Owning a studio is a tremendous challenge in the best of times. Not only do we have to provide an environment that is warm and welcoming, but we also have to make sure the business side of it is functioning smoothly, that our teachers and students are all happy and productive and that parents are satisfied with what we are doing. No problem, right? Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that in most cases we also have to create exciting choreography and sound lesson plans in our spare time! Time is almost always an issue because there are so many branches that have to be covered in one single day that it can sometimes become daunting and overwhelming. Apart from the normal day-to-day running of the studio there are very often issues that pop up that need immediate attention. Sounds like a nervous breakdown waiting to happen, doesnt it? I know that every studio owner has had moments when they are inundated with things that need to be fixed or resolved, all of which requiring time that simply doesnt seem to be there. Suddenly you feel that anxiety building up inside you and for a moment you just want to forget the whole thing. Does that ring a bell? Trust me I have definitely had those feelings from time to time over the past 22 years. So, what can be done to alleviate this stress? First of all, take a deep breath and try to relax your brain for a few minutes. Find a relatively quiet area, sit down with either Post-its or a pad and get ready to retake control.
Managing Time Management
Everyone has the same amount of time: It really boils down to whether you spend it or invest it. Motivational speaker Jeffrey Gitomer is quoted as saying, The successful person takes advantage of time all the time; the unsuccessful person laments in the lack of it. So how can we make time management a part of our everyday existence? Here are some suggestions of methods that have helped me become more organized and stress free.
1. Find a time during the day that works for you when you can sit down undisturbed and write down all the things that need to be attended to. I like to get up in the morning, have my tea and make my lists. Then I feel ready to tackle whatever lies ahead that day. Most of us work in the evening and by the time we finish classes and close up the studio, all we feel like doing is going home, having dinner and perhaps a nice glass of wine and collapsing into bed. It is virtually impossible to be productive when we are physically and mentally tired. But finding a moment of quiet every day is vitally important if we are going to become better organized and able to manage our time. I went out and bought myself a CD of spa music that I keep in my car and if all else fails I find that driving from A to B during my day with my spa music going really helps me to relieve any stress that may have been building up. This may work for you; if not, find a stress reliever that suits you.
2. Divide all your projects into A, B & C categories, based on priority. Dividing your lists really helps because it helps you determine what is important. Generally those are things that will build your business and yourselfthey are longterm projects. The less important B or C projects should be dealt with after time has been devoted to A list things and here is where delegating is necessary.
3. Make your to do list for the week and then for the month. Making to do lists both for your week and for the month helps you to see in advance what you have coming up. When we get busy it is easy to cross over appointments and find ourselves out of time for things that are important. Try to avoid spending your time dealing with urgent issues and find more time to deal with important issues, the A list. So often we tend to make the mistake of getting the little things out of the way instead of tackling the important issues which would make the little ones go away.
4. Make another list of people who you can delegate to take care of certain projects. If your studio has faculty and staff on hand it makes it easier to delegate. If you are a one- person business try to find someone to run your front desk and do day-to-day tasks that really dont require your time. The money that you spend on them will be worth it tenfold. Delegating requires training. I always used to feel that I was the only one who got certain things done, but I have learned over the years that training people to do the tasks the way I like them to be done is worth every moment that I spend on it.
5. Decide on specific days and times when you will take care of the projects that require your personal attention. Last but not least is making sure that you plan your schedule so that you have specific days and times to work on certain projects. It is very easy when you are your own boss to become undisciplined and not leave the time necessary to tackle the tasks at hand. Give yourself definite parameters so that you allow yourself to work stress free.
This quote from Jeffrey Gitomer really sums up why managing your time is so important: Time management is not the process. Time investment is a better way to look at it. How will you invest your time today, and whats the return on your investment?
