How to Start Your Own Pilates Studio
Ready to start your own pilates studio? Here's your guide on how to do it!
Anyone who has ever dreamed of opening their own Pilates studio will likely understand the many intricacies, consideration and planning required to do so. Beyond needing to obtain your own certification in Pilates if you want to instruct within your business, there are also many other aspects of business to consider – from finances and accounting, to selecting a location and space for your studio(s), to staffing and outsourcing aspects of the business, to marketing. The list is endless! But understanding the most effective strategies, tips and tools for opening your own Pilates studio can help you be successful in launching your own lucrative, rewarding business venture in the industry!
Luckily for you, our final webinar in our Spring Pilates Webinar Series dove into the very topic of ‘How to Open Your own Pilates Studio’. Featuring a panel of four expert guests, each of whom had extensive experience in opening their own Pilates businesses or studios, we heard their key tips and takeaways from having navigated the process of starting a Pilates business themselves. We heard from Sarah Todd, the founder of Unite Health, Tanya Strong, the co-owner of Feel Good Pilates, Dan O’Dea, co-owner of The Spring Collective, and Jade Vandelight, the owner of Hazel and Co Pilates. Each of them shared invaluable insights and learnings from their own successes and challenges in beginning their respective Pilates studios.
Some of the key insights and advice the panel imparted included:
1. Invest in the people and skills you need
When you’re starting your own studio, it can seem like a big commitment to take the leap to hire staff. However, it’s really important to invest in people who can fill any skills or knowledge gaps you may have. After all, you can’t be the best at every aspect of business! If you’re not confident in your abilities when it comes to things like marketing, accounting, web design, studio fit outs, social media, or any other aspects of work involved in setting up your own studio, be prepared to invest in other people to help fill those gaps. By employing experts who are better equipped or experienced in these gaps, you give yourself the best chance at setting up a successful business right from the start.
Similarly, it’s important to find the right staff to represent and work in your business. If you’re hiring other Pilates instructors and studio staff, make sure you’re taking time to find people who fit the values and culture you’re working to create. Your staff are essentially a representation of your business and your values, so make sure they’re aligned!
All of our guests spoke about the importance of investing in the right people to help establish a strong foundation for your business – so be willing to back yourself and your business by investing in highly skilled experts and passionate staff right from the get-go.
2. Consider your location
It’s important to choose the right location for starting your own Pilates studio – whether that be a physical location, or even opting to hold your classes online over Zoom or a similar format. When it comes to picking your location, you need to consider your customers. Who is it that you’re targeting with your Pilates classes and services? What group do you want to teach? Be as specific as possible, and then investigate the following: where do this group live? Where do they spend their time? What locations would be convenient and accessible to them? Use these factors to guide your decisions around where you’ll open your own Pilates studio. Choosing a strategic location that caters to the needs of your clients, while also being affordable and accessible for you and your staff is essential.
Many of our guest experts also discussed the decisions they made around choosing to rent or buy their studio spaces. All of our speakers shared that they'd chosen to rent their spaces, especially at the beginning of their journey, as it was more affordable and made them more able to start their businesses sooner without an enormous cash outlay all at once.
Dan O’Dea also recommended negotiating a rent-free period with a landlord if you’re able to when taking up a new lease, as this allows you to move in and set up your space without haemorrhaging cash. This is often agreeable to the landlord if you’re signing a longer term lease.
3. Understand your target market
Building on the importance of choosing the right location for your Pilates studio, it’s essential to consider your ideal target market or clientele in every aspect of your business when you’re starting your own studio. Who is it you want to attend your classes? How do this group like to be spoken to? What marketing channels can you reach them through? What do they want to see and experience in Pilates classes? How can you anticipate and meet their needs? Are aesthetics important to them when it comes to studio design?
The more intricately you understand your target clients, the more you’re able to design a studio and Pilates experience which directly appeals to them and meets their expectations, giving you a greater chance of success. Take the time to ask them questions, to conduct your own market research and look at what your competitors in the industry might be doing really well, and what they could be doing better. Gather as much information as you can, because the greater understanding you have of your target market, the more effectively you can design and market your studio and Pilates classes to them.
4. Write a business plan. And stick to it!
Each of our guest speakers honed in on the importance of creating a detailed business plan before starting your own Pilates studio – and actually sticking to it as you open and expand your business over time!
In your business plan, consider your ‘why’ – why is it that you’ve decided to open your own studio, and what do you want to achieve from this venture? Get really clear on your motivations and drivers for doing so, and let this guide you through the strategic decisions involved in creating your own business. Make sure you’re passionate about your vision and goals.
Your business plan should also detail your values and objectives, how you’ll manage all aspects of your business from your services to your finances, how you plan to expand or grow your business into the future and so on. The more detailed, the better.
Remember, be passionate and keep coming back to your business plan, even after your studio is up and running. It’s your guide, a way to keep you on track and remind you of what you’re working towards in the long-term.
There you have it, four key takeaways from our expert guest speakers in our final spring webinar on ‘How to Open Your Own Pilates Studio’. Not only will this advice help you avoid mistakes when launching your own studio, they’ll also help ensure you succeed and enjoy the process as you go!
If you’re eager to relive the wisdom our speakers shared during the webinar, you can watch the recording here!
If you are keen to learn about our world class APPI training book a time to chat with our amazing Course Experts here.