Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Virginia Cano, Co-Owner of Rhythms Dance Studio & Event Center, located in Las Vegas, NV, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a dance studio and an event center. Our dance studio specializes in all styles of dance for kids, including hip hop, ballet, gymnastics, and jazz, and diverse Latin classes for adults. Our event center has a stage, outdoor patio, and full bar and caters to public and private events.
Tell us about yourself
I've always loved to dance. I've been a dancer since I was five years old. For years it was just a fun hobby, but after years of traveling and teaching abroad, our dance company decided to focus on our community and spread our dance culture. We started with beginner classes, then we added beginner adult teams, and eventually, we outgrew two office spaces we had turned into dance studios.
We have also spent years hosting events, one of which has become the biggest salsa festival in North America, the Las Vegas Salsa and Bachata Super Congress every fourth of July weekend. Which the experience of event planning and teaching, in 2017, we decided to build Rhythms dance studio and event center, which incorporated a 3000sq foot event center and three dance studios.
What has always kept me going and motivates me the most is seeing a brand new student transform from having a lack of confidence in themselves or telling themselves they are too old or too this or too that to dance and helping them through the process of becoming a dancer. Whether they end up doing it just for fun to learn a social dance or take it more seriously and end up performing on stage with one of our teams, seeing them grow and gain confidence, the friendships, and being part of this amazing healthy dance community is what makes it all worth it for me.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is to be able to do what I love for a living. Helping others and dancing is not work. It hasn't been easy. It's difficult to start a business and keep it afloat, especially through covid. It's been a very uphill battle to build, open and maintain our business afloat, but it's been well worth it when I see day-to-day kids and adults enjoying themselves while learning a new hobby.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Learning the hard way. Neither my partner nor I have a business degree. Most businesses fail because entrepreneurs want to own a business in a known skill set, but knowing a skill set doesn't translate to owning a business that deals with that skill set. Having to navigate all the licensing requirements, laws, procedures, payroll, tax requirements, and the like that go into owning a business is difficult.
It is also a slow process, everyone hopes to open their doors and automatically be successful, but the truth is, it's usually organic growth, and it takes a lot of time and money for your community to know who you are and what you do. It's a slow process, and it's a matter of being able to make ends meet until you finally become successful.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do your research on all the requirements you will need to own such a business.
- Have a business plan, realistic goals, and expectations, so you are not blindsided.
- Have at least six months of overhead saved up.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://rhythmslv.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rhythmsdancestudiolv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhythmsdancestudiolv/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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