of that IPO plan of making sure everyone has all the information they need, that's the I, has the permissions to do that job and to make decisions in that job, that's the P, and then they know the outcome that you want them to have so that's the O. So it's really clear. My outcome is getting people fit in dancewear and ready to go for their class. That's the outcome that I need, I have all the information that I need to do that, I know how to fit dancewear, I have my stock or my sizing kits ready to go and then within that, I have that permission to do the work how I need to do it. 

Briar

Yeah, absolutely and I think too, we all spend some time over our summer months, or our down months, getting the physical studio ready to go right? And having, if we're sticking with that dance where example, you know having everything set up as you need it to make things a little bit easier and having all of your systems and plans in place ahead of time, and having your staff in the week before to go through those plans, again, so everybody's sort of aware of what you've got organized and how it's going to work. And they have a chance to ask you questions ahead of time so that they're not asking a hundred questions in the moment when you've got parents standing in front of you can really make a big difference as well.

Lia

Yeah, and I want to also add to this, and add to what I was saying about people having individual roles, is you might not yet have the systems captured that you need to have captured for this opening week or opening month and how busy it can be in those times.

You might not have your dancewear  fitting system captured. You might not have your enrolling people in person system captured. That's okay. There's probably people in your business that know how to do those things and making sure that you have the right people in the right places for this first opening week can really make a difference, right? 

You know, I don't work at the studio anymore. I work remotely. So for me coming in to help on a week like this, there's going to be certain tasks that I do know how to do and certain tasks that I don't know how to do. And it certainly makes it easier for me and easier for everybody and for the chaos of that first week if I am responsible for a task I already know how to do. 

Rather than being just like, okay, there's five of us here in the reception room or our lobby, just, you know, take whoever is next, right? Whoever needs your help next you take. But when someone comes to me and they say, I need help getting my dancewear fit, and I don't know where any of the stock is and I don't know what our, you know, dance, how we size it or how, you know, are things fit, right? And they say, my child has a size 10 foot, well, I don't know how our ballet slippers fit. I don't know how that equates to our ballet slippers size. Then I'm just in a position where I then need to go and ask another staff member, rather than me being in a job where I already know what to do and I know how to help the people. And then I don't need to take up a second staff member's time.

It will make things more efficient and run smoother, right? So taking that time before your opening week to see who you have on hand, what staff do you have available for that week? What teachers do you have available to help at the beginning of their night or between classes? And what do they already know how to do really well and what are they really good at?

And then making sure they know this is clearly your role. This is clearly where you want to be. And where you want to stay focused on helping people, rather than just a free for all.

And this has really helped us, not just in our opening weeks, but also in places like recitals, right? We used to just have teachers milling around backstage at recitals without any clear jobs. And then we gave them very specific tasks that they were responsible for. They still had to leave that task when their dancers, when their classes were performing on stage, but then they'd go back to that task. And it really helped create that streamlined process backstage. And it really helps create that streamlined process in your lobby or your reception area for these busy, busy times.

Briar

Yes. And I think that also gives the staff members a sense of purpose. They know what their role is.

They know exactly what they need to be doing. They're not wandering around aimlessly feeling like they're getting in the way or that they don't know what to do.

They have a very clear role and they know exactly what needs to be done. They feel like they're helping.

And for the dance studio owner, once they have delegated that task they know it's going to get accomplished as opposed to wondering if it has been done or not.

Lia

Exactly and it's empowering. You know when I'm in a position and I'm doing a task where I feel confident that I know how to do it rather than like I'm floundering every time a parent talks to me, I feel empowered and I feel confident and I feel energized and you know like I can actually do something that matters and is worthwhile rather than just being another body in the space.

Yeah, which doesn't ever feel good to just be another body and taking up space and getting in the way, right?

Briar

Absolutely, absolutely. So I love this because we've talked a little bit about having your physical space ready to go, having your team ready to go and then let's talk a little bit about after the events, or after that first week of classes. Maybe that is the time when things have started to fall into routines a little bit more, that we take a moment out to meet with everybody who was present during that first week of classes, to start capturing or writing down some of those systems that we actually used and what went really well, we'll go back into our three questions, what went well, what didn't go so well, and what could be done differently, right?

And that is a great time to then look as a team of like, okay, Lia, you were delegated these specific rules, how did that go for you? What could we have done differently or had in place ahead of time for you that could have made that job smoother, right?

And that's then the time that we start to actually record those SOPs, writing down those systems and processes.

Lia

Exactly, you don't want to be tasking one of your team members with capturing a system during a week like your first week of classes. That's definitely not going to be helpful. After the fact is, if you can do it before, great, but after the fact is also a really great time because it's going to be fresh in their minds.

And like you're saying, Briar, the things that didn't work are going to be really evident. And the things that worked are going to be really evident. And so, you know, it's going to be a great time to think through capturing that system. And like you say, what changes need to be made to make it a better system.

Briar

Yeah, and that actually gives you a little sneak peek because next week we're going to be talking all about how to make your SOPs without stress. So we'll talk a little bit more in depth about that as well. 

Lia

Yeah, we will. And speaking of systems, there's one more element that I want to talk about.

I don't know if you have anything else Biar, but, you know, during these busy times in our business, I think one of the other elements to think about is, in your business, but also in your personal life, what strategies do you need to deploy for that one week or two weeks to make things a little bit less stressful for yourself?

And is there a simple, easy solution that you can put in place just to take a little bit of that edge off?

So, for example, you might think about putting something like an auto responder on your email that just says “this is a busy week, we might take a little bit longer to get back to you. Your email has been received.” Something to that effect. Just to take that, what can you take your edge off, right?

Or, you know, is it something like just, you know, in your personal life, just having the same breakfast every morning rather than thinking  of a different breakfast every day, or pre-making some dinners for yourself. Whatever it's going to be that is going to add extra stress to your life that week or that month, is there something you can put in place that's just going to take the edge off for you so that you can really be focused and really be present where you need to be present?

Briar

Yeah, I love that because you're right. We often think about what's happening in the business, but there's the whole other side. And when we're talking about being a balanced entrepreneur, we do need to look at the balance of our personal and business life.

And yes, if that's going to be a crazy week at the studio, then yeah, what can be done outside of that?

And I love the idea of simple meals or the pre-planning of the meals and the email auto responders.

Also things like maybe you find a high school student who can pick up your kids and walk them home from school that week.

Or maybe you hire a cleaner to come in, just one week to make sure that your house is tidy and you're coming home every day after your, you know, your crazy work day to a calm, peaceful environment at home and you don't need to worry about the mess at home, right? That's always the worst, you work a super long chaotic day and you walk into your house and it's also a mess and you feel like you then have to spend more time at home working, right?

So yeah, I love those ideas, Lia. And now is the time to start brainstorming those lists and getting things out of your head and onto paper and starting to make those plans.

Some of your studios might be starting back to their regular routines in August. Some of us don't start again until September, more into the fall months, but now is the time to really start planning.

Lia

Yeah, for sure. And like we've talked about in the past, you know, having a balanced life and being a balanced entrepreneur is all about that give and take.

So this opening week of your studio, whether it was back in August or whether it's this week or whether it's coming up in September and the next couple of weeks, it's all about giving yourself permission to have this more energy in your business for this week or two weeks and where can you offset that in your personal life and what you put in place to offset that in your personal life so that you are still taking care of everything you need to take care of, but your energy and focus can be in your business for this short period of time rather than in your personal life. 

We don't want to abandon your personal life, we just want to make sure that you have the energy for everything you need to have the energy for and so like I was saying if it's something that can take the edge off, it doesn't have to be a full solution, you don't need a full meal planning solution or a personal chef but if there's something that can take the edge off just to make it a little bit easier for yourself and a little bit less stressful for yourself then think of those things. 

Briar and I have lots of ideas in this regard. So if you want to even book a call with us just to brainstorm some ideas to help take the edge off for your first opening week, you can find us at thebalancedentrepreneur.ca.