Starting a Dance Studio

From a heavy lift to a small project

I am starting a dance studio for adults amid a pandemic. I’ve been building out the idea and saving money for the past year. 

But I’ve taken zero action. 

By the end of 2021, I figured it might be safe enough to make some moves and get a lease.

My husband challenged me to think through the MVP, Minimum Viable Product, version of my dance studio that I could start now to test my assumptions. 

My stomach dropped. 

Daydreaming about something I’m going to do later is fun. Taking action now is scary.

When I created my first online course, I spent under $500 over a year for a website, online course platform, and Zoom. I paid for the business with my time instead of capital. Having a lease and paying people is a significant financial commitment. My brain was stuck on thinking, “I need to save a lot of money to run a dance studio if I don’t make a profit the first year.”

But my husband’s challenge prompted a reframe from thinking of this dance studio as a heavy lift to a small project I can handle. 

If I can recruit a dance teacher and seven people to pay $15 for a class in the park, I can get this thing going now. 

This is a way for me to test the idea and build a network of dancers in the area before investing any big money. 

Like tea seeping from a bag, the ideas started flowing. I thought, “What if I never have a lease?” Suppose I could organize outdoor events permanently or rent spaces by the hour. In that case, I could keep overhead costs low, which would allow me to pay teachers more, keep prices low, and protect against pandemic worries. 

When a project feels scary, it just needs to be rescoped. 

If you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, consider a smaller version of the project to move forward. Keep brainstorming until you find something that feels motivating and achievable. 

My next step is interviewing people: dance teachers, adults who want to dance, and women or minority-owned small business leaders. If that includes you or someone you know, I’d love to chat. 

If you are around Long Beach, CA, and want to know about upcoming dance classes, reply to this email for more info.