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Sometimes they don’t ;)
We try and cram it all in so that we can take that precious holiday we’ve worked so hard to get.
So by the time we go on holiday, we just want to switch off – and that’s what it’s all about (although I love reflecting on the business when I’m on holiday and I often make lots of changes too).
So whilst we sun ourselves, carry on teaching and running our businesses, and perhaps juggle with the kids too – we wanted to share with you our top ten simple and easy things you can do this summer to benefit your dance & fitness business – here we go:
1. Grab a business book to read on that sunbed
There are tons to choose from. And whilst you might think “no, I just really want to relax and not think about work at all whilst I’m away”, we would totally recommend a business read. If you want to know more about making things work for you and your business, then we would totally recommend any of the following:
The Slight Edge
For a more lighthearted read how about:
2. Capture data
If you haven’t already started doing this – DO IT! It’s really, really important to capture the data of people visiting your website, or attending your classes.
Have a very basic sign up form on your website and in class – we find that giving something away that will be of benefit to the visitor makes a big difference with people actually wanting to leave you their details, i.e. we give away free weekly marketing tips for dance teachers and fitness instructors – it’s useful, helps people to grow their classes, and is of real benefit to them. And for our customers, we give away tips on how to be active, things to do with the kids, and details of exciting offers and events.
If you are using a sign up form in class, remember to add in a tick box for them to sign up for your communications. We tend to email out once a month to customers.
Mailchimp is a great FREE software (it’s free up to a certain number of contacts) that you can use to capture data and also to send out communications.
3. Email your customers
Even if you don’t have many contacts on your database yet, or whether you have lots – start regularly communicating. It could be something as simple as “hey, we are on our summer break but can’t wait to get Popdancing with you in September for some exciting Halloween and Christmas themed routines”.
Just get started and you will find that your database will grow, and so with it will be your confidence in communicating regularly.
4. Blog
Do you have a blog? Blogs are amazing for your website and also for sharing on social media, with the press, with family magazines in your area – writing about your expertise and how your classes make a difference to people’s lives is hot news! People want to know about things that are going to make them happy, lose weight, tone up, get active, make friends etc. So tell them about it. Write your blog in a non-salesy way, honing in on the benefits and what’s in it for your reader.
Even if you wrote one paragraph of a blog whilst you are sunning yourself on that beach – it’s a great start!
5. Run some tasters
How about running a summer tea party? You could collaborate with other activity providers to put on a whole day of fun, or you could simply run an hour’s taster session for people to come along and experience what you have to offer.
It’s doesn’t have to cost a fortune – simply hire a space, create a poster using free software such as canva, and get spreading the word. You might like to run the session in aid of a charity and charge £1 for people to attend. You could also write a press release about it and send it to your local newspaper, plus you could get the charity involved and someone along to represent them.
6. Write a Press Release
It sounds scary but it’s really not! Newspapers and family magazines are always looking for things to feature in their publications. A press release that’s written with a view to “what’s in it for the reader” are very attractive to editors. And, topped with a great photograph to accompany it, make a good story.
Get writing over a croissant and OJ and you never know what it may result in.
7. Take a good look at your website
Is it still up to date?
Are all the links still relevant?
Do you have better, more recent images you could use?
What’s the customer experience like?
Does your website feature everything you have to offer?
Does any of it need rewriting?
If you don’t have a website, have you thought about getting one? Websites don’t cost what they used to. A simple wordpress site is pretty much all you need.
Spending time on your website as if you were a new visitor will give you a fresh approach. Why not ask a friend to take a look too. We asked Lucy, who came to work with us for her work experience, to take a look and give us her honest opinion on the navigation and content of our website – we’ve got a few things to tweak and change now ;)
8. Pricing
Summer is a great time to look at pricing. Are you charging enough? Is it time to look at increasing pricing – not necessarily for September, but with a view to January. Giving people plenty of notice if costs are increasing is always better than short or no notice ;)
Have your outgoing costs increased? Can you justify a price increase?
Doing the maths can be very satisfying :)
9. Tidy your office or work area
Having a tidy up and a clear out is very therapeutic. And how about putting up photographs or pictures of your achievements this year? And how about putting up photos or pictures of your goals? Perhaps you’d like a new sofa, or those new shoes you keep going on about? We know it sounds silly, but having images of your goals around you keep them front of mind and give you the determination to make things work. How many parties do you need to run to be able to afford those shoes?
10. Reflect and Relax
Think about what you want. Are you too busy running around trying to juggle lots of balls and not actually stopping to think about what you are doing and where you are going?
Stepping back, calming down and thinking about what you’ve been doing and where you want to go is an amazing feeling actually.
Soak in the rays, close your eyes and don’t be scared to dream. We have a dream and we’ve been dreaming it for the last 6 years. We are determined to fulfil that dream and are making plans on how we make that dream a reality. From a new pair of shoes, to a lifestyle that enables us to spend time with our families – that’s our dream.
What’s yours?
We hope you have enjoyed these tips. We would love to hear from you – please email us at [email protected] with your tips or any feedback.
If you haven’t yet done so, sign up to receive our free weekly marketing tips straight into your inbox every Saturday morning at 10am HERE
If you are interested in working with Popdance, give us a shout at [email protected] or register HERE
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