At Razzamataz, we often talk about resilience to our students. It’s a word most of us feel we understand… until we’re truly tested by it. For me, resilience has never just been about “standing strong” during the tough times. It’s about continuing to move forward when things are uncertain, uncomfortable, and sometimes completely out of your control.
I’ve been leading Razzamataz for more than 25 years, and I can honestly say not all of those years have been easy. In the early days, there were constant ups and downs as I learned what it really takes to build a sustainable business. Then came the transition into franchising, an entirely new challenge, where I had to grow not just as a business owner, but as a franchisor supporting others on their own journeys. Alongside that, there were external events none of us could have predicted or controlled, including the financial recession of 2008 and the global COVID pandemic.
And yet, through all of this, resilience became one of our greatest strengths. It’s what allowed the business not just to survive, but to evolve and thrive. More importantly, it reinforced that Razzamataz is a robust, proven business model, not just for me, but for our entire franchise network.
One example that always stands out is a young franchisee who bought a resale Razzamataz around the time of the first lockdown for £15,000. Despite the pandemic, and having no previous business experience, they built and developed the school and, approximately three years later, sold it for £80,000, a return of over 400%. That kind of outcome doesn’t happen by chance. It comes from resilience, belief, and the strength of the Razzamataz franchise systems and its people who support every one of our franchisees.
So, my advice to any entrepreneur is this: truly understand what resilience means.
- It is not quitting when things get difficult
- It is accepting that challenges are part of every business journey
- It is learning from setbacks rather than fearing them
- It is adapting when circumstances change
- It is staying committed even when the outcome isn’t immediately clear
- It is continuing to show up, especially on the days you don’t feel like it
We all have our good and bad days and successful entrepreneurs are no different. In fact, they will also make mistakes but the beauty of being part of a franchise is that you are much less likely to make the big mistakes that are hard to come back from. In fact, in the UK, approximately 50% to 60% of independent small businesses fail within the first three years. In contrast, businesses established through a franchise system have a significantly higher success rate, with some reports suggesting a commercial failure rate of less than 1% to 5%
Every successful franchisee shares an understanding that resilience doesn’t just magically appear, it has to be something worked on and built upon because resilience really is the foundation of every successful business.
If this resonates with you and you believe you will be able to develop the resilience to run your own theatre school, we would love to connect with you. Find out more by booking onto our no-obligation online Discovery Dens: https://www.razzamataz.co.uk/discovery-dens/
