What is it and who is it suited to?
Planning and preparation
Franchising
Marketing
Rules and regulations
Start-up costs
How much can I earn?
Tips for success and useful contacts
Rules and regulations
There are very few restrictions to starting a dance school. You don’t need prior certification – on the contrary, the International Dance Teachers Association won’t actually accredit you as a dance teacher until you have at least two years’ teaching experience. The only exceptions are specialist franchises, such as Zumba, which do require you to complete training in advance.
As with most businesses, you will need public liability insurance to cover you against any accidents or injuries which may occur in your classes. If you are a member of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, they can help to arrange this for you. You will also need a Public Performance Licence (PPL) for permission to legally play music. Most of the venues you hire will already have one of these, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
It is also sensible to do a health and safety assessment of your business and put a policy in place before you launch. You may want to consider completing a basic first aid course. Similarly, if you are planning to teach students who are under the age of 18, you will need to have intermittent Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks and request this of all teachers working with this age group.
You will also need to decide on the best legal structure for your start-up (whether you want to be a sole trader, form a partnership, or register a limited company), and make sure you comply with all the relevant legal requirements. For more information on the different business structures and your responsibilities regarding tax, administration, etc, read our article on how to choose the right legal structure for your start-up.