Orod & Dessy Ohanians are celebrating an incredibly successful first year of trading for Expressions Studios, based in Kentish Town. These new dance studios offer deluxe facilities – including sprung floors, sound systems, shower and changing facilities, and a hugely successful café – aimed at all levels of dancers. Currently Expressions has three studios with 32 different types of dance available.
Despite her business degree, Dessy, has dedicated the last ten years of her life to dance She admits that teaching dance and running a business are two completely different skill sets and there were areas of the business where she needed specific help so she approached Centa Business Services.
“Our business adviser was great – giving us advice on writing our business plan reflecting our long-term aim to franchise out our business idea, and helping us to raise the finance we needed to fit out the studios – a huge job as the building was a total shell when we took it over. He also showed us how it was possible to do some of our accounting, payroll and public relations to save money.”
Expressions Studios also runs a café, which has taken both Orod and Dessy by surprise with its success.
“It’s been a real ‘cash cow’ in our first year of trading, as there is nowhere else locally for people to eat hot food,” she explains. “We’re finding that half of Kentish Town now comes to lunch with us each week - it’s certainly helped our cashflow and established us as a local business.”
Whilst Dessy and Orod are still keen to progress with their franchise plans when the time is right, they’re currently concentrating on developing their successful studios even further before branching out elsewhere.