It’s a very worrying time for all of us currently – but we need to ride through this storm! As we WILL get through it.

Whilst many dance classes, parties and workshops are being postponed (and that’s what they are, postponed, not cancelled), there are lots of things we can do to ensure our businesses survive!

Here’s 5 simple things you can do to help your dance business during the Corona Virus:

1. Don’t panic!

This is a massive short term “hitch”, but if we put plans into action, we can come out the other side more prepared and ready for action – AND with more bookings than we might otherwise have had! It’s true.

2. In the short term, can you offer dance classes online?

With software such as Zoom and WebEx, it’s very easy (and free in a lot of cases), to get a class together where they can see you and you can see them. EMD are advising that you check with your insurance company to make sure you are covered for online teaching, and also check with PRS or PPL as to the use of music in this kind of format.

You are then able to continue your classes and offer this service to your existing and new customers – for families, children and adults. You can decide whether you run your online classes at a discounted rate and offer this discounted rate to new customers too.

3. Don’t stop marketing!

Whilst you may be thinking “what’s the point of marketing if I cannot provide the service I am offering?”, there is going to be a time very shortly that you will be able to provide that service – and you want to be prepared and ready for that.

So, whilst things like birthday parties are unlikely to be booked for the next couple of months (although many of our teachers are running online parties and they are proving very popular), you want to be sure that you are on the radar for party bookings when the situation changes. Plus, you can still take bookings for future dates now, but reassure your customers that if the booking needs to be changed then that’s not a problem – they can simply reschedule without any transfer fees. People will want to get them booked in because as soon as things return to “normal” they will still want to have birthday parties, especially for their children, and you may find you get lots of calls.

So make sure that your webpage on the Popdance website, or on your own websites is up to date and you include a statement such as this “If you have booked a Popdance party with us which is due in the next couple of months, we will contact you nearer the time to discuss whether it goes ahead or we reschedule it for you. If you are considering booking a party with us, do get it booked in now because as soon as the current situation changes, lots of people will be booking and we want to make sure that we have availability for you. We can get the date and time you want in the diary now and, if you need to reschedule, we can do that for you at no additional costs. Looking forward to Popdancing with you all”

4. What does your online presence look like?

When was the last time you looked at your website or your Popdance webpage?

What’s the customer journey like?

Is there a call to action?

What do you want your “visitor” to do when they visit your page?

Is all the information up to date?

Have you got any video embedded? How great is it to see the person that you will be dancing with? Photos are great, but video is even better. You could film a short clip on your phone, upload to YouTube (or to the Popdance YouTube channel), and then embed that on your Popdance webpage and your own website (not sure how to do that? Just ask, we can help). You can use that on social media too! People buy from people and if they can see who they are buying from, it makes a world of difference. Do send us links to your videos that you do and we will be more than happy to share them across our social media platforms for you.

5. Collaborate!

Working together as a team is soooo important! Especially in the current climate. If your dance classes have been postponed and you are finding you have a lot more time on your hands then you may start to feel isolated. It doesn’t have to be that way!

We are a great team of marketeers, dance teachers and business peeps – all here to help and support each other – not just in times like these, but always.

Sharing ideas, tips, how things are working for us, not working for us, being there to offer advice to each other, sharing our own experiences, learning from others – it’s very powerful and sooooo lovely to be part of such a great team.

So, that’s just 5 things you can do now to help your business during the Corona Virus. There’s plenty more where that came from – so watch this space!

If you have suggestions and tips for other dance teachers, please do share them in our facebook group “Dance Teacher Jobs and Support” or feel free to email us at [email protected]

If you have any concerns and would like to have a chat with a “friendly face” – feel free to contact us at [email protected]

Meanwhile, stay strong, keep positive, take action and you will come through the other side.

Best Wishes,

Sue and The Popdance Team

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