Rebecca - Drama Tots Solihull

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A DRAMA TOTS FRANCHISEE?

Just over 4 years. I started my Drama Tots business in 2018.

HOW MANY CLASSES DO YOU RUN EACH WEEK?

My current weekly schedule contains 10 parent & child classes plus 3 contracts in Early Years settings.

COULD YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT MAKE UP YOUR DRAMA TOTS BUSINESS?

In addition to my weekly schedule (as above) I also have additional ad-hoc work. The most obvious one of these is birthday parties of which I perform (on average) once or twice a month. The majority of children I provide birthday entertainment for come from either my classes or my nursery sessions. I have also built relationships with local playgroups and pre-schools, who are not able to accommodate weekly sessions, but love to book a Drama Tots session at the end of each term as a treat for the children - these normally fall around Christmas, Easter and Summer.

WHY DID YOU BECOME A DRAMA TOTS FRANCHISEE?

I had a corporate background, having worked as an accountant for the previous 12 years. After our second child burst into our lives, we made a decision as a family for me to look at work options that would fit in flexibly around all the different family commitments! School, nursery, hobbies etc! I had always loved drama and took part in many shows throughout my childhood and adult life, so when I came across the opportunity to run a Drama Tots franchise in Solihull it seemed a perfect opportunity to bring together my business acumen with my passion for drama and performing, alongside working with young children which I do as a mum everyday!

By running my own business, it means I can work hours that suit me - and as our family life changes as the children get older, I can adapt and grow the business accordingly.

HOW HAS YOUR LIFE CHANGED SINCE JOINING DRAMA TOTS?

My life is no longer divided in two. Previously I was either at work, or not at work! Now everything is all mixed together in a big, crazy, fun pot of family life. I can work when is convenient for me - which might be half an hour of admin on a night or a 2 hour class on a morning, or a party on a weekend but importantly it fits in around everything else - I am there for the school runs, the sports day, the clubs, the assemblies and I love it.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT DRAMA TOTS?

I love the challenge of running my own business. From the reward you get from a single piece of positive feedback, to hearing people recommend it to their friends. To see the effort you put in turn into bookings and income, to watch the children grow up in your classes and then their siblings arrive and become part of the Drama Tots family too! I wanted a career that I would not only enjoy but that would challenge me to always think “What’s next?” and “How can I grow from here?” and running a Drama Tots franchise certainly gives me that!

WHAT QUALITIES ARE ESSENTIAL AS A DRAMA TOTS FRANCHISEE?

Coming from a corporate background, I tend to look at things from a financial perspective first — for example, how many people do I need in a class for it to be profitable? Is the venue too expensive? Can I afford to offer any extras? Once I'm satisfied with the financial aspect, I allow myself to be thrown 100% into the FUN of Drama Tots. Looking at the feedback and reviews I have received over the past few years, it would seem that most of my parents can see the energy and enthusiasm I have with the children and because I love and enjoy delivering the classes, they love and enjoy themselves too!

Over the years, I have learnt to always give things a try but not to be afraid if something needs to be changed. Running your own business can be all consuming and it is easy to agonise over every little detail, but I have learnt to be adaptable, willing to give things a go, and not afraid to change if it doesn’t work out!

What is your dream for the future?

I have been running Drama Tots in Solihull for four years now and I am really proud of how the business has grown during this time - I have gone from teaching 35 children to a week to now around 140 a week! One of my main growth goals was to have a teacher working with me to increase the amount of sessions I was able to offer and I am delighted that this year I achieved that goal! Going forward, I would love to continue to grow the business, using the extra pair of hands I have to their full potential. Growing enough to be able to have another teacher on board in another 4 years would be amazing!

Solihull is an extremely busy market for children's classes and one of my goals when I started was to be known as one of the flagship children's activities for you to send your child to in the area. I am so proud to now be achieving this goal.

TAKE A LOOK AT Rebecca’S SOCIALS TO SEE WHAT FUN SHE GETS UP TO AS A DRAMA TOTS FRANCHISEE

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