Business building with theatre school franchise

Being in business can feel like a lonely place and keeping up with current trends in marketing, PR and general business practice can feel like an on-going and very costly challenge.

But it doesn’t have to be like that, especially if you are a part of an award-winning franchise network where support, learning and inclusion are at the forefront of everything you do.

Dragons’ Den backed theatre school franchise Razzamataz, has just hosted its annual regional meetings at the company’s Head Office in Penrith and in central London. The meetings are free to attend and franchisees are presented with a huge amount of knowledge to plough back into their own businesses.

Creating an environment where children can feel relaxed, happy and accepted is paramount to each school and this is also extended to the franchisees in the network as Chloe Lee, Principal of Razzamataz Chester explains: “I just wanted to say a big thank to everyone involved in the meeting today, it was very beneficial and I took a lot from it. I’m proud to be a part of a company that is not only fully inclusive to all children, but that the same attitude is extended to its franchisees.”

The regional meeting was focused on Planning For Success and kicked off with Action Coach who focused on the nuts and bolts of business including time management and daily action planners. One of the most challenging aspects of business was how to deal with ‘frogs’, which are the jobs you don’t want to do but really should! In order to be successful in this area, franchisees discussed changing mindset, work cycles and sharing in each other’s achievements to give back to the network and continue to flourish as individuals.

Fundamentally, each school aims to give each student the best chance of success and for those that wish it, Razzamataz has partnered with a successful children’s agent who secure students’ professional roles in films, TV and on the stage.

Warren Bacci spoke to the franchisees about how best to prepare students for auditions, including the do’s and don’ts of what to wear and how they should present themselves.

Warren also gave an overview about the success already achieved in the network. Included in this was Razzamataz Barnet student Tamara Smart who has not only starred in CBBC’s The Worst Witch, she has also just secured a main part in a major film franchise.

As much as Razzamataz like to celebrate their student success, the meeting focused on taking time to realise the hard work achieved by individual franchisees. This year, two Razzamataz franchisees were nominated for British Franchise Association Awards, with Hayley Limpkin, the joint Principal of Razzamataz Medway, scooping two.

Hayley spoke about how to successfully apply for Awards and how outside recognition is an important part of building your individual brand and rewarding your team members. As well as the franchise industry awards, Razzamataz have their own creative awards that recognises many aspects of running a theatre school; from Best Community Service through to Best Customer Service, Best Showcase, Best Team Member and most Outstanding School.

“Coming together at our regional events and our yearly Conference is a real highlight for everyone at Head Office as well as our franchisees,” says Denise Hutton-Gosney, MD and Founder of Razzamataz. “As the network continues to grow, we bring more talent, more energy and more ideas to share. It is exciting to see the progression our individual schools make and the amazing talented students that are going on to work in the performing arts industry.”

The regional events are open to all franchisees in the network to allow them to network and learn from each other. Kate Ward, Principal of Razzamataz Southend has been open since September 2018 and has gained a wealth of knowledge as she explains: “It was great networking, spending more time with other franchisees and I learnt so much over the three days with fantastic training, presentations and more. I feel very lucky to be here.” 

To celebrate 18 years of successful business, Razzamataz is giving more people the opportunity of joining the network. Until the end of 2018, there will be no up-front franchise fee of £7,995 plus VAT to pay. All that will be required is the £4,000 initial marketing launch and £5,000 working capital as opposed to circa £20,000 that would have included the franchise fee. Candidates who choose not to pay the upfront franchise fee, will pay 20% MMF instead of 10% over three years or nine terms.

With almost 50 schools up and down the country, now is an exciting time to become part of the network, which includes an award-winning franchisee. Known as the biggest and most influential event in the franchising world, Razzamataz was delighted to be among the winners at the British Franchise Association (bfa) Awards 2018.

To find out if franchising is the right option, Razzamataz holds regular Discovery Den days across the UK where potential franchisees get a chance to meet the Head Office team, find out more about franchising in general and discover what it is like to run a part-time theatre school.

There are currently opportunities to take over existing schools in both Hackney and Reading. If you would like to find out more about becoming part of our team and attending a Discovery Den, chat to Head of Recruitment Suzie on E:[email protected] or call 07793 054 233. For more details visit: www.razzamataz.co.uk.

About Razzamataz

BBC’s Dragons’ Den success story Razzamataz has grown in reputation and numbers since appearing on the popular TV show in 2007 and winning an investment from Duncan Bannatyne. This award-winning franchisor is a member of the British Franchise Association (bfa) and has recently taken home a number of its awards. Razzamataz is delighted to be celebrating their 18th birthday this year with plans already in place for the big 20!