Franchise school reaches awards final

A franchise theatre school in Newbury is delighted to be announced as a finalist for the 2022 British Business Awards in the category Micro Business of the Year. Razzamataz Newbury is part of a multi-award-winning, Dragons’ Den backed franchise network and its award success highlights an exceptional year for both the students and the school’s Principal Debbi Ledwith.

Now in the fifth year, the prestigious awards have recognised and celebrated the innovative and outstanding achievements of small and medium size British businesses across all industries.?

The 2022 awards are all about highlighting unique ideas, incredible transformations, growth, results and continuity. The focus is on success stories and showcasing how businesses faced and overcome the difficult challenges of the past two years. The judges were looking for individuals, organisations and initiatives that have gone above and beyond, demonstrating a huge impact on businesses, employees and the wider industries.?

For Debbi and her team, the past few years have been challenging but she has maintained her focus throughout the various lockdowns and has steadily grown the school. Since opening, Debbi has balanced bringing up her three children and working as a teacher in a secondary school with being the Principal of Razzamataz Newbury. The success of the school now means that Debbi has been able to transition from being a teacher to being a full-time entrepreneur at Razzamataz.

In the category Micro Business of the Year, judges were looking for evidence of how the?business?pivoted/transformed, supported staff and clients, and continued to be profitable.?Debbi explains: “For us, it wasn’t just about teaching online, it was ensuring that we continued to provide a much-needed resource for our families, so we offered many free activities, virtually connected students and was a friendly face for the whole family via social media. This generated so much goodwill and lovely reviews from parents that many students now come to us through recommendations.”

But it is not just about business growth, Debbi and her team are committed to providing incredible experiences and lifelong memories for her students and their families. So far, the students have taken part in a huge range of workshops led by industry professionals, performed and took part in the parade at Disneyland Paris and were part of the cast of a gala showcase at Her Majesty’s Theatre, home to?Phantom of the Opera.

Although live events and performances were paused due to the pandemic, Debbi is now delighted to be able to offer exceptional opportunities thanks to being part of an established franchise network, including performing at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End in December 2022.

Debbi’s been a valued member of the Razzamataz franchise community since 2015 and has now been able to transition out of her teaching job to work at Razzamataz full time, which she does along with being a parent to her three children. “Being part of a successful franchise gives us the knowledge and peace of mind that we are being supported in every aspect of our business,” says Debbi. “Support is always available, even when we don’t know we need it. We are given everything we need to be successful.”

The British Business Awards final is on 13 October 2022 in London.?

“I’m delighted to be announced as a finalist for the 2022 British Business Awards and would like to thank my team of staff, teachers and of course my students and their families,” says Debbi. “We love what we do at Razzamataz and the part we play in the Newbury community. We pride ourselves on making a positive difference to the lives of our students and it’s an honour to be recognised in this way.”

Join our team

We are looking for dynamic partners to own a Razzamataz Theatre School. If you are looking to make a difference in your local community to the lives of young people and you have a passion for performing arts, we would love to hear from you.

Re-sale opportunities

Occasionally franchise territories come up for re-sale due to a change in the franchisees’ personal circumstances or simply because they have decided to sell their asset and reap the rewards of their hard work. These re-sale schools very rarely stay on the market for long, so if you are interested, don’t delay in contacting us. Re-sale schools in:

• Derby, East Midlands

If you would like to find out more about our ambitious growth plans and be part of multi-award winning Razzamataz Theatre Schools network, drop Charlotte a line from our friendly Head Office team to book on to one of our virtual Discovery Dens.

• Email:?[email protected]
• Telephone: +44 7821 122242