How to compete with a cheaper club down the road
There’s always someone cheaper. Why you shouldn’t compete on price, and how to compete on value so you attract the parents who want the best.
Kane Foster, founder of Kanvas One and owner of Kanvas Academy in Newcastle
4 min read · Updated 19 October 2026
Sooner or later a parent mentions the club down the road that’s cheaper. It’s tempting to drop your price to match. Please don’t.
Don’t compare yourself on price
Your price should come from what you need to cover your bills and pay yourself, not from what someone else charges. We’ve written up how to work that out. Drop below it to match a cheaper club, and you’re running your club at a loss to win a race to the bottom.
Compare the value instead
Look at what families actually get from you compared with the cheaper club. Very often, cheaper means less:
- fewer classes, or shorter ones
- less experienced coaches
- fewer shows and chances to perform
- no competitions or workshops
- fewer chances for children to really excel
If you offer more, the price difference starts to look small.
Think about it the way parents do
A useful way to think about value is the value equation. Parents value your club more when the dream outcome is bigger and they’re more confident their child will get there, and less when it takes longer or feels like more effort or risk.
A simple way to think about how much something is worth to a parent, made popular by the business author Alex Hormozi. Value goes up with the dream outcome and how sure they are they’ll get it, and down with how long it takes and how much effort and risk it involves.
All the business words ›So show them the outcome: the confident performer on stage, the medal, the friendships. Show them why they can trust you to get there: your coaches, your results, your reviews. And make it easy: simple booking, easy payments, everything in one app.
The value equation
Make the top bigger and the bottom smaller, and your club is worth more to a parent, whatever the price.
Show it, don’t just have it
None of this helps if parents can’t see it. Put your shows, competitions, results and coaches on your website and social media. Talk about them at every trial. Make the value obvious before anyone mentions price.
Don’t compete on price. Compete on value, and you get the parents who don’t want the cheapest. They want the best.
Our own story
When we charged £16 a month, we were very quiet. At £50 a month, we were close to fully booked. The parents who join us aren’t looking for the cheapest class. They’re looking for the best one for their child.
A quick checklist
- Set your price from your own numbers, not someone else’s.
- List everything families get from you that they wouldn’t get elsewhere.
- Show the outcome, the proof and how easy it is.
- Make your value obvious on your website and at every trial.
Questions
How do I compete with a cheaper dance school?
Don’t lower your price to match. Compare the value you give instead: more classes, experienced coaches, shows, competitions and workshops. Make that value obvious, and you attract parents who want the best, not the cheapest.
Should I lower my prices to get more members?
Usually not. Your price should cover your costs and pay you. We were very quiet at £16 a month and close to fully booked at £50.