Charlotte Young, the Principal of Razzamataz West Cumbria first became a franchisee in October 2006. Before opening her Razzamataz Theatre School, Charlotte was a professional dancer and singer. Charlotte has twice renewed her franchise agreement and combines running her theatre school with working for the Razzamataz Head Office in Penrith.
“I honesty don’t know where the time has gone,” says Charlotte. “I’ve learnt so much about business over the years and through the support of Razzamataz have achieved things I would never have thought possible. First and foremost, I believe that Razzamataz brings such a positive impact to our students’ lives. Our ethos, format and curriculum is so exciting that I’ve seen time and again the results in the children we teach.”
Charlotte was one of the earliest franchisees and has been instrumental in helping shape and develop the brand. “The business continues to evolve and develop to be the very best it can be,” says Charlotte. “When I started, Razzamataz was only really known about in Cumbria and the North but now there are schools all over the UK. To see the success that has been achieved and all the incredible partnerships we have with the likes of The Stage, First Choice, Diversity, Eurocamp, Her Majesty’s Theatre, Disneyland® Paris, Indigo at the 02 and Universal Studios is really amazing and this in turn gives the best experience for our students.” These wonderful experiences for students, in turn, allow school Principals the opportunity to attract more students and grow their schools.
Charlotte now has a young son but the flexibility of being a Razzamataz franchisee means that she has been able to continue to grow and develop not only her business, but her own training as well. “A few years back I became an accredited street dance teacher and was able to represent Razzamataz at Move It. The training, support and amazing people I have met along my journey so far, plus being able to work around my little boy and family commitments has been such a bonus.”
Working flexible hours and being able to use her passion as her livelihood are the reasons for Charlotte’s continued enthusiasm and she would certainly recommend the franchise route to others providing you have enough drive and determination.
“Don’t think that being a franchisee will allow you to sit back and do no work, it is essential to follow guidelines, training provided and take ownership over your franchise,” says Charlotte. “Keep a positive mindset and you can create your own destiny!”
Financial investment
Circa £15,000 budget includes everything from purchasing the business, the territory, training, marketing and some working capital.
Training
Franchisees receive a huge amount of training and support as part of the network. There is no charge to attend any events, including Regional meetings and the Annual Conference. After the initial training week, franchisees will be fully supported by a Head Office member of staff and receive regular Skype calls, access to PR, Social Media and Marketing resources to help grow their businesses and everything they need to know about running a theatre school from the latest in child health and safety laws to new requirements about GDPR. Franchisees are invited to attend as many refresher training sessions as they choose at no extra cost.
Profit margins
The profit from one full school is circa £25,00 per annum. However, most schools surpass this with top performers turning over circa £250,000.
Growth potential
The way Razzamataz is structured allows for huge growth opportunities. Our top performing school currently has 500 students and is still growing. Each school can have multiples of all age groups and there are a number of additional revenue streams such as Razz Tots, Razz Project Intense, Razz Parties and Razz School Clubs.
About us
Razzamataz Theatre Schools has been trading since 2000 with a strong, robust and proven franchise system for the last 12 years. Razzamataz remains one of the top five classic entrepreneurs from BBC’s Dragons’ Den. Since the appearance on the show in 2007, the company has forged strong partnerships with First Choice, Disney, The Stage, a leading Talent Agency, Her Majesty’s Theatre and new for 2017 Eurocamp.
Razzamataz Theatre Schools is delighted to have been accepted into the British Franchise Association (bfa). Having built a solid reputation in the franchising industry for the last 12 years, the acceptance into the bfa confirms their position as a market leader. Denise Hutton-Gosney, MD and Founder of Razzamataz and Charlotte are now working towards their Qualified Franchise Professional (QFP) accreditation via the bfa.
In the Smith & Henderson survey, Razzamataz was scored so highly that they joined a group of elite franchisors and have received a 5 Star Franchise Satisfaction Award.
Next steps
If you have a passion for performing arts and want to discover the next stage in your career, talk to our head of recruitment Suzie McCafferty on E:[email protected] or call 07793 054 233. Find out what your options are and come and meet the team at an informal Discovery Den at one of our locations around the UK.
