What does your plan need to do?
- Opening a studio? Use the questions to plan your classes, schedule and costs.
- Already running a studio? Use your own sign-ups, income and bills.
- Applying for a loan? Ask the lender what it needs and get help checking your estimates.
Step 1
The studio you want to open
Start with what you want to teach and who will come. Renting a room twice a week needs a different plan from running classes every day. Once you have worked through the details, write a short summary.
Choose your mix of classes
A children’s program needs age groups, parent communication and pickup arrangements. Adult ballroom and social classes need a welcoming first visit and times people can attend after work. Competition-focused teaching needs time for private practice, coaching and travel. A mixed studio needs a schedule and budget for each part.
Give beginners a next step
Group classes and socials let people meet the teacher and enjoy dancing before choosing private classes. After a first visit, ask what they want to learn and explain a suitable introductory offer. Some students will prefer to stay in groups. Plan for both, and check what each class costs to teach.
In the example plan
This example studio has one room and teaches beginner group classes for children on weekdays. The owner teaches some classes and hires another teacher for the rest. The first year does not include private classes or summer camps.
Questions for your plan
- Who do you want to teach?
- Which group or private classes will you start with?
- What can wait until later?
Step 2
Who will take your classes?
Look at nearby studios and schools. Ask families which classes they want, when they can come and how far they will travel. Find out who is interested before counting on them to sign up.
Check interest before taking on more rent
Talk with people who could attend at the times you plan to teach. A teacher partnership or a room rented by the hour can help you try a small schedule first. Write down who is interested, which class they want and how to contact them. Interest is useful feedback; a paid sign-up is a firmer commitment.
In the example plan
The owner checks nearby beginner classes and their prices, then asks families about getting to class after school. The plan lists what they learned and what they still need to find out.
Questions for your plan
- Who can you invite to your first classes?
- Where else do they take classes, and what do those classes cost?
- What do you need to find out before opening?
Step 3
Your class schedule
Write a weekly schedule before estimating how much you will earn. Leave time to prepare, clean up and take breaks. Count class sign-ups separately from students: a student taking two classes counts as two sign-ups.
Make the schedule easy to book
Show the class level, age group, teacher, time, place and price together. Leave room for preparation, breaks and private classes. Try booking on a phone before sharing the schedule. Students can book classes and buy available packages online with CRM Dance.
In the example plan
The studio offers 10 one-hour classes a week, with room for 10 students in each. That gives it 100 class spots to fill. There are two classes each weekday, with a break between them. In this example month, 70 spots are paid for.
| Day | First group | Second group |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 4:00 pm | 5:15 pm |
| Tuesday | 4:00 pm | 5:15 pm |
| Wednesday | 4:00 pm | 5:15 pm |
| Thursday | 4:00 pm | 5:15 pm |
| Friday | 4:00 pm | 5:15 pm |
10 weekly classes × 10 spots = 100 spots to fill. Blue shows the 70 spots paid for in this example. A student taking two classes counts twice.
Questions for your plan
- Who will teach each class, and in which room?
- How much time will teachers need to prepare and clean up?
- How many sign-ups can you take before adding a class?
Step 4
How students will find you and sign up
Think through what a new student needs to do: find a class, check the time, ask questions, sign up and pay. Decide who will answer questions and send the details for the first visit.
Start with relationships and local events
Tell people who already know your teaching about your plans and invite referrals. Other teachers may want to share a space or offer a class together. For adult beginners, approach a wine-tasting host, yacht club or golf club about a short dance introduction. Agree on the audience, space and invitation with the host.
Make each invitation specific
For children’s classes, ask community centers about notices and local family events. On TikTok, Instagram or Facebook, show what a beginner can expect. Include the age group or level, time, place, price and one way to ask a question or book. Try a few approaches and ask new students how they found you.
Follow through after an inquiry
A post or flyer needs somewhere to send interested people. Give them a short inquiry form or a bookable class schedule. Decide who replies while you teach, send first-visit details and follow up after class. Keep track of inquiries and bookings so you can see which efforts bring students through the door.
In the example plan
Families find a beginner class on the website and get the time, price and sign-up details. The owner answers questions and checks how many people have paid before adding more classes.
Questions for your plan
- How will people hear about your first classes?
- Who replies when you are teaching?
- What information does a family need before its first class?
Step 5
Who will do the daily work?
Decide who will open up, answer questions, collect payments and close the studio. Include pay for this work, including your own. Check the rules for your space, insurance, music and staff with the right local offices or advisers.
Take attendance from the first class
Suppose a student buys ten visits and uses two. Eight remain. If they miss the next class and your policy does not charge for that absence, eight still remain. Record attendance and which visits are used. Otherwise, it is easy to lose track of what was paid for and teach a class without recording the charge.
Check passes and keep payment records
Before class, check whether each student has a pass that covers it. If Quick charge is unavailable in CRM Dance, check the student’s passes and the class details. If no suitable visits remain, arrange their next purchase. Keep invoices, payments, refunds and expenses up to date, and agree with your accountant which reports to share and when.
Be ready for a change of plan
Collect an email address or phone number at signup, including a parent contact for children. A paper form, an online form or a student profile can hold those details. Decide who tells students when a class moves or is cancelled, and how you will check that everyone affected has been contacted.
In the example plan
The example includes pay for the owner, teaching time and preparation. It also sets aside money for some front-desk work. The owner still needs to decide who will do the rest.
Questions for your plan
- Who handles teaching, the front desk, cleaning and money?
- Which rules, prices and insurance details do you need to check?
- What records will your accountant need from you?
Step 6
What you pay before opening
List what you need to pay before opening, then list the monthly bills separately. Get quotes for the space, flooring and equipment. Keep deposits and borrowed money on separate lines so you can see where the money goes.
Choose a space you can use and afford
Compare hourly room hire with the full cost of a lease. Check usable dance-floor space, flooring, ventilation, noise, access, parking and a place for people to wait. Ask the landlord and local offices whether your planned classes are allowed. Get written quotes for changes before committing to the space.
Ask about dance studio insurance
Tell an insurance broker about your students’ ages, teachers, classes, socials and any teaching away from the studio. Ask which liability, property and staff cover applies, what is excluded, and what the landlord requires. Check whether independent teachers need their own cover. Compare the terms as well as the price.
In the example plan
This example sets aside $18,000 to get the space ready, buy equipment and cover other opening costs. These are example numbers. Get prices for your own studio.
- Deposit and getting the space ready
- $6,000
- Flooring, mirrors and equipment
- $9,000
- Other setup costs and opening materials
- $3,000
- Total opening costs in this example
- $18,000
Questions for your plan
- Which prices have you checked, and which are still guesses?
- What must be paid before the first class?
- Where will the money come from? How much do you already have?
Step 7
Your monthly income and bills
Start with how many class sign-ups you expect and what each will pay. Then add up rent, teacher pay, preparation, front-desk work and your own pay. Work out what happens if fewer people sign up than you hope.
Separate studio income from owner pay
Class payments are not all money you can take home. Include teaching time, preparation, front-desk work and your own pay before working out what is left. Compare children’s groups, adult groups, socials and private classes using your actual prices, sign-ups and staffing needs.
Plan around your quieter months
Mark school holidays, travel, local events and competition dates on your calendar. Children’s programs and adult classes may have different quiet periods. Estimate sign-ups month by month and keep enough money for bills that continue when attendance falls. Treat camps or workshops as separate plans with their own costs.
In the example plan
The example keeps the same 10 classes each week all year. Everyone pays on time. Loan payments and taxes are not included here; add those to your own plan.
Monthly income and costs
In this example: 70 paid class sign-ups at $100 each, 4 teaching weeks, $40 per teaching hour, and $400 for preparation.
- Class payments
- $7,000
- Teaching and preparation
- $2,000
- Rent
- $1,800
- Utilities
- $250
- Insurance
- $150
- Software
- $100
- Marketing
- $250
- Front-desk help
- $300
- Owner pay
- $900
- Costs tied to sign-ups ($5 each)
- $350
- Left before loan payments and tax
- $900
The studio has $5,750 in monthly bills. Each $100 class payment leaves $95 after the $5 cost tied to that sign-up. It needs 61 paid sign-ups to pay those bills. Add a class or change the costs, and you need to work this out again. If each sign-up costs at least as much as it brings in, more sign-ups will not cover the bills.
Teaching private classes? Count paid private classes and check when the teacher and room are available. If someone pays for a package upfront, remember that you still owe them the classes.
Plan for quiet months
This example uses the same schedule all year, with fewer sign-ups in month eight. Everyone pays on time. The money left over is before loan payments and taxes. Add those, refunds and late payments to your own plan.
| Month | Sign-ups | Income | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | $3,000 | -$2,900 |
| 2 | 40 | $4,000 | -$1,950 |
| 3 | 50 | $5,000 | -$1,000 |
| 4 | 60 | $6,000 | -$50 |
| 5 | 65 | $6,500 | $425 |
| 6 | 70 | $7,000 | $900 |
| 7 | 70 | $7,000 | $900 |
| 8 | 55 | $5,500 | -$525 |
| 9 | 70 | $7,000 | $900 |
| 10 | 80 | $8,000 | $1,850 |
| 11 | 85 | $8,500 | $2,325 |
| 12 | 85 | $8,500 | $2,325 |
| Year | $76,000 | $3,200 |
At its lowest point, this example needs $5,900 to cover bills, on top of the opening costs. Earning more later does not pay an earlier bill on time. Work out how much your own studio will need.
Questions for your plan
- After the costs of each sign-up, how much is left to pay the monthly bills?
- What changes when you add a teacher or another class?
- Will you have enough money to pay the bills in a quiet month?
Step 8
What to do before opening
Write down who will do each task and when. Check your estimates once students start signing up. If you are applying for a loan, ask the lender what it needs in your plan.
Check licenses, insurance and music use
Ask the relevant local offices which business, building and occupancy requirements apply to your space. Check insurance before classes begin and confirm what permission is needed for the music you use. Record who you spoke with, the answer and any renewal dates.
In the example plan
The owner checks the room costs, hires teachers and makes sure there is enough money to open. The website and payment process are ready before sign-ups begin. After the first month, the owner checks what went as planned and what needs to change.
- Before renting the space
- Check the space, local rules and written quotes. Make sure you know how each cost will be paid.
- Before announcing classes
- Confirm the teachers, rooms, times and prices. Say who each class is for.
- Before taking sign-ups
- Try signing up and paying through your website. Tell students what to bring and where to go.
- Before the first class
- Decide who will open up, answer questions, take attendance and check payments.
- After the first month
- Check sign-ups, teaching hours and spending against the plan. Use what you learn to plan the next month.
Questions for your plan
- What do you need to decide next?
- Who will do it, and by when?
- When will you check sign-ups and spending against your plan?
