Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in dancing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Connor Taylor, Principle & Co-Founder of Adore Dance, located in London, UK.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Adore Dance London is a dance school in East London. We welcome adults and children from ages 3+ to Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Commercial & Barre Fitness classes.
Tell us about yourself
Coming from the dancing industry as a professional dancer, I always had the itch to stay in dance after I finished performing. After a few years out of dance (working in retail management), COVID hit, and I was placed on furlough. It gave me and my now-husband, Joe, the time to consider what our next steps were, and from my dancing background and Joe's from a family of dance teachers, we decided we could open our own dance school. We shared a simple form around some local community groups & websites, which got hundreds of responses. We knew then we could try to make something work as soon as restrictions had lifted. I'm delighted to truly be in my dream career, and being able to make a living of the thing I adore (see what I did there) the most keeps me motivated.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Within a year of opening, I went full time on running the dance school, and suddenly, my passion became my career. I'm really proud of being able to have made that jump and have never looked back since! In close 2nd place is when we ran our first children's dance exam session, and seeing everybody's faces as they were presented with medals and awards was so wonderful.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Being able to switch off. I'm always thinking and wondering about that next routine, the next song choice, or movements I can run, which means sometimes I struggle with switching off. The solution? For me, it's escaping into a good book!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- If possible, do your research & test the market first. Using something to garner interest in the early stages will give you an inclination if the business could be viable. I worked a full-time job and ran the business for a few months, which was super hard work, but then it meant it was less of a risk when I moved full-time into the business.
- Web presence - so many companies out there still don't have an SEO-optimised website; it's where we get the majority of our new customers from.
- Enjoy it where possible -turning your passion into a career is challenging, so make sure you split your time up well between everything you're doing.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.adoredance.london/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/862969337586400
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adoredance.london/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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