Dance Studio Business Plan

Dancing is a historical tradition. Ballroom dancing has been alive at social functions for centuries, and Swing and Latin are the Waltz and Foxtrot of days gone by. In recent years, social dance has proved it’s long lasting presence in our lives. It is in our media, our music and day to day social functions. It isn’t usually taught parent-to-child so people are seeking schools where they can learn. With Dancesport being considered as a medal sport in the next Olympics, more people will be exposed to Social and Ballroom dance.

U&ME Dance is dedicated to bringing quality and affordable dance instruction to Bellingham. There is a very active and dedicated ballroom dance community already located in Bellingham. However, there has never been an actual dance studio, where these people can expand their knowledge of dance and enjoy being with other people of like interests. It is our plan to incorporate the existing dance community into our studio to begin with a strong base of supporters. From there we will be able to spread the word that dancing is a fun and exciting way to spend time. There are many benefits to dancing that will attract people from many backgrounds and interests.

Toni Simler and Mary Evans, a mother/daughter team, are the founders and owners of U&ME Dance. They have both been very involved in ballroom and social dancing since 1995. Mary has worked in dance studios in the Seattle area, where she was a dance instructor and supervisor. In the last three years, she taught private dance instruction as an independent contractor. Toni recently retired from Lucent Technologies, where she worked for thirty years as a manager in customer service, business management and contract management. She and her husband have been students of dance, taking lessons for many years. They continue to dance socially. Together, Toni and Mary will provide a strong team to make U&ME Dance a successful venture.

1.1 Objectives

The following are goals and objectives of U&ME Dance for Year 1 through Year 3 :

• Create a dance studio with a warm, supportive atmosphere, which is based on satisfying customers.
• Provide a social and entertainment forum for people with diverse interests, backgrounds and ages.
• Provide dance training for students at all levels of dance, from beginner to advanced.
• Provide continual training, benefits and incentives for staff to encourage a long-term commitment of employees.
• Increase sales to reach $300K by end of Year 1 and maintain an annual growth of 15% per year.

1.2 Mission

U&ME Dance offers a place where people can learn to dance, meet new people, have fun and feel comfortable. We offer a varied dance program with price options for all levels of interest, with greater emphasis on group classes and small package sessions to reach dance skill objectives. Our instructors have access to continual training with some of the area’s top professional coaches. This provides our students with up-to-date steps and technique and access to the latest dance trends. U&ME Dance welcomes a diversity of people and maintains a non-smoking and alcohol free environment.