FAQs
What experience do I need?
Having a passion for performing arts and teaching children is really important. And ideally a good ability in at least one of the three disciplines; acting, singing / music or dance. Great people skills will be key in liaising with tutors and parents. But above all, the most important element is a passion to work with children. If your main energy and drive is to make sure the children have a brilliant, fun filled time where the teaching is exceptional, we believe you will have a success on your hands.
How much can I earn?
Earning potential is flexible between a less involved part time business, or a larger scale outfit. Salaries of £70k+ are achievable with a full quota, and successful Franchise.
What are the costs?
We are looking for real passion and talent in our franchise partners. And because of this, we are offering our first ten Franchise's at a fraction of the initial cost of other leading providers. So, how can we afford do this? Well, we are so confident of our product which has been proven time and time again, and so excited to collaborate with amazing people that we know the meeting of these two elements will be a winning combination.
Once your Academy is up and running and making money, VAPA franchise will take a percentage of your turnover.
The more you make, the more we make so our drive will be simple, to turn your VAPA into a huge success. And we aren't just here to get you fully set up, we are here for the whole journey. With constant support, ongoing course material, masterclasses, one to one help, monthly online zoom catchups and much more: you are in safe hands.
Ok, so tell me more about the support I will get?
The initial set-up will involve lots of collaboration from our team as we get everything underway. From website design, teacher training, marketing training, first aid, insurance, first year's accountancy, course material and much more; we've got you covered. The training aspect will comprise four days of coaching and courses at our head office. One day of this will involve coming to observe a day of workshops at the original VAPA Academy in the Vale of Glamorgan.
The set up can feel daunting, but don't worry, we'll walk you through every aspect. Yes, there is a lot to think about, but leave the thinking to us and just bring your passion and energy.
Once you have launched, we will continue to work closely with you to offer advice on admin, creative questions or even how to deal with parent politics!
What are the risks?
Because our initial set-up fee is less than a quarter of the price of other theatre school franchises, we think the risk is very small. There is no big outlay on premises or contracted staff needed initially. A suitable venue, our lesson plans and a nice loud speaker is all you need to get going; you can then grow as your numbers grow. As with any new business, it takes drive and dedication, however, in our experience we’ve created schools in bustling North London with numerous other theatre school chains as competitors to quiet country locations, both of which have been very successful. The truth is, if you have the initiative and drive, then we have the material and know how to guide you every step of the way.
How much admin is involved?
Your weekly admin of registers will be taken care of using our tried and testing online platform “Class For Kids”. It’s a super simple and efficient way of registering student info, online payments, waiting lists etc. On average you will need to send group emails out to students once or twice a month, as well as managing correspondence with parents etc. You'll also need to keep on top of free trials and regular marketing updates on social media. We'll be there to guide you through all the marketing strategies and admin elements. Around two days a week of admin and marketing would be a rough estimate of the time needed.
What can really eat up time is the lesson planning and preparation of course material. That's where we've got you covered. From warm ups, to excerpts of shows, to great dances and great songs, we'll send you everything you'll need.
What will my hours of work be?
This is the best bit. You can choose when you would like your classes to take place. Daytime - weekend sessions are going to the most accessible for your customers, but use the flexibility to work around you. For example; if you are using this business venture as a side line to an acting career; set-up your Academy on a Sunday, that way it will almost always work around your schedule. And then the admin elements are totally down to you and your schedule.
What if I would like to work towards a different production?
We LOVE a bit of creativity and are always open to new ideas! We would recommend using one of our tried and tested shows to get you going on your first couple of terms, just whilst you find your feet. But if you are inspired by a specific piece of material then go for it and feel free to run it by the team for your thoughts.
What complications could Covid 19 cause?
Given the rollout of the vaccine, things continue to look more and more positive. So we hope moving forward this won't be too large a concern. We've continued to run through lockdowns and restrictions. It has undoubtedly been tough in some aspects, but it's also been incredibly rewarding in others. If needed, we can fully support you in preparing comprehensive risk assessments, and Covid safe practises to be able to run your classes safely, or give you the tools and know how to take your classes online in the case of Tier 4 or full lockdowns. We have the knowledge and experience to guide you should things get tricky.
Still have questions? Get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.