Independant Teaching

melbell started this discussion · 12/4/2011

Hey Everybody!! I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about teaching independantly, like outside of a studio. I've looked through the forums, but none really answered my questions I had been teaching at a studio, but really want to distance myself from them. A lot of my friends and friend's friends have asked for lessons, but I'm not sure what I need to do before teaching on my own. I don't really consider it a business but if I'm charging for services, is it? So if it is, do I have to do all the start someone does when they start a business, like licenses and all that stuff? I know I would need my own liability insurance. Also is it a good idea to go to someones house or should they come to mine? I'm just toying with this idea. I love pole and teaching, but the studio that's near me has questionable safety policies and some other instructors honestly don't really know what they're doing. I just want to share what I love doing with the people around me in a safe and structured way. I would love any input!! Thanks!!!!

26 replies

Charley · 12/4/2011
I started teaching pole by teaching independently so hopefully I will be able to help a little bit. 1) you really need to incorporate yourself as a business because as I have been told by my business consultants at ETED - if for some reason you are sued, you can lose everything, if you are a business and are sued you can simply close up shop and open the next day under a different name. Having a business will protect your personal assets. 2) If you are doing in home teaching, do it at the clients home not your own - see the above answer. You don't want to lose your house because someone decides to sue you...which you could if you are teaching out of your house. 3) Yep, you'll need insurance, check with www.insurance4poledancers.com for that. 4) It's a good idea to be certified in something as well - I recommend pole dance certification but you an also look into ACE or AFAA - this will also help you get a discount on your insurance. 5) Try checking out local dance studios, fitness clubs, gyms, etc and see if they have a space and are interested in having pole classes at their location. This is how I got started. I bought 4 removeable poles and I taught out of a yoga room at a fitness studio - it was a pain having to set up and take down poles but it's also the most amount of money I've ever made teaching. Teaching out of an establishment is the best situation you could ask for if you are teaching solo because you have ready made clients. I eventually went from a fitness studio and added a yoga studio and while I had to cart around poles all the time - it was very rewarding to be able to do things MY way and teach the way I felt best. Most of these types of places won't do much marketing for you so you will still have to advertise classes but chances are some of the students already attending the facility will want to try it. Most places will either do a rental with you or a 50/50 split. When I do a 50/50 split with an establishment I expect them to help with recruiting and advertising, if I just pay rent - that's all on me. In this situation you are limited in the times you can teach and won't be able to do onsite privates however it's the best and safest situation for you. Once you get in someplace and are teaching pole independently you will be able to offer other things such as in home privates, home parties, etc. One establishment liked me so much they had me add additional classes and let me even add a chair class. I even got some leads on privates and was able to teach in people's homes. Another option in this situation is to see if you can take privfate clients to the studio you are currently teaching at - maybe come up with a rental deal. Good luck and hope this helps a bit :) It's so hard when it's just you, I totally understand but you are going to love it if you can find the right situation :)
Mary Ellyn · 12/4/2011
Another consideration is that you stated you already work for someone teaching pole dancing. If you are an employee (not an independent contractor) you may be prohibited from teaching outside of the studio - all of our employees are since that still falls under our liability! No matter how you look at it, if you are charging for classes the government still considers it a business - that means registering your business, filing for a local business license, insurance and filing taxes for your business.
melbell · 12/6/2011
Thanks for the replies!!! I guess I thought of doing private teaching before, but now I guess I'm actually seriously considering it @charley..... thanks for all the info... It's funny how you get a little idea in your head that seems so since and then you realize all the things that have to go into it. I would love to open my our studio but my budget and work schedule don't really allow it at the moment. Hopefully if I can get a more set work schedule I could look into rent a room maybe!! And I do have a couple certifications so I will make sure to mention that when I look into insurance @empyrean.... my studio does have a limit on outside teaching.... its no teaching within a certain radius for a certain amount of time.............. lucky for me though most of my friends are not in that radius and if I can start teaching on my own I would probably stop teaching in the studio and when the time period ends then everything is a go And when I am teaching independantly, , i don't plan on having studio clients and I don't advertise for them so it wouldn't fall under their liability because I'm a seperate entity. My regular job is kind of like personal training, but when I work outside of my company, nothing I do would come back on them. Guess I have to continue my research and look up all these business licenses and stuff!!
nilla · 12/8/2011
Right now I'm just starting out teaching. I have my ACE group fitness certification and I got a business license. I had my husband make me a webpage and I have a facebook page for networking also. I found a local studio that teaches zumba, ballroom, hula, and bellydance and met with the owners and asked if I could use their studio to teach pole classes and parties when they don't have any scheduled classes. I do all my own advertising and I pay them 40% of whatever I charge. It seemed like the best option for me to build up a clientele without having the overhead cost of my own studio space, but still provide a nice studio atmosphere for my students. It is a little tricky working around the dance studio's schedule, but not too bad, and the fact that I don't have to pay anything when I'm not teaching classes is worth it.
Kobajo84 · 12/8/2011
Another expense you have to take into account is if you're teaching to music you have to pay a music licensing fee.
Dancing Paws · 12/8/2011
Kobajo- I have never heard of that one??? Who does that go to??
chemgoddess1 · 12/8/2011
BMI...but honestly I don't know of any small studio that is paying this. And according to BMI, the business owner is responsible. So if you are working out of a studio, they would be the ones to pay the licensing fee. These are the same people that shut down Napster and Limewire.
Mary Ellyn · 12/8/2011
The concept of teaching on your own and the studio not being liable is a gray area if you are an employee of theirs and not an IC. Even if you do not teach "their students" someone could still try to sue them. Ethically the best way to handle this is to fully disclose what you are intending to your studio and allowing them the chance to deal with it. If it were our employee and we were agreeable to allowing him/her to start up their own business doing the same thing he/she does for us, we would write up a contract that clearly states the terms of not teaching any of our students, even past students, in your business and that any students you teach of your own are not our liability. Then we would run this contract past our attorney and our insurance company to make certain they were all comfortable with it. That still doesn't stop someone from trying to sue the studio you work for in the end and that studio having to deal with defense fees. Our employees all sign an employee handbook that they cannot earn income from teaching pole outside the studio without our express agreement. If they want to do so they must resign their position with us. We do not have a non-compete clause if they leave us.
Kobajo84 · 12/8/2011
I believe anyone utilizing music during their "business operation" is responsible for this fee. It's just another necessary fee studios and those practicing should be considering in their business expenses. I haven't heard of any lawsuits regards negligence on paying this but I have heard the industry is making strides in enforcing this fee being recognized.
chemgoddess1 · 12/8/2011
According to the BMI site: Q: Are my dance/aerobic instructors responsible for music licensing? No. Since it is your business that's being enhanced by the use of music, you are responsible for obtaining a music license, similar to other permits you must obtain as a business owner.
Mary Ellyn · 12/8/2011
Chem is correct and obviously quoted from the source. We teach this as part of our certification course too. It is definitely the studio owner's responsibility to purchase the music license. Also if you open your own business then you are the business owner so you will need a new license for your business. The fees for non-compliance are very high if you get nailed by a performance rights organization.
Dancing Paws · 12/8/2011
Wow, that is a rediculous license to have to get...
Mary Ellyn · 12/8/2011
Not only that but no single professional rights organization provides the licensing to use ALL songs. For example, Beyonce may have most of her music with BMI..then a few songs with WMG and then one song with a few other obscure organizations. When you contract with a PRO you are only licensed to play the music for which they manage the rights to.
melbell · 12/8/2011
I've heard about the music stuff.... It is kind of annoying but it was put to me that I do not own the music and if the music is helping me make money than its no different than stealing. Also I was told that there's not just one price its all based on how many students you have weekly
Lyme Lyte · 12/8/2011
Not that I will ever teach. But if I did, Bee Jees, ABBA, and Moody Blues would probably LOVE it if I promoted their music......... for free that is! Alot of younger polers on this site are probalby wondering who those people even are!
Mary Ellyn · 12/8/2011
Melbell...various companies do it differently...some based on the number of students, some based on classes, some flat rate, some based on square footage of your studio. BMI charges differently if your square footage is over two different stories...some combine these figures, etc. The ones who manage more rights for more songs obviously charge more.
Dancing Paws · 12/8/2011
That's like x pole telling us that our poles are helping us make money so we have to keep re-paying for them yearly. That is a load of crap. We bought the music, it is ours. That's what purchasing a product is!
Dancing Paws · 12/8/2011
I should rephrase that to say that it is like if x pole WERE to say that (they haven't.)
nymphdancer · 12/8/2011
you bought the music for personal use not for use in a situation where you are making money off it.
Mary Ellyn · 12/8/2011
To play devils advocate...you can also compare it to a pole studio teaching a student who says I paid for classes so I can use your class out line and choreo to teach my own classes and make money off of it. it's similar anyway. I just despise the way they have organized this and it should be one or two companies who own the rights to ALL music and have to compete with each other to get our business therefore keeping the costs reasonable instead of raping us for a license which still doesn't allow us to play all the music. Unless of course we want buy licenses from several PROS. I think a lot more people would be in compliance if it wasn't run like the mafia!
Dancing Paws · 12/9/2011
Actually some of the music I specifically bought for teaching dance classes.
nymphdancer · 12/9/2011
yes but you most likley bought a CD or got them off I-tunes which is for buying them for personal use according to the law.
Mary Ellyn · 12/9/2011
I think the musicians' point is that they would charge more for those who buy the music for use for profit. They don't care what your intent is...on CD and ITunes etc, they expect they are selling it only for personal use and not to make money from it's use. If you are using it for a profit (class, DJ, overhead speakers in a store, etc) you have to pay for it's use. Actually it's more like renting the ability to use it since you have to renew the license every year. On top of that...one license isn't good enough...if you host an event you have to pay for an additional special use license.
tarah · 12/9/2011
I agree that the music license is Ridiculous! Thanks for all the helpful info everyone. I would like to start teaching on my own too, so it's all good to know. :)
Webmaster · 12/9/2011
I'd like to provide a little objective input on the music issue. I feel you should purchase your licenses, there are things in the works that will make this easier. However, if you have not purchased your licenses and are just now setting it up, please don't worry too much about the repurcussions of past usage. History shows us that once you are discovered the licensing companies simply call you and ask you to comply by purchasing the license effective for the date of the call. There is no history of lawsuits except for those who refuse to comply. There is an interesting exception to this rule however. As long as your facility is under 3750 square feet you can use radio and television broadcast with no cost, this includes both terrestrial and sattelite sources. So if you need a specific song or beat you are out of luck but if a SiriusXM radio will do for your needs it can be an effective music source. Also of note is the fact that SiriusXM will sometimes give businesses free subscriptions if you make it clear that your customers are listening to the service.

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