Kilpatrick Irish Dance School | Application Preview
Kilpatrick Irish Dance School is seeking a total of $57,500 in government grants to support its growth and operational needs. The funding will be allocated as follows: $30,000 for six months of rent for their new studio that is set to begin construction, $2,500 for teacher training in Trauma Informed practices to enhance programs for foster care and special needs families, and $25,000 for flooring, mirrors, and equipment for the new space.
The school aims to expand its schedule and offerings, moving from a current sublet that is at capacity to a dedicated space where they can introduce more classes, including early morning sessions. They also plan to collaborate with local therapists to provide movement therapy, aligning with their goal of serving families in need.
Since opening in January 2021, Kilpatrick Irish Dance School has maintained a growth rate target of 50% student increase every six months and an 80% retention rate among students. The leadership believes that with the new space, they can achieve financial stability within a year.
The school stands out due to its focus on creating a supportive community, particularly in light of the current mental health crisis. Their teaching philosophy emphasizes healthy coping mechanisms through dance and fosters a connection with students and families. They are the only Irish dance school south of Raleigh, NC, giving them a unique advantage in an area with growing demand.
In terms of competition, they acknowledge three other Irish dance schools in the Raleigh area, noting that while those schools offer similar classes, Kilpatrick's emphasis on compassionate coaching and community-building sets them apart. Their streamlined tuition structure and commitment practices are designed to empower families and ensure a positive experience in their dance journey. Overall, Kilpatrick Irish Dance School is dedicated to promoting Irish dance as a means of cultural engagement and personal growth for its students.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 2090808
Location: Apex, NC, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k
Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k
Open to Loans: YES
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Funding Usage
We are requesting $30,000 to cover 6 months of rent in our new studio which is about to begin construction. We have joined up with a brazilian jiu jitsu studio and a Traditional Irish Pub to begin a collaborative new space. With our need to grow, and being at capacity in our current sublet, we are in desperate need of our own space. This would help cover our expenses while we adjust to through our growth. We are also asking for $2,500 to cover teacher training expenses for a Trauma Informed Training through the Center for Child and Family Health. We feel this is imperative for our expanded programs with foster care families and special needs families. And finally we are asking for $25,000 to help cover the flooring, mirrors, and equipment needed in a new build out.
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Business Plan
Our first step to growing the Kilpatrick Irish Dance School, is to move into a space that allows for an expanded schedule and freedom to add classes during optimal times. We have pretty much reached capacity in our current sublet situation and desperately need the ability to add more class times during prime evening hours. We also plan to add early morning classes for adults and competitive teams, along with expanding into our Special Needs and Foster Family programs. We plan to partner with a local therapist group to add movement therapy to our roster of classes. Our goal and projected growth has been on track since our opening in Jan. 2021. We have completed two full seasons and are about to begin our third. We have a growth rate goal of 50% student increase every six months, with an 80% retention rate season to season. This should put us on track to be back to black, after our move, within one year. With the current mental health crisis affecting multiple generations of the population, people are looking for ways to deal with stress and anxiety in healthy and healing ways. Our philosophy in teaching, connection with our students combined with the accepted therapy of exercise, we believe we set ourselves apart in the sports and recreation field. Our students, young and old, learn to be challenged in a healthy environment which allows them to grow through their adversity into confident and compassionate citizens. Our retention rate speaks for itself. Our dance families feel heard, communicated with and valued as partners in either their own or their child's Irish dance journey. We are a vibrant and growing, fun, healthy, and cultural community. Through coaching and positive critique we accomplish the tasks we set out for ourselves and we ignite a passion in our dance families to get them involved and invested in our mission to "equip dancers to be lifelong learners and self motivated achievers through the medium of Irish Dance." We are also the only Irish dance school offering classes to any community south of Raleigh, NC.
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Self Identified Competition
Our top three competitors are the three other Irish Dance schools in the Raleigh area. All are good dance schools, Inis Cairde, Triggle Academy and Connick-Reid School. With the last two being very solid competitive schools. We all offer similar classes, but we believe our philosophy on coaching sets us apart. We have already had three families transfer from two of those schools over to us. We also have the benefit of being the only Irish Dance school offering classes south of the city of Raleigh. We are located in the heart of where the current growth and development is happening and have many young families moving into our area daily. Each of the other Irish dance schools are north of Raleigh and some within a five mile radius of each other. Because of the distance between us and them, we believe we offer a much needed service to our local area. We have set up our tuition schedule, commitment practices and communication in a way that makes it easy for parents and adult students to stay in control of their schedules and finances. We also have a coaching strategy that leaves our dance families confident in our ability to make informed and compassionate decisions when it comes to class placement and fairness in our practices and classes. Our families know we are in the business to come alongside them in their dance journey, not simply for the monetary benefits or claims to fame in the competitive world. We are committed to bettering the art of Irish dance, sharing the tradition and culture with every student who wishes to participate. We are committed to respecting every student equally, no matter where they are in life or development. We are committed to our families and to creating a safe space for our dancers to be vulnerable, make mistakes and improve at their own pace.
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