Did you ever think of dance as an entrepreneurial endeavor?
I’m not sure even I did way back when I contemplated getting into the business. But it turns out, ballroom dance has exponential potential for entrepreneurship and growth, and I’m thrilled that we’re riding that wave.
The way Fred Astaire has grown in the past is by taking a dance instructor and grooming them to become managers and eventually owners of a studio. That can be a long process.
There’s another option, and that’s the one we represent. Take a business person from outside the ballroom dance industry, engage them as an investor in a Fred Astaire franchise, and pair them with someone who has immense, deep dance knowledge, who’s trained to teach.
That way, the dance instructor runs the day-to-day operations, and the business wizard runs the business. Makes perfect sense, right? 
In our case, Lada brought the ballroom brains and talent, while I brought business know-how. As we look to grow our region, we are considering both options – instructors who want to become studio owners, and entrepreneurs who want to invest in a great business model.
Could that be you?
We are looking for great business people to become a part of our team.
A few weeks ago, I played golf with a buddy who works in commercial building. He’s good at what he does, and has built a lot of success. He told me he recently invested in a swim school franchise – in Iowa!
That’s an odd combination, you might say. But no. It makes perfect sense to me.
He found a solid franchise whose model lends itself to entrepreneurial investors. He does not need to know a thing about teaching children to swim. He can simply invest in it, help build it, hire a manager and swim teachers, and sit back and reap the rewards of being a sound business partner.
That’s the way we’re looking to grow for Fred Astaire. Smart, strategically, with the right people in all the right positions.