It’s no secret that teachers are leaving the profession, either through battling with years of underfunding, the stress of the last few years of Covid or simply because they want to put their skills and talents to a different use. What many teachers may not realise is that their experience in the classroom makes them ideal to run their own business. At Razzamataz Theatre Schools, many franchise partners are former teachers, either working at one of the sixty Razzamataz schools across the UK or at Primary, Junior, Senior or College level. Here are just a few reasons why we love supporting and training teachers to be successful entrepreneurs.
1/ Growth mindset
Teachers understand the importance of always learning new things, because they are constantly helping their students navigate the challenges that come when you push yourself out of your comfort zone. As an entrepreneur, the willingness to embrace new things is imperative to achieve success. Whether it is new technology or learning different marketing and PR techniques, business owners must embrace a growth mindset.
“Theatre school owners must be enthusiastic and have a passion for what they are doing too. You must also have self-belief and be willing to learn and take on new challenges,” former senior schoolteacher Debbi Ledwith, Principal Razzamataz Newbury.
2/ Excellent communicators
Teachers know how to take information and break it down to help students understand it. This requires finely tuned communication skills. Teachers must also be astute at gauging different situations and are required to communicate effectively with parents, colleagues and in sometimes highly charged, difficult situations. At Razzamataz, one of the most important skills is for our franchise partners to communicate our message of building children’s confidence through performing arts. This is through written communication, videos, social posts and one to one conversation.
“It doesn’t matter what your background is because Razzamataz will give you all the training you need, but it is important that you like working with young people, and you are a good communicator. You also need to be self-motivated and have a love and passion for the arts,” former teacher at a school and college Lauren Bill, Principal Razzamataz Weymouth.
3/ Being a problem solver
The joy of being part of a franchise network is that everyone supports everyone else, which is hugely beneficial to every franchise partner at every level of their business. Teachers desire to help others succeed is what gives them the drive to find solutions to problems, something that entrepreneurs will need to do daily. Being problem solvers and committed to helping others will give teachers an insight into what is needed to be successful. Their natural leadership will mean they also empower their teams to do the same; giving them the knowledge they need to be the best they can be in their role.
“It is lovely to speak to other franchisees, learn from them and just bounce ideas around. We keep pushing each other out of our comfort zones and explore ways to take Razzamataz to the next level providing even more great opportunities for Principals, staff and students,” former Razzamataz teacher Debbie Mitchell, who is the Principal of Razzamataz Carlisle and Razzamataz Dumfries.
4/ Pivoting when needed
Teachers have a sense that when students are not getting the class, they need to change things, and quickly. This skill can be a superpower in the world of business. As an entrepreneur, you can’t be too proud to pivot if things are not going the way that you envisioned. Things happen completely outside of your control, which means sometimes the thing that you had planned won’t work in its current guise. Being able to recognise that and make changes can mean your proposition can be even better but if you don’t, you could lose a lot of money and time.
“In business, situations change rapidly so it is important to be adaptable and you must have a vision. But the most important thing for this role is that you must love people. We put on great shows and performance opportunities but ultimately this is a people business and at the heart is building confidence in children,” James Pennell and Esmé Tutill, Principals at Razzamataz Newcastle who combine this with other commitments. James is a secondary school teacher and private vocal coach, and Esmé has recently finished her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and works in a school with children who have additional needs.
5/ Understand the power of positivity
Most of us remember that one teacher that gave us the confidence to do something that we thought was impossible. Teachers have an incredible skill, which is to understand how to make others believe in themselves. Being able to harness the power of positive thinking can be the difference between success and failure. At Razzamataz, we are so invested in this that we are dedicating our first three-day conference to the core message of the power of positivity and why it must start with everyone. With challenges, talks, workshops and practical guidance, we will be equipping our franchise partners with the understanding how their actions, thoughts and feelings can directly impact their business. Teachers perform daily miracles with their students, making them the most inspiring people to run their own business.
“Razzamataz is about providing performing arts training for young people to develop their confidence, health, and fitness. I want to be a positive influence in their life and that is my driver on why I want to be successful,” Matty Aitchison-Rayson, Principal of Razzamataz West Cumbria. Matty started out doing work experience before moving on to become a teacher, manager and then franchise partner.
Find out more
Join us NOW for a 2023 launch and make the most of the last few weeks before our fee increases to £11,995 plus VAT from April 2023.
Training starting Monday 27th February to Saturday 4th March 2023 for a September 2023 launch!
Our next short informal virtual Discovery Dens
Monday 9th January 1pm and 7pm and Wednesday 11th January 7pm
To book contact 07821 122242 or click here to book your place: https://www.razzamataz.co.uk/franchise-opps/book-discovery-den/