Team expansion for ambitious franchise theatre school company

Investing in its teams and people has always been of paramount importance to one theatre school franchise and despite the challenges of the pandemic, they continued to forge ambitious growth plans. 

 

Razzamataz Theatre Schools is delighted to have further strengthened its Head Office team to support current franchisees and to help in the recruitment of new ones. 

 

Joining the multi-award-winning company is Jason Gosney, who will be using his 20 plus years of health and safety experience in the leisure industry to strengthen and support the network in his field of expertise as well as supporting with audits and brand compliance. He will also be working with the Razzamataz supplier to create an online uniform shop with new ranges and launches. Jason is the husband of the MD and Founder of Razzamataz Denise and has been assisting in these areas on a consulting basis for many years. 

 

Razzamataz prides itself on offering a flexible, family-friendly work environment, something that is particularly important to both Denise and Jason who are the main caregivers for their youngest son who has Type 1 Diabetes.  

 

“I have pretty much been employed by the owners of Haven, Butlins and Warner since the age of 18 and have always enjoyed the work,” explains Jason. “However, in recent years there was a lot of travelling involved which meant less family time, so I needed to make a decision for a better family and work life balance. Bourne Leisure offered me part time work, which meant that I’m able to be at home and also work for Razzamataz three days a week, which I am really excited to be doing as it brings me a new challenge in a different, more work life balanced way.” 

 

“Additional to my Health & Safety Support role, I have been given retail as a target to improve and grow,” adds Jason. “This is very new to me, and I have a lot to learn but really looking forward to it as it gives me a fresh outlook on working life.” 

 

Working with Jason and the rest of the Head Office team is George Darrall, age 24 who was offered a full-time job as an administrative marketing assistant after working for Razzamataz via the Kickstart Scheme, which creates jobs for 16–24-year-olds on Universal Credit. 

 

George is being supported to learn more about franchising and business in general as he explains: “I’ve learnt so much about franchising, which I just wasn’t aware of before. Razzamataz are experts in this field, and I’m learning just how much they look after their franchisees and exactly what needs to go into supporting them. There’s a real family feel within the company, which means everyone pulls together as a team.” 

 

In fact, this family atmosphere is something that Denise actively encourages, as well as supporting other young entrepreneurs. Working with the social media team is Business and Media A-level student Evie Miller, daughter of PR and Content Manager Karen Keeman, who has worked with Denise at Razzamataz for the last 15 years. Evie creates videos and reels for Razzamataz, understanding what is appealing to the younger generation. 

 

“I love having young people on the team because as much as we can support them and help them grow, we can also learn from them,” explains Denise. “At its heart, Razzamataz is a people business. We can teach franchisees everything they need to know about the nuts and bolts of running a business but what we are looking for are people that can connect with their students and their families, people who are dedicated and very eager to learn.” 

 

The Head Office team continues to expand to accommodate new franchisees opening schools and many existing franchisees launching new territories. The Head Office team comprises a huge range of skill sets, all on hand to advise, support and mentor franchisees so although they are the one setting up their school, they are not in business alone. 

 

“Franchising offers many advantages but one of the most significant is the support and training that we give to our network,” adds Denise. “Whether you are a young graduate or someone that is transitioning out of a long career into running your own theatre school, we are with you every step of the way, providing more than 22 years’ worth of experience and incredible contacts in the performing arts industry.”