Why This Multi-Unit Franchisee Continues to Grow With Tippi Toes Dance Studio After Over a Decade with the Brand

Tippi Toes, one of the most popular franchises in children’s enrichment programming, is on the cusp of significant franchise expansion. The dance class franchise featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank” is attracting the attention of more and more savvy entrepreneurs thanks to low start-up costs, flexible lifestyle benefits and a passion-driven offering. One of those entrepreneurs is Tracy Genheimer, a life-long dance lover and teacher, who currently owns Tippi Toes locations in Oklahoma City, Dallas, Denton and Wichita. 

“I grew up dancing — I started when I was very young and fell in love with it,” said Genheimer. “I knew that I wanted dance to be a part of my life forever, and after majoring in dance performance in college, I decided to impart my love of the art onto others through teaching.” 

Looking for dance teaching opportunities, Genheimer first came across the Tippi Toes brand when she discovered her local studio was hiring instructors. “I started teaching there and fell in love with the mission of the brand, how classes ran and the priorities,” she said. 

When Tippi Toes started franchising in 2010, Genheimer says the opportunity piqued her interest, although business ownership wasn’t necessarily on her radar. “I didn’t plan on becoming a business owner, but I believed so much in what Tippi Toes stood for and our values,” she said. “I did have dreams of one day owning a dance studio, but my lack of business experience made me nervous to do it all on my own. I had such a passion for this brand and the founders were so supportive and encouraging. They gave me a lot of confidence and I knew I’d be able to bring my skill sets to the business.” 

Genheimer says she knew the Tippi Toes franchise would provide her with the business model, the materials and the support — everything she needed to thrive in her market. For example, at $52,100–$69,100, Tippi Toes boasts one of the lowest startup costs in its segment, and because classes are taught at pre-schools, daycares and other third-party locations, franchise owners don’t have to pay for or maintain brick-and-mortar facilities.

“Since Tippi Toes is not a traditional studio storefront, and we can operate out of existing buildings, the overhead costs are much lower than competitors,” Genheimer said. “I don’t have to worry about rent costs or building loans. That is very comforting.”

Genheimer opened her first Tippi Toes location in 2010 in Oklahoma City, and since then has expanded her portfolio, purchasing the North Dallas franchise in 2014, and adding on the Denton and the Wichita locations in 2019.

“After 12 years, I can honestly say I love Tippi Toes more than ever,” said Genheimer. “The business has really grown with me and my lifestyle. My husband and I were in our early 20s when we first purchased the franchise, and now we have two babies and are older, and it is wonderful because we’ve been able to grow this business along with the different seasons of our life. In the beginning, I was doing everything myself, but now I am able to spend time with my children because I have a team of teachers and a co-owner who can help.”

This flexibility is one of the primary reasons franchisees continue to invest in the Tippi Toes brand. “This is an opportunity that allows you to have a life beyond your job,” said CEO Sarah Nuse. “We have become extremely popular with moms, for example, because the hours are flexible and they have the support they need to successfully grow the business without dedicating seven days a week to it. That has also created a strong community of franchise owners who are willing to help each other grow.”

When it comes to the scalability of the franchise model, Genheimer says Tippi Toes is uniquely well-positioned to thrive in any market. “They have found the key that kids everywhere want to be creative, active and feel special,” she said. “Tippi Toes is easily replicated in different areas because kids are always going to want to have fun, learn and be creative. Once you open one location, it is easy to pick a new location and apply the business to that community, since the business can be run remotely and efficiently.”

Over the past year, Genheimer says there has been a surge in demand for Tippi Toes’ services as families look for new activities following the COVID-19 pandemic. “In 2021, all of our camps had waiting lists and families were excited to get back out into the world and give their kids the opportunity to learn something new, spend time with other kids and use their imagination,” she said. “Post-pandemic, Tippi Toes has really been thriving.”

As parents spend increasingly large amounts of money on their children, Tippi Toes franchisees can fill an important void for younger kids by giving them an unparalleled platform to come and have a great time.

“We are focused on growing in our communities, getting stronger and sharing our love of dance as much as we can,” said Genheimer.

Now, with more than 30 units currently in operation, Tippi Toes is looking for qualified and passionate entrepreneurs like Genheimer to help the brand cross the milestone 50-unit mark by 2023.

“We are looking to make a genuine impact in our communities, and so we’re partnering only with franchisees who share that commitment,” said Nuse. “We’ve built an incredible community of franchise owners who share best practices and support and uplift each other, and we’re excited to grow that community with like-minded, talented and passionate entrepreneurs.”

The startup costs to open a Tippi Toes Dance Company franchise range from $52,100 to $69,100, including a $35,000 franchise fee. For more information, visit https://www.tippitoesdance.com/franchise/