Creating the Perfect Admin Team for Your Dance Studio: Why, How, and When to Hire

Studio owners often grapple with the right time to hire admin support. You might be asking yourself questions like, “Can I afford a receptionist or studio manager? Do I even need one?” If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

In this blog, we’ll walk through how to identify when it's time to bring on help, who to hire, and how to ensure they’re the right fit for your studio’s needs.

The Role of Admin in Your Studio’s Success

Admin support does more than manage behind-the-scenes tasks. At Dance Sensations, we quickly learned how valuable a front desk person was for customer relations.

Parents are a key part of your client base, and making sure they feel valued can significantly boost your retention rates. A friendly face greeting parents, answering questions, and building relationships outside of class creates trust and loyalty.

When to Make the Leap

If you find yourself constantly juggling teaching, running the studio, and admin work, you’re likely overdue for help. Start by hiring someone for a few key hours during your busiest times.

It’s common for studio owners to worry about justifying the expense, but consider the long-term benefits: a good admin hire can prevent student turnover and increase upsells in merchandise, classes, and other programs.

What to Look for in Admin Support

Customer service is paramount for your front desk role, but other admin tasks—like following up on payments, handling invoices, and managing schedules—require a different skill set.

It’s essential to understand these differences so you don’t overwhelm your staff by expecting one person to do everything. A good approach is to start with the tasks that take up most of your time and delegate from there.

When hiring, make sure your job ad reflects your studio’s personality and values. Be clear about the skills and qualities you need, and don’t shy away from making your expectations clear.

It’s better to spend more time finding the right fit than to rush into hiring the wrong person.

Affording Your First Hire

Hiring a new team member can be a financial stretch, but there are ways to mitigate the risk. First, look closely at your studio’s financials and ensure that there’s some “fat” in the budget to support this hire.

Another strategy is to set performance goals or key performance indicators (KPIs) that ensure your new hire is helping to grow the business—whether that’s by increasing student retention or boosting merchandise sales.

Scaling Your Team for Growth

Once you’ve made your first hire, the process of building a dream admin team becomes much clearer. Over time, you can grow your team, adding roles that fit the specific needs of your studio, like a studio manager or enrollment coordinator.

It’s an evolving process, but starting small and scaling up as your studio grows will set you up for long-term success.

Hiring the right admin team is a crucial step in freeing up your time to focus on the things you love—teaching and growing your business.

Follow these steps, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a team that supports your vision and helps your studio thrive.

Visit www.danceprincipalsunited.com for more resources and support in your journey as a dance studio owner. Together, we can build dance studio businesses that are not only successful but also impactful, creating lasting legacies in the world of dance.

Visit our free Facebook group, Dance Principals United, for more invaluable insights, or catch this topic on our podcast for an in-depth exploration. We're here to support your journey to dance studio success.