Pole Fitness Location and Pole Fitness Studio Insurance

polekitcat started this discussion · 2/25/2011

So I am currently in the Los Angeles area and seeking a location for a pole studio. We will ofer other classes as well. I am curious and would like to ask and know (studio owners and instructors)... what is a good sq ft to start with? Also i have found locations however i am considering contacting realators to assist with my search because driving around L.A can be a task. My next question is about insurance. Does anyone have suggestions of agents i can contact in order to secure the correct type of insurance needed? a few other things that i have been working on... 1) logo 2) website 3) finding instructors 4) and i am currently going through pole cert i paln on studying for group fitness certification and also obtaining that. all help and suggestion would be greatly appreciated!!! 🌸

22 replies

litlbit · 2/26/2011
I have just under 400sq ft. and 4 poles. Since all I teach is pole I don't need more space. As for insurance, you have to be insured under "gymnastics", not groip fitness, or personal training. There have been small suits that have been filed in the past under those and insurance wouln't pay because it was a pole...so make sure it's clear to the agent what you are doing "SPECIFICALLY"! to be properly covered because you are teaching on a piece of equipment. Good luck to you!!
nymphdancer · 2/28/2011
going through the samething right now. Looking at spaces. Just took my group fitness cert this past weekend. Working on my pole certification. Don't have much advise for you though just sympathy!
polekitcat · 2/28/2011
Litl ...thanks for the insurance advice... I have a feeling that's where things get a little or a lot of tricky. Nymph ....lol so I assume that you feel my pain...however I gained wonderful advice this past weekend at my pole very class. Well feel free to inbox me to vent.
nymphdancer · 2/28/2011
yep feeling some of your pain! Luckily my certification program had great business considerations so some of that was covered. My head hurts from studying from the group fitness exam though! Now I'm trying to figure out what size space and what kind of space. There is only one other studio in Louisville and they are downtown so the east end which is where I want my studio to be is wide open. Just depends on what size space and what kind of space i want. lol and how much I want to pay!
polekitcat · 2/28/2011
Yes... I gained great knowledge this past weekend at my pole certification course. Your situation sounds great... your area is not saturated with studios, which is not the case here. So a strong marketing plan is key. Arghhh, however I love what I do.
Mary Ellyn · 2/28/2011
It's usually best to start with a lease on a small place, make it simple so you don't invest much, then move to a larger place when you are financially ready. Over extending yourself in the beginning may make it impossible to ever catch up - and may even wind up making you fail before you get a chance to grow. There are so many ongoing costs to consider - in addition to rent, untilities, maintenance fees, snow removal can be extra, liability insurance, property insurance, music licensing, who's going to manage payrall, quarterly taxes etc (will you need to hire an accountant) etc. There are a bunch more things. I hope your certification program went over this stuff with you but if not maybe you could contact whomever certified you for specific advice.
polekitcat · 4/23/2011
Thanks Empyrean, Some time has passed since ive been on this thread.... I am a few weeks out from opening. All of the difficult things have been taken care of. Now I am insurance hunting. A great amount of work has gone into this and i am excited about everything. I have a great support system surrounding me and everyone haas been very infromative and detailed about what needs to be done prior to openeing. So i will continue to seek insurance. Hope to post pictures for you all soon. :)
Sassysheri · 8/8/2011
Did you open??? I live in FL and have been thinking about opening a pole studio.. I LOVE FITNESS but do I need to be certified to open a studio?I have been looking into it and have not seen anything that says we have to be... I have been so torn on what pole to buy.. It is so hard to find a good location.. Any advise on a website that helped you find wholefitness equip..... PULLING out my hair..LOL You blog makes me feel better that I am not alone..
LizzyLiz810 · 8/9/2011
You dont technically have to be certified, but its always a good thing to have. I got certified thru X-Pert and thought it was fantastic! It was very very helpful!!! You can get the information on Crunch gyms website. As far as poles go, i suggest something permanent. There can always be problems with any poles, but at least a one piece permanent will have less problems than a multi piece. I have 12 ft platinum stages poles at my studio that i really really like. They are bolted to the ceiling and the floor. Ive actually had a couple of students come in saying that they dont feel safe on a multi piece, and when they read that mine are bolted in, it sealed the deal for them to come try out my studio. My studio has alot of bigger girls that come in, so even i feel safer knowing that they are bolted in. At a studio there will be alot of wear and tear on the poles, so dealing with a multi piece might become a headache.
polekitcat · 8/10/2011
I am now open and loving it. I have all Xpoles and so far my experience has been great. Most of the people that come into the studio have experinced pole and never are concerned with the type of pole but have a greater focus on technique. I love our pole because we also rent my studio out for other events and workshops to create extra income. So we can take the pole right out.
polekitcat · 8/10/2011
Also certification is very helpful... Yrs I am certified. Just make sure your program also trains you on how to make you business function. I am greatful for the training I went through and will continue to further my education in pole fitness even if it involves taking classes at other studios
LizzyLiz810 · 8/10/2011
Ive been to numerous studios, and thru that experience, i definitely find that girls are concerned with what type of poles they will be using. They ask how tall, how thick, what finish, what brand, does it spin, etc.
Mary Ellyn · 8/10/2011
We have used X-Poles in our primary studio since we opened in 2005 and never had a problem. Most of our students have no idea by looking at the pole that it's removable or not...they simply don't know what a removable vs a permanent pole is suppose to look like when they start and are often surprised to learn that ours come down! The only time someone questions me about whether they are too big to take our classes is before they even come to me...not once they see the poles. I've had girls well over 200 pounds use our X-poles without problems. I am a firm believer that you cannot use a removeable pole for regular ongoing classes above 10.5 feet. I have used them for myself and instructors who are experienced at up to 12 but I dont' like them at all above 11' if I can help it. I won't take a chance of some inexperienced student throwing themselves at a pole that high. The thing about removables is that they need to be checked and possibly re-tightened EVERY day so there is a lot of upkeep if you choose to use them safely. Certification...I've taken two of them and will take more. There are plenty of reasons to be certified as there are many things you don't think of when you start your business and many methods of teaching and concepts which you would take years and thousands of dollars to gain by traveling to train with others. If you agree that it's best to learn to dance from another pole dancer why woudln't someone feel it's important to learn all you can about teaching from another with the experience and training they have? Consider EXACTLY what you're getting for your cost. The length of the program and the content as well. Is it just about teaching, is it also about the business, does it include aspects of equipment used, do you learn everything from basic through advanced in one course or is it spred out, etc...and how does this all benefit or not benefit you.
LizzyLiz810 · 8/10/2011
I guess its relative to where you are located. When i was training in the hollywood/Los Angeles area, many girls asked questions about the poles. Alot of them were competitors or performers, and were more picky about what they use. If they were preparing for competitions, they would train at different places depending on what type of pole would be used for the comp. Most girls that come in for their first class probably wont know the difference, but if they trained somewhere else on a certain type of pole, they might ask what kind you have. I recommend just listing what you have on your website in the FAQ's or something.
polekitcat · 8/10/2011
Good advice ladies. Empyrean you helped me so much and i wanna say thanks again. You advice is always so relative.
Mary Ellyn · 8/10/2011
Youre welcome PoleKitCat!
Sassysheri · 8/11/2011
Thank you ladies!! Your advice is wonderful. I am also having the hardest time getting insurance because we are going to allow wine or beer at our private parties. They want us to have a liquor license .. Do you have any suggestion on what you did for your studio??
Mary Ellyn · 8/11/2011
We don't allow beer or wine when they are on the poles. I have yet to hear of an insurance company in the US that would allow that. Not sure about other countries. I wouldnt allow it even if I could get insured. Not worth the risk. They get pretty wild at some parties and control can be an issue...if they were under the influence I wouldn't want to have to deal with that too.
JBStarryEyedGirl · 2/26/2013
Bumping this old thread since I stumbled upon this article from Feb 13, 2013. Looks like Flirty girl in Chicago is the first pole studio to be approved for a liquor license. http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20130213/lincoln-park/flirty-girl-fitness-lincoln-park-gets-liquor-license-will-host-parties
DNAinfo ChicagoFlirty Girl Fitness in Lincoln Park Gets Liquor License Studio known for stripper-pole workouts said it will limit nighttime events, but some neighbors angered.
chemgoddess1 · 2/26/2013
Stupidity at its finest. There is no insurance company that will cover this. There is a place in downtown Columbus that has a pole studio attached to their bar and it has I think 2 poles inside the bar.
AliciaPolerina · 2/26/2013
A studio I use to teach at actually served champagne at their party's! I told them it was stupid and illegal. If I'm teaching a party and suspect girls under the influence i don't let them on the polw because I request they be sober when they sign up for the party. No one wants to hobble down the isle because of mixing alcohol and pole!
Polepuma · 2/28/2013
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