The longer a balance is left unpaid the harder it is to collect, especially when a student has been allowed to participate in classes or competitions past your stated policy for accounts overdue. Our personal connection to our dance families can make these type of conversations uncomfortable however, learning to run a business and holding people accountable financially is important for the future success of your studio. In this podcast get tips on how to properly charge fees to cover the cost of competition events as well as how to be pro-active in your payment collection with Suzanne Blake Gerety.

What do you charge for recital tickets? I just had a parent ask me what the money goes towards from the ticket sales and it really took me by surprise that I had to give that information out." That's the tricky topic we're covering in this episode with Joe Naftal from Dance Connection, Long Island, NY and author of "Standby in the Wings: A behind the scenes guide to producing the perfect dance recital". He offers practical tips on how to powerfully answer this question and get back to loving your show!

"What can I do when the other studio in town copies everything that I do? Maybe I'm overreacting but its just so frustrating, especially when I have all these great ideas and I'm trying to be innovative and exciting." In this episode hear how to create your own unique brand that differentiates you from you competitors with Jill Tirone, community manager of Dance Studio Owner and digital marketing expert for dance studios.

"What should I do about a 10-year old dancer who was a competition no-show because their parent is completely disorganized and doesn't follow our rules for arrival times? At our last event we even held up the event and forced an unscheduled judges break and the parent never even answered our frantic calls. We feel bad for the dancer but the other parents and dancers were livid and all upset." Join Kathy Blake as she navigates this very personal policy issue to help you gain clarity on how to proceed mid-season and beyond.

Welcome to the Dance Studio 411, where we answer your real life questions about your toughest studio life predicaments. Parent-problems, teacher turnover, student challenges, policy dilemmas, and much more. Let's talk about what is keeping you awake at night and what you can do about it! Get to know your hosts, Suzanne Blake Gerety and Jill Tirone.