PixiLouBell started this discussion ·
does anyone hav good advice for opening a studio? i live in a small farm town but i hav had alot of peopl interested in pole fitness from just my word of mouth and experience. thinking of opening a studio here, any advice? i kno i need to get certified first......
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Camkobo ·
I opened a studio in October/November. It's WAY more work than I realized it was going to be. However, we are a full fitness studio, not just a pole studio. I'd be glad to answer any questions that I can but I've probably had a little different expirence because of our diversity.
do u rent a space or buying ur own building? both ways cud probably work right? im thinkin of renting a space to see if it even takes off! also how many poles do u recommend having?
Rixi, there has been a lot of discussion on this topic over the years. I know that Nymphdancer is in the process of doing this currently and I think Kobajo wrote a bit about it too. The hardest part is going ot be having enough students to make rent/insurance/etc. I was working for a studio that had pole plus other fitness classes that just went under. Pole probably brought in about $100-150 a week and that was without paying me. We had 8 poles but only after we ran a groupon were we ever filled. Typical here in NE Ohio is 4-6 students per class. You will NOT make money on just pole classes unless you are in a highly populated area (major city). https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/Opening_studio.__What_do_you_think_2009-04-21_171703 https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/HelpOpening_Pole_Studio_2009-08-24_043425 https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/Studio_Owners_2010-05-08_050539 https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/What_you_look_for_in_a_good_studio_2010-06-06_143741 https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/Starting_a_Pole_Studio..._2009-02-17_154838 https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/Pole_Fitness_Location_and_Pole_Fitness_Studio_Insurance_20110225112502 Just a little light reading....
AvaBabe ·
An option to consider: a smaller home studio, perhaps in a very well done up garage (read: professionally finished, if you know what I mean), and offering private/party type lessons, which could also be done at their (the clients) home if you had a portable pole....
thats what i was afraid of chem, small town :/ thnx so much for the links will read soon! @ ninja yes i thought abt that that cud work, only we dont hav our own land yet.. blah lol
azblanco ·
Defintely not an expert but i know that people can become really discouraged if they cannot lift themselves up and stop going to class... If i could ever do something like that i would definetly offer things non pole. Like chair dancing, conditoning classes, or stretch classes. You can even do hooping.
azblanco ·
If you play your cards right and get your word out and offer something really fun, you will do great. Research different pole studios around the country and make a game plan of what you would want to offer. Its defintely something i could see you doing. You are very talented
I think Empy has comments in the threads regarding teaching out of your home or at other people's homes. This is an area I would tread very lightly as one mishap can bankrupt you if someone wants to be an a$$ (and if you are working out of your home you can lose it in a lawsuit). On top of that, going to a stranger's home you never know what you are going to run into. Although if you are in a small community you probably know many of the people in your town. Let's just say I have been a "safety" to a few friends who have done this (basically I had all info on the person and if she did not call me by a specified time I was to call her. If no answer you call the cops.)
Sam I am ·
If you have a space in your home I would deff try starting there....build your client list up and then go forth...small town means the "word of mouth" spreads pretty quick :) Maybe try doing a few workshops on the weekends??
I wouldn't open one in my home too much at stake. I seriously doubt a pole insurance company will cover you for teaching from your home. Your homeowners for sure will not. As Chem said I'm in the process of opening one now. I have leased a space and just put in pergo type flooring. I basically want to live at my studio, which is good because I most likely will. My rent is very reasonable for this area and I was able to get a bigger space because of it. Before even thinking of opening here are some "opening" costs to factor. By no means a complete list and this is sort of bare bones..... Rent- most places will make you pay first month and a deposit = to another month. You most likely will not be able to hold classes for at least a couple of weeks until you get poles in and studio set up. I suggest having at least the first month and deposit PLUS at least 2 more months. (so if your rent is 900 a month you need to have 3600 set aside just for that) Utilites- unknown until you talk to the leasing agent. I would plan on 200+ per month for a small space. Poles- this is hard to know until you know how high your ceilings are ect. But just consider if you were going to use Xpoles they are 330+ shipping mine are tall and single piece mine are about 500 from poledanzer. so if you do 5 poles 1750 and up... Insurance- if you go through insurance4poledancers (highly reccomend) approx 500 a year paid upfront. you also have to set up as a business which varies highly from state to state. music licensing (varies by how many of the companies you sign on with and how many students you anticapate having) yoga mats for floor work can be had pretty cheaply. sound system this can vary a lot. I just got a really really nice system my stepson found for me on line (he is in music) for 200. Its flipping awesome he likes it as much as his 1400.00 system lol. other considerations? what has to be done to the place? floors? (these cost us 2,000ish with us doing the work) paint? (our landlord as part of the lease painted and did new carpet in the offices) structure for poles? (this is costing me 2,000) Chairs for people to wait on? ect so on. Certifications? I'm certified in CPR/Frirst Aid/AED (110.00 I did both adult and peds because I'm a girl scout leader) AFAA group cert? (400+) pole cert? (varies) Not trying to talk you out of it but that is an example of what opening as studio costs lol. there are tons more "little" things that add up too!
to give you an approximate figure of what it is costing me to open my studio....15,000.00. And this doesn't inculde my certs I've taken over the years. Can it be done cheaper?, I'm sure it can depending on size of space ect. I also put in some things that can be done without, like lockers in my dressing room, bought a laptop, installed laminate flooring. I can also tell you there are a couple thousand dollars worth of stuff that I WISH I had for the studio, but I had to make choices.
ok well i def wont b opening a studio, thnx for the reality check nymph!!!! lmao
sorry didn't mean to be a Debbie Downer. And it can be done somewhat cheaper then what I'm doing if you can find the right space to rent for the right price. But the reality is you do need to have enough money for seveal months rent, insurance and the poles. I crunched numbers a lot over the last year in my debate over whether I wanted to do this or not. One of the big things on the plus side for me is there is only one other studio near me and its downtown and I'm on the east end. She is doing well but a lot of people don't want to go downtown at night to take lessons. I feel good that there is a market here for a second studio. Another possibility, I know Charley used to rent a studio by the hour that had ceilings she could put xpoles up and down for her classes....if you can find the right type of space.
ur not a debby downer just being truthful and insightful! thank u! an thanks to everyone else for ur reponses :)
at least i wont b opening Anytime soon, lots of money to sAve!
mystical ·
I live in a small farm town also, I think you could make good money having a studio if you do it right. I think if you do private lessons you should check the person out before you go to their house( for your safety)
tarah ·
hey rixi, you mentioned you already had 8 friends/family get into poling because of you - that's more students than most new studios (in more rural areas) start with! i know i am going against some expert advice starting a home studio, because of liability, and putting our home at risk, etc.. but i think you could start giving your friends lessons, just keep safety the top priority. i will prob. stick to beginner and intermediate level instruction, because there is less risk of someone getting injured. if someone wanted more advanced instruction, i think i would look into the legal aspect more and make sure they sign a liability waiver that will hold up in court. i hate to even think like that, but maybe i'm just too trusting of people..
Legend ·
Like tarah I also opened my own studio a couple months back. if you do it that way, do it because you love it and consider it as an extra job, because at least in my experience so far, its not possible to make enough profit for a living. Small studio, small town.. you have all kinds of limitations, from geography, to space and pole limitations to narrow minded thinking people. (the word of mouth can go both ways!). I also start giving skype lessons, its an option but I recomend you get certified for that first, since you really need to know what you are doing and be able to assess what the person on the other side is capable of. good luck :)
You mght want to consider trying to lease hours out of another type of fitness facility.(until you get big enough to justify your own space)..get a a couple non permenant poles that will work for that space. It might be a win/win just because they might need the money. Get a very very good contract with the club. Hire a legal professional for that. I think 15,000.00 is on the low end of what a business might take to open and keep running. Feel LUCKY if you flatline the first year...because it is a process and you need to be in it for the long haul. If you only have a couple months of reserves...wait until you have a years worth and then consider your own space.
thanks everyone!! seems like too much work right now esp since im in school with 2 young kids. maybe one day, i hv already had my mother in law over for lessons and she LOVED it!! i guess ill jus stick to havin fun with friends and family for now on my brass x stage that im ordering TOMORROW! YYEEEEEE!! so excited!!!! thnx for all the valuable advice :)
Make sure you have all your licenses, insurance, etc. Business requirements vary from state to state, so you should contact the state to find out what they require. I was told that registering as an Corp or LLC (I think it was LLC and not inc) is the best as is defers liability more. You have to write up a waiver (even though they don't do much, they are still important.) I suggest you get a group fitness cert. Some insurances require it. You might go for Empy's pole cert. I think she coveres all the aspects of business like insurance, licensing, etc. If you rent space in a studio, but aren't an official employee, you need to have your own insurance. If you are a contractor with them, I believe you are covered under their insurance, but I'm not positive. That is something to look into. If you own a studio, you need insurance for the building and yourself, I believe. You should check to make sure.
thnx sensual!! def not ready for that lol
For when you ARE ready to go that route, here is something to consider. It's not the best idea to have a home studio. The reason being is that your home becomes one with your business, so if you get sued, they can take you home and all that's in it. It's better to separate your business from your home, so if you get sued, they only take things from the business. It's better to have to start over in a business than become homeless.
great point sensual!! thanks!
