This post is part of our #FinanceYourDance series that we’ve created to help support you in your pursuit to get financial support for your projects, and build financial stability and freedom for your personal life as well. This is a positive and empowering movement, which will have many components to it. Learn more about the #FinanceYourDance movement here.

This post is based on two, life-changing books that I’ve recently read by Dave Ramsey. The first entitled, “Total Money Makeover”, and the second entitled, “EntreLeadership”. First and foremost, I would like to suggest that you purchase and read these books immediately! They will change your life, and help you to avoid some serious pitfalls in life, personal finance, and business.

In both of these books, Dave Ramsey reinforces the importance and necessity of saving, having an emergency fund, getting out of debt, not using credit cards or loans to fund your personal endeavors, or your business endeavors, and how by doing so, you release cash flow to invest in your business. dream, and future. Three of the major pitfalls for dancers, artists, and entrepreneurs, are lack of emergency savings, debt, and unpaid taxes. Any one, or a combination of these three, can be detrimental to your career, financial stability, and personal growth. Here’s how you can apply this to your life/career as a dancer/choreographer/dance teacher/dance entrepreneur.

The Top 5 Ways To Build Wealth And Financial Security

1. Save Your Money And Create An Emergency Fund. This is one of the most important and crucial steps to building wealth and financial stability in your life or business. An unexpected emergency can really rock your world if you are not prepared for it. I’ve also found that the anxiety of knowing that you don’t have any emergency savings can be very stressful and draining, even if nothing has happened yet. Dave suggests saving $1000 immediately, if you don’t have any savings at all. That’s enough to help you get through many of the typical emergency situations.  However, ultimately, you want to save up six months worth of your monthly expenses, for your emergency fund. Save yourself the stress, and avoid being forced to go into credit card (or other forms of debt) because of unexpected emergencies.

2. Get Out Of Debt ASAP. Debt is another biggie. Debt is the reason why most artists, and frankly, everyday people, are unable to build wealth, and be financially free. When you have looming debt, hanging over your head, your money is never really yours because you owe people money. Whether it’s credit card debt, student loans, a car loan, medical bills, or whatever, it doesn’t matter. Get aggressive, get radical, and get rid of it as soon as possible, and free up your current income to be used towards the things that really matter to you, and build a solid financial future for yourself, and your family.

3. Don’t Use Credit Cards/Loans To Fund Your Dream. When you have a great idea, or a passion to start your own dance company, dance studio, or dance business, it’s very tempting to use credit cards or loans to get yourself started. This is a bad idea. Dave Ramsey breaks down the reasons why so well in his books. But what I can tell you is, you shouldn’t spend money that you don’t have, and that’s what credit cards and loans represent. Stay away from it altogether, and build your dream, little by little, one step at a time, and don’t dig a financial hole for yourself.

4. Differentiate Needs From Wants. The line between needs and wants has become so blurred, that we can actually justify why we NEED a particular thing, that is so very clearly a want. Even the purchase of those things which will help you build or grow your dance business or career, should be considered very carefully. You should, under all circumstances pay cash for the things that you need or want to buy, period. Thanks to the internet, there are always many ways to get things at a serious discount, between eBay, Craig’s List, and other discount sites, not to mention, bartering, or selling something of value that you currently own, to get what you want. There are many ways around it, so get into a spirit of being disciplined, and get  honest with yourself about what is really a need vs a want.

5. Pay Your Taxes. This is a BIG DEAL! Take it from someone who has made numerous mistakes in this department. Do not mess with the IRS. They are no joke, and they will come after you. I know how tough, and frustrating it can be to keep track of your income and expenses, hold on to receipts, file your taxes, etc. as an independent artist, but, we have to do it. Dave Ramsey suggests that business owners set aside 25% of their income to put into a tax savings account. I would recommend the same for dancers/artists. Play it safe, and don’t mess with the tax man.

This is a very brief overview of how you can begin to get on the right track, and avoid some serious pitfalls in the pursuit of your dance dream, and financial freedom. To get the real nitty gritty, you need to go to Dave Ramsey‘s website, and start reading his books immediately. They will change your life.

If you found this post helpful, and know of someone who should read it, please share this post on Facebook and Twitter.

What financial challenges have you faced in your life/career as a dancer? What has worked for you?  Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.

Lafotographeuse Photo from The Ladies Of Hip-Hop Festival 2011

Tonight, on The Kiner Hour – Let’s Talk Dance with Ashani Mfuko radio show,  street dance photographer, Amanda Adams-Louis, A.K.A. “Lafotographeuse“. Amanda is a photographer, visual artist and arts educator. She received a BFA in Photography from Pratt Institute in 2008 and is an MA candidate in Visual Art and Arts Administration at New York University. Currently, she is a Studio Art candidate at the Whitney Museum’s Independent Study Program and an adjunct Photography Instructor in York College’s Continuing and Professional Education Department.

            Lafotographeuse’s images have been featured in exhibitions at Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art (MOCADA), Corridor Gallery and Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute in New York, Aljira A Center for Contemporary Art in Newark, Open Ateliers Zo in Amsterdam and at Deep Side Center in Paris. She has curated exhibitions at Brooklyn Academy of Music and New York University and co-produced live performances and site specific installations in Paris and New York. Her past clients include: Alvin Ailey, The Brooklyn Museum, Pepsi, Levi’s, Urban World Film Festival, Caribbean Cultural Center Africa Diaspora Institute, Society HAE, and Giant Step. She has photographed Street Dance events such as: Step Your Game Up, House Dance Europe, Bust A Move, Step Your Game Up and Chicken & Beer locally and internationally since 2009. Her images have appeared in Dance Delight, Dance Track and Time Out magazines. 

You don’t want to miss this show!

Tune in tonight, 7 pm – 8 pm EST on http://mission101broadcasting.com!

Call in live at, 917-267-8924!

The Kiner Hour – Let’s Talk Dance with Ashani Mfuko radio show, every Sunday night,  7-8 pm EST on http://mission101broadcasting.com!!

Subscribe to our free iTunes podcast HERE!

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Check out some exclusive interviews from the Joffrey Ballet movie premiere at Lincoln Center in NYC! Featured interviews include, Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director, Ashley C. Wheater, former principal of the Joffrey Ballet, Christian Holder, the film Director, Bob Hercules, plus former Joffrey Ballet dancer, Trinette Singleton. Go to our iTunes podcast page to hear the full interviews from our radio show, The Kiner Hour – Let’s Talk Dance with Ashani Mfuko.

Learn more about the film at, http://joffreymovie.com.

Photo: Sylvia Waters with Ashani Mfuko, Host of The Kiner Hour Radio Show

Check out an intimate interview with Ailey II‘s Artistic Director of 38 years, Sylvia Waters, as she shares her feelings on her final season with the company. Listen to the full interview from The Kiner Hour – Let’s Talk Dance with Ashani Mfuko radio show, on our iTunes podcast. Learn more about Ailey II at http://alvinailey.org.

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Ailey II's New York City Season: April 18-29 at The Ailey Citigroup Theater

Tonight on The Kiner Hour – Let’s Talk Dance with Ashani Mfuko radio show, Ailey II Artistic Director, Sylvia Waters, Artistic Director Designate, Troy Powell, and Joffrey: Mavericks Of American Dance Movie Director, Bob Hercules, Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director, Ashley C. Wheater, and former principal of the Joffrey Ballet, Christian Holder.

Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance tells the story of this groundbreaking cultural treasure, known as the first truly American dance company.

Tonight’s show is going to be a historic one!

You don’t want to miss this show!

Tune in tonight, 7 pm – 8 pm EST on http://mission101broadcasting.com!

The Kiner Hour – Let’s Talk Dance with Ashani Mfuko radio show, every Sunday night,  7-8 pm EST on http://mission101broadcasting.com!!

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The fact that you’re reading this post says that you’re serious about growing your dance business or brand, and you recognize that Effective, Personalized, Intriguing, and Consistent marketing is an absolute MUST if you want to get more clients, customers, patrons, supporters, and business opportunities. What good is it to have an awesome talent, service, product, or experience to offer, if no one knows about it, and no one is talking about it?

Here at Kiner Enterprises, we believe in E-P-I-C MARKETING!!

E - EFFECTIVE

P- PERSONALIZED

I - INTRIGUING

C - CONSISTENT

EFFECTIVE, PERSONALIZED, INTRIGUING, CONSISTENT MARKETING IS KEY!!

So now, you might be wondering….

“Where Do I Begin, and How Does E-P-I-C Marketing Apply To Me?”

Let’s start by defining what E-P-I-C Marketing really means, and then give you a 10-Point Action Plan to get started!

E – Effective marketing is, of course, marketing that brings you the results that you need or want. How will you know if your marketing is effective or not? By clearly defining your goals ahead of time, and seeing how well you do in various areas, and different areas of your marketing that connect to the sales cycle. Bringing in more money may definitely be a sign of effective marketing, but it’s not the only sign.

Here are a few other results of effective marketing:

1) Your e-mail subscriber list is growing.

2) There are lots of people talking positively about your brand or biz online.

3) You’re getting the exact type of customers that you were aiming for.

4) People who come to you, already know what to expect, and are excited for the opportunity to become one of your clients.

5) You get lots of referrals.

P – Personalized marketing refers to YOU and your customer. Personalized marketing speaks to your customers in such a way that they feel like you are speaking directly to them, and have a unique understanding of their individual needs. In addition to that, personalized marketing means that there is a ‘person’ behind, and in front of your business. There is a face to your business, who people can see, and relate to, not just a logo. People connect with other people and experiences, not with logos, images, and text. Although logos, images, and text are useful, and certainly necessary, those things alone will not help you to close a deal, or significantly increase the awareness of your brand or biz. There has to be someone real for people to connect with to help make the experience more personalized.

I – Intriguing marketing relates very closely to personalized marketing because, the individual(s) behind any great business, have a unique back story, personality, and perspective. It’s in sharing that uniqueness that you peak the interest of your potential customers, and stand out from your competitors. Let’s say you’re a dance photographer, and there are tons of other dance photographers in your local area that you’re competing with. What can you share, through your marketing, that will help your brand to stand out from the crowd? Maybe you have a unique back story/background. Did you start out as a dancer, or in a completely different field? What was your first experience photographing dance, and what inspired you to choose this career? Are you involved in philanthropic or charity efforts/events? Share those unique aspects of yourself, and your brand, that people will find intriguing, and want to learn more about you, and your dance business, company, or organization.

C – Consistent marketing is definitely the most important part of this 4-part strategy. People need to know that you’re there, be reminded that you’re there, and not ever be concerned about whether or not you’re going to be around for the long-term. Consistency builds trust. Share your marketing message consistently, AND make sure your marketing message itself is consistent. Don’t appear to have multiple personalities online, with confusing messages. Be consistent, and be that brand or company that people can rely on, and trust.

YOUR 10-STEP ACTION PLAN:

1. Define Your Marketing Goals. Be Specific. How will you know if you’ve accomplished your marketing goals, and made any progress, if you don’t have your specific goals in writing? It’s also great to write down your marketing goals because, when you begin to accomplish them, and even surpass them, it gives you motivation and drive to push even harder.

2. Define Your Target Audience/Market. Figure out who your target audience is. (And the answer “everybody, because dance is universal”, is not acceptable.) Get specific about who you’re targeting and why. Write out a description of the qualities/traits/demographic of your target customers.

3. Find Out Where Your Target Audience Hangs Out (Online & Offline). Do some research to find out the best ways to connect with them. Do they love Twitter, but spend less time on Facebook, or vice versa? Are they all over Youtube? Are they involved in a certain dance membership organization? Find out where they are, and then make sure you’re there too. 

4. Be Where Your Target Audience Is, and Add Value To Their Lives. Enhance the lives of your target audience in some significant way, whether it’s through blog posts, online videos, tutorials, or your social media updates. Find out how what you have to offer might benefit them, and at the appropriate time, share it with them. But your first priority should be to be helpful, and enhance their lives in some way, first and foremost. 

5. Be The Face Of Your Brand. Personalize It. Remember that people relate to other people, not to logos, text, and images alone. Figure out 1 or 2 ways that you can incorporate yourself, or an actual person, into your marketing strategy today.

6. Share Your Unique Back Story, Personality, and Perspective. “There is a message that only you have. No one else has your unique ability.” ~ Marshawn Evans — When people ask me how they can stand out from a sea of competitors, this is pretty much what I tell them. Remember that there’s only one you! You have a unique perspective and way of thinking. Use that to your advantage. Think outside the box, and let your uniqueness shine through.

7.  Build Relationships.  It is crucial to build genuine, mutually beneficial relationships with your target audience, which means, getting to know them, sharing in their experiences, getting their feedback, and simply having useful interaction with them. These relationships can lead to some loyal customers, brand ambassadors, and awesome business opportunities down the line. The most important part though is to be genuine. People can smell an agenda or ulterior motive a mile away!

We all have goals for the year ahead, and hopes to reach new levels of success this year, that will surpass anything we’ve done in the past. We want to get more opportunities to create work, showcase our work, build new business partnerships, and create more revenue-generating opportunities for ourselves. The question of course becomes, “How Do I Do This?”. And the answer is simple…

Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone

There are things that you’ve been doing in your career as a dancer, teacher, and dancerpreneur that have really served you well over the years. Things that you know, without a doubt, always work in your favor, and get you great results. So I say, keep doing what works, and never stop that.

But…

What about the new goals you have for this year? What about that overwhelming desire you have to take things to the next level? What about that part of you that knows that, thanks to innovation in technology, and the internet, there are opportunities for you to grow your brand internationally, and tap into markets that you couldn’t have access to, 5 or 10 years ago? What about all that? That’s where stepping out of your comfort zone comes into play.

If you want different results, you have to do something different.

Have you ever said to yourself,

“I bet if I did ‘xyz’ it would really help to get the word out about my dance brand/dance company/dance classes/dance business”?

What is your “xyz”? Is it….

- Create a professional online video commercial or reel?

- Hire a PR Consultant?

- Do tv/radio interviews or advertising?

- Start a blog?

- Update your current blog, social networks more often?

- Host a dance event, conference, or fundraiser?

- Create your own dance video series?

- Start a podcast?

- Contact Angel Investors?

- Hire a Marketing Consultant?

Whatever it is, now is the time to get started on it. Here’s how you know that it’s exactly what you need to do to take your brand to the next level…

Every time you think about doing it, you start to feel a little anxiety, to feel a little scared, and maybe even overwhelmed at how you can possibly make something so “big” happen.

Then, you start to think of all the reasons why you can’t do it:

- I don’t have the money.

- I don’t have the resources.

- I don’t have the skills/knowledge, experience in that area.

- I’ve never done that before.

- What if I fail? What if it doesn’t work?

- Where do I begin?

 How To Conquer Your Marketing Fears:

1)      I don’t have the money. There are many ways to get the money you need to fund your project. Figure out the exact amount that you need. Have your number? Ok, great! Now, look at your current income, expenses, and budget, and see if there are places where you can scale back in order to save towards your project. Ask family members/friends to make an investment/tax-deductible donation (not to lend you money) into your project. Start a kickstarter project, as a way to get donations. Contact local business or organizations to see if they’d like to sponsor your project, and figure out what you might be able to offer them in exchange. Host an event to help raise money. Apply for grants. Get a second job. Do some freelance work as a side job, to help supplement your income and fund your project. Basically, the point here is, the money is out there. If you’re serious about reaching your goals, it’s up to you to find it.

2)      I don’t have the resources. What types of resources do you need? Information? Physical items? Man power? Whatever it is, there is a way to get it. In the current economy, bartering has become more popular than ever? Figure out what type of resources you need, put the word out via Facebook, Twitter, your mailing list, your family, friends, and even Craig’s list. Figure out what skills, abilities, resources, etc. that you have to offer in return for the person(s) that offer to help you. Bada bing, bada boom!

3)      I don’t have the skills/knowledge, experience in that area. I think that is the easiest obstacle to overcome. There is so much information out there on any given subject, all you have to do is go to Youtube, and search for whatever you need to learn about, and I promise you, there is a series of videos on it, that can help you. When in doubt, read a book on it, and/or search online for blogs, webinars, podcasts, etc. that can help you gain knowledge and skills in that particular area as quickly as possible. If you need to go as far as taking an online course, or a course at a local university, go for it. It couldn’t hurt. Whatever you decide to do, take the skills/information that you learn, and immediately put them into action/use by applying it to your brand, blogging about it, teaching it to someone else, or helping someone else who may need assistance in that same area.

4)      I’ve never done that before. Great! It’s always exciting (and yes, a little scary too) to try something new. Just think of it this way, you’re about to discover some new gifts, skills, and abilities that you never even knew you had. Before I started my weekly radio show, I didn’t have any experience in radio or broadcasting. It was totally new to me. Was I scared? Sure! Did I let that stop me? NO WAY!!

5)      What if I fail? What if it doesn’t work? I don’t believe in the word “failure”. There is what worked, and there’s what you learned from what didn’t work, and that’s it. If Plan A doesn’t pan out, move out to Plan B. Plan B flopped? Cool. Plan C may be the one. The point is, don’t get stuck on the idea of failing, because it really is an illusion. At the end of the day, you always have another chance and another opportunity to start over, and do it better the next time. But you won’t learn anything, until you first try.

6)      Where do I begin? You begin right where you are, right now. There is no time to waste. What can you do today to move closer to your goals? Can you start by sending out an e-mail, or several e-mails to key people? Can you start by placing an ad on Craig’s list? Can you start by doing some research, starting a blog, or creating a Youtube channel? Whatever you can do today, right now, do it. Then do a little more tomorrow. Give yourself a short deadline to get things done, and even have an accountability partner, to help keep you on track.

Now is the time. No excuses!

Do you need more help, direction? Is there a way that I may be able to help you further? Post your comment/question below, and I’ll be happy to help you!

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