Happy culture creates longevity
With twenty years of business behind them, much of the success of the Dragons’ Den backed theatre school franchise is creating a happy culture among franchisees and also staff.
A study conducted by Columbia University revealed that organisations with a higher company culture enjoyed a decreased turnover rate of just 13.9 per cent, suggesting that such businesses make employees happier and less likely to quit their jobs.
At Razzamataz Theatre School, it is not only franchisees who have been with the company for more than ten years, the Head Office staff have a long history also. Creative Director and Franchise Support Mentor Charlotte Young started at Razzamataz in 2005, first joining as a dance teacher at three Razzamataz schools and then going on to become a multiple franchise owner. Her next challenge was to join the Head Office team full time where she gets to share her knowledge of the industry with her social media and performing arts skills. Charlotte is a mum to Freddy and has won multiple awards and was recently a finalist for Employee of the Year 2019 at the EWIF Awards.
“I just love everything about Razzamataz, the confidence it gives to the children who come to the classes and the opportunities in business for people who love the arts,” says Charlotte. “It is such a fun environment to be part of too. We work with really creative people who all bring something different to their roles so we can continually learn and be inspired by one another. I started as a professional dancer and singer and the fact that I have been able to stay working in an industry that I love is very special.”
Charlotte’s experiences reflect the findings of another study conducted by the University of Warwick’s economics department that showed the difference in productivity between happy and unhappy workers. Those who felt more satisfied with their jobs were 12% more productive, while unhappy workers were 10% less productive.
As Razzamataz celebrates 20 years of business this year, many of the franchise schools are celebrating their own milestones. With more than 600 students, Razzamataz Medway celebrates an incredible ten years, with students going on to perform professionally on the West End stage. Other schools are also celebrating five, ten, 12 and almost 15 years of business.
“We are so fortunate to be able to work in an industry that we are passionate about,” says MD and Founder of Razzamataz Denise Hutton-Gosney. “Inspiring young people through performing arts is a privilege and through the experience of running theatre schools for twenty years, we can pass this knowledge on to others who want to open schools in their local communities. This year we are also launching Team Celebration Days, a series of roadshows where we meet the teachers and staff in our schools across the UK to show them ways they can progress their careers with Razzamataz.”
Loyalty to the Razzamataz brand has many perks with numerous incentives offered to franchisees and staff. These include luxury overnight spa days at Stobo Castle, scrumptious Christmas hampers from Harvey Nichols, shopping trips and champagne high teas.
“It is important that we create a culture of positivity and respect,” adds Denise. “This has rewarded our company with very loyal staff and franchisees and created an environment where we can be great role models for our students.”
Meet the team
Multi-award-winning Suzie McCafferty is the Head of Franchisee Support. She has worked with Razzamataz for more than ten years implementing strategies and advice to continue to grow the business. Suzie works with the team to support our franchisees as well as hosting our annual Conferences and Regional Meetings. She has been instrumental in creating new incentive schemes that have been welcomed across the network. Suzie is the current chairperson for the Scottish Franchise forum, part of the British Franchise Association, a Chamber of Commerce Business Mentor and was one of the few franchisors to franchise their brands internationally.
Public Relations Advisor and content creator Karen Keeman has worked with Razzamataz for almost ten years. Karen combines her knowledge as a performer and a media expert to help raise the profile of Razzamataz for both Head Office and the regional schools.
Karen Spedding work in the Head Office Accounts department. She joined the team in 2012 and has passed her love of Razzamataz to her daughter who attends regular classes. “Being part of the Razzamataz team has allowed me to spend precious time with my daughter. Being a mum herself, Denise understands how important it is not to miss special occasions like sports days because we are all permitted to work flexi hours, and from home on occasions, so we don’t have to miss our children’s special memories.”
David Boothman is the team’s Graphic Designer and has worked with Razzamataz Theatre Schools from the very earliest days. David works with Head Office and Razzamataz franchisees to create all the creative and marketing materials used throughout the schools.
Ian Irving is the ICT & Marketing Support who has more than 20 years IT experience. Ian supports Razzamataz franchisees and Head Office in number of ICT roles. He is instrumental in helping the network with SEO and Google optimisation and most importantly, he patiently supports all of our franchisees who sometimes have very little understanding of IT.
Join our network
Do you have the desire needed to run your own theatre school? Speak to our friendly Head Office staff and find out how you can transfer your skills. We currently have an offer for interest free finance for exceptional candidates for the main Razzamataz franchise and a 50% offer for the Razzamataz Early Years franchise.