Entrepreneur Interview
Entrepreneur: Jo-Ann Ko
By: Morgan Vallee
Jo-Ann
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Graduated from Markham
District High School and
then went to Humber college
to become a Pharmacist
Technician
There are no other
entrepreneurs in her family
Before opening Kicks Dance
Studio she was a Pharmacist
Technician at East General
Hospital
On average she works 10-12
hours per day
Background Information on
Business
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Name: Jo-Ann Ko
Owner of Kicks
Dance studio
50 Bullock Drive
Unit#6
(905) 294 2618
Website:
www.kicksdance.ca
Year venture began:
1984
Starting up…
Kicks was first opened in 1984
 The financing came from her husband at the time,
George Niven
 The biggest challenge was to find a location that was
large enough and yet, easy to find
 She first started in the basement of a church on
Main Street Markham
 In her first year Jo-Ann had only 13 students
 The next year she had 50 students and then 100
students the following year
 Soon after her husband’s financial help was no longer
needed and Kicks moved to a plaza on Hwy 7
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Goals
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At the beginning of the
venture Jo-Ann’s goals
were to achieve self
satisfaction and see a
positive end result in
her students’ dancing
Her goals right now in
her business are for all
her students and
parents to be happy
with the service they
are getting
Strengths and Weaknesses
Jo-Ann’s strengths:
 Good Listener
 Organized
 Trusting
 Understanding
 Good Public Speaker
Jo-Ann’s Weaknesses:
 Too Sensitive
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages:
 Chooses her own hours
 Sleeping in is an option
 Jo-Ann can take time off easily knowing her studio is
still running smoothly
Disadvantages:
 Work is always on her mind
 She will spend time on work at home as well as at the
studio
 Schedule varies depending on time of year
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Take as many business courses as
possible
 Marketing and advertising courses will
be very useful as well
 Location is the key part of opening a
business. Focus attention on finding a
proper location
 Skills needed for venture: artistic
talent, dedication and self-motivation
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Aspects of owning Kicks Dance
Studio
Rewarding aspects:
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Watching her long term
students grow up
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Seeing students’ happy faces
when on stage and in class
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Having her students share
her love of dance
Least Satisfying aspects:
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Having students move to
other dance studios
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Having students that do not
take dance seriously and
waste their parents’ money
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Dealing with drama in the
studio
Leisure Time
Jo-Ann enjoys to:
 Swim in her pool
 Walk her dogs
 Spend time with her
family
 Watch “So You
Think You Can
Dance”
Pictures
Conclusion
I have learned many valuable things
from interviewing Jo-Ann
 One day when I hopefully open my own
studio this information will help me a
great deal
 I have learned that owning a Dance
Studio takes a lot more work than I
thought it did
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