How Conferences Help Franchisee Owners

Razzamataz Theatre Schools recently enjoyed a successful annual conference

It’s said that ‘teamwork makes the dream work’ and that couldn’t be more true than at the recent conference for the BBC Dragons’ Den backed theatre school Razzamataz.

The event’s theme was exploring the many benefits of teamwork. Throughout the day the hashtag #WinningTeams was prominent to inspire the franchisees to think about how to make the most of their own teams and the network in general.

Sharing best practice

One of the most enjoyable parts of the day was hearing about the successes and challenges principals face. Three school principals spoke about their first year and shared best practice, the highs and the lows and how much they have learnt.

Another highlight was a motivational session led by Brian Costello from coaching company Headstrong on exploring colours and personality traits. During the talk principals found out how to make sure they have a team of people who complement each other’s personality traits and also how it applies to their own students.

To run a successful theatre school, a key ingredient is what happens in the ‘back room’. Meticulous planning and attention to detail is an important part of the process, which will now be made a whole lot easier thanks to Razzamataz’s new business management system.

The company has spent years trialling and perfecting the system at its flagship school in Medway. It’s been especially created to fit in with every element of the schools and will make communication with parents more streamlined.

The day session ended with a fun ‘cryptic chase’, where principals were put into teams and competed against each other in a number of physical and mental challenges. The session was designed to highlight the importance of working as a team and to make the most of each individual’s skill set.

Michael French, principal of Razzamataz Barnet, says: “There was one year I couldn’t make the conference as I was filming and I found that year so tough without any drive or motivation.

“It’s useful to bounce ideas off each other, discuss the same challenges, possibly lend a hand to someone else and talk about how you dealt with a certain situation.

“I think for a lot of us who work from home it can be mentally challenging and sometimes we need to remind ourselves we are changing lives with what we do. The network is filled with driven, like-minded people, which makes it so unique and exciting.”

To conclude a wonderful day and night, the awards ceremony was a chance for everyone to congratulate the franchisees on their successes of 2017.

Lloyds confirms support

Lloyds Banking Group has just confirmed its support for Razzamataz franchisees. This includes:

Funding of up to £25,000 on an unsecured basis subject to status.

No arrangement or application fees for any lending up to £25,000.

Funding up to 70 per cent of the total investment costs, plus working capital will be considered.

New start-up franchisees will benefit from a free transactional banking period of 18 months.

Existing franchisees looking to switch banks to Lloyds Bank or Bank of Scotland will benefit from a free transactional banking period of six months.

Preferential interest terms will be considered subject to amount borrowed, loan term and strength of the business proposal.