Gervais Dance Studio | Application Preview
Gervais Dance Studio is seeking a government grant to address financial challenges during the 2021-2022 school year, specifically to cover monthly expenses such as rent, utilities, and employee salaries. The studio is requesting $4,000 each month for ten months to help stabilize their operations.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the studio experienced significant growth, attracting over 100 dancers with a steady influx of new customers. In the wake of re-opening, however, progress has been slow. The studio aims to use grant funds to enhance their advertising efforts and engage in community outreach to boost visibility and attract more dancers, with a goal of reaching 150 participants by June 2022. Achieving this milestone would enable the studio to generate a more stable income, creating a financial buffer for future operations.
As a sole proprietor, the owner has refrained from outside investments but is open to exploring this option if it aligns with the studio's values. In terms of competition, Gervais Dance Studio is unique in the Santa Clarita Valley, focusing on traditional dance education and nurturing artistic growth without emphasizing competition. Unlike local competitors, the studio promotes a collaborative and inclusive environment, welcoming dancers of all ages and backgrounds, including LGBTQi community members.
The studio's competitive edge lies in its commitment to art and education over competition, with a strong emphasis on higher education and community engagement. The faculty is highly qualified, with degrees in dance and experience teaching at the college level, ensuring quality instruction. Gervais Dance Studio not only prioritizes technical training but also fosters personal development and academic success among its dancers, taking the art form seriously and striving to create well-rounded individuals.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 018663772
Location: Santa Clarita, CA, United States
Length of Operation: 9
Number of Employees:
Annual Gross Income:
Annual Gross Expense:
Open to Loans: NO
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Funding Usage
To cover rent, utilities and employee pay for the 2021-2022 school year. We operate on the public school schedule and are presently running in deficit. We are in need of $4000 a month for 10 months to make ends meet.
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Business Plan
Our business was growing exponentially before COVID. We had 100+ dancers and many new customers joining every week. Since re-opening, which has been extremely slow, we have gotten some new subscribers through word of mouth, online advertising and social media posts. If given a grant, I would like to expand my advertising budget to do more of the same and to try more community outreach to gain more exposure in our city. Pre-COVID, we performed for various local charities 3-4 times a year, and my plan is to get back to that not only to gain more customers, but to give back to our local friends and neighbors in need. I would like to reach 150 dancers by June 2022. This would mean we are netting 7-9 thousand dollars a month that can be saved, thus making a safety net for the studio to survive well into the future. I am a sole proprietor and have never accepted investments from outside sources before. I would be open to this opportunity if it was the right fit for my business.
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Self Identified Competition
There are about 10 dance studios in the Santa Clarita Valley. We are unlike all of them. Our purposes and focuses are traditional dance education, making life-long artists, outreach and giving and inspiring young people to continue their education through college, (in dance or any other area of learning.) We do not take part in dance competitions like our top three competitors, nor do we instill the idea of "winning" in our dancers. This idea of winning and being better than others can put child against child in an Art form to be shared, and our pedagogy style does not go along with this. The top three competitors in our area would be Santa Clarita Ballet, Studio 84, and To the Pointe. We are most like the Santa Clarita Ballet but not at all like the other two. We install creative, thoughtful dancers at our studio and our classes are open to ages 2.5 - 80+ years old. As explained above in the last question, we are very different from all other studios in our area. We do not take part in dance competitions and hold Dance to be a high Art. Our students are from all different backgrounds, creeds and ethnicities. We openly welcome LBGTQi dancers and their families. We never dance on Sunday as that is family day. Most of our dancers continue through to college as Dance Majors or Minors and/or Theater/Musical Theater Majors. Higher education is stressed as extremely important. Our dancers are expected to be good academic students and exceptional citizens of the world. Our teachers have their BFA or MFA in dance and most have taught at the college level. Many of us have studied with some of the greatest dancers in the world. We also have certifications in Pilates, anatomy and kinesiology, which allow us to offer the safest, healthiest dance instruction we can. We have A LOT to offer our youth and we take Dance as an Art seriously.
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