paintilady
Forum Replies Created
-
Michellejade
Are there any other pole studios in your city? There are not any here in Tucson so I can charge what I want within reason and people will pay it and drive far just to see what pole dancing is all about. Groupons, coupons or discounts do bring in the people who just want something very cheap and usually they don't stay. Since we are the only game in town for the time being, I don't discount unless it is in our very slow season. For us, it is the Holidays, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Xmas, New Years. People are way to busy to come.
We have done groupons in the past and done quite well with them, 1/2 don't come. Out of the the other half few sign up. The only reason I would do groupon is to get money in the bank for the slow time, 1/2 or more don't come, and if I do it during the Holidays up to 3/4 don't come, so I just made money without students being there. This really surprised us, we thought they would come while we were slow. Also I negotiated my rate with groupon way below the 50/50 % they take.
Plenty of people will pay just once to see what pole dance is all about and will never come back because they have to drive too far to continue. If your studio is in a location where there are lots of business's, ladies should be in there after hours. For us we happen to be by lots of hospitals and medical facilities, and the U of A. We don't get ladies who live in the area( they can't afford it) we get those who work there and live on the edge of town.
We found too that if we removed almost all the sexy stuff off our Web Site and put up Boot Camps and Pole Aerobics we were much more successful.
I don't like to do discounts, because it just breads discount type ladies waiting for the discount and they aren't that serious.
If you have another studio or two in your town, then I am sure things would be different….
-
There is a great chair routine lesson you can get on Premier Pole for $15.00,
4 weeks, we took the online lesson and did the routine, you can see it here It could give you some ideas
-
I would like to add, the pole sleeve we think will be a great addition to our studio or to any home, it certainly makes dangerous moves like an ayesha, not so scary when you are learning and practicing. Using the pole sleeve certainly allows you to stick to the pole better, you can hold poses longer, it makes the pole a whole different piece of work out equipment. I think the strength training you will be able to do with it will be great. Just climbing the pole and holding poses is so much easier, with the struggle to actually hang on to a slippery metal pole gone, your focus can be on your form, and endurance in holding poses and taking your time getting into and out of them.
-
Stage poles, or multi piece poles? My studio has all Platinum Stage Poles all Brass, all of them spin, they have static and spin mode, I have standard and skinny 45 mm poles, some one piece poles and some multi piece. If I sell the poles It will be the whole studio, not just some of them.
If you are looking to buy a pole second hand you might try our Tucson Pole Fitness Face book page, We have over 1500 fans and poles are advertised on there and sold…
-
Truth is I ordered one, and had a hell of a time getting it on the pole. Burned out two motors on blowers trying, rented equipment to help with getting on my 45 mm pole, got it half way on and could not get it on past that. I got the sleeve on one halve of my pole and could not blow the rest on. ( check directions if you have no idea what I am talking about)
I had to cut off the sleeve which was 1/2 attached and the other flopping in the wind which I could not get on the pole.
They had me cut off the sleeve send back with a diameter drawing of the circumference of the Platinum Stages pole I was attempting to put it on. They sent me a new sleeve.
The new sleeve I ordered will fit the ultra skinny pole Platinum stages has that I have not ordered yet.
While I had 1/2 of the sleeve on the pole all my teachers and some students tried the sleeve and all stated it seemed so "fat" as the sleeve added circumference to the pole
Our advanced students are use to 45 mm brass poles here in Tucson and when you add a sleeve it pushes it up to a standard sized 50 mm pole, for some… hard to do tricks on.
SO I ordered the ultra skinny pole this time to put the sleeve on…. have not received the pole yet, but when we do, will report on how it works.
-
Hmm I wonder, does he spend any money at all on Cable TV, internet or going out to a bar for the game with guys? Do you spend any money on those things?
While my husband is supportive of just about anything I do… if it has to come out of "our" finances and we have to budget for it, then it is fair for my part of the budget to be for pole and his part cable TV for football games.
If this kind of scenario is not possible, you might have to scrimp on eating out, pedi's mani's trips, clothes and gas running around town to score a pole.
The pole will last you a life time of happiness and possibilities. There is always room to do in life what you want if you are willing to sacrifice to get it.
Pole usually is worth it! Keep an eye on Craigs list or here in the classifieds for second hand poles for sale!
-
Quite a few of us from Tucson Pole Fitness are going!
🙂
-
Would it be OK that a child recognize on television a home run, or touch down, or Hockey score, but we have to be on edge with a child recognizing a pole pose?
Baseball, Football, Soccer, Tennis, Pole, why does there have to be any difference?
I would ask the honey " are you disturbed when the child recognizes a home run or touchdown? "
not fair
-
I wish I understood the ripping of a callus. I have seen this seldom in students, it seems to be on really really smooth baby smooth almost virgin skin! My hands are rough all around pretty much compared to these types.
If very soft tender skin gets callused and then rips you might want to look into letting your hands toughen up a bit? Work the garden, pull weeds, move a pile of wood? At least this is what keeps the skin on my hands with enough calluses' to not sweat through, and not rip. If you live the city life, let them dry out a little. I do use a pumice stone in the shower.
Good luck I have wrapped a few hands in the studio with bandages, tape and then gloves… it looks painful When a student gets one or two of those in class, I usually put them on spin pole, with gloves and tell them to tell the other teachers they need to stay on the spinny pole for class as it tends to not create all the friction a static pole has. We actually change what they do in class till their poor skin heels, they get to be special for a few weeks, work on those leg climbs and leg hangs. Also work on not so much lotion or what every they are doing to stay so tender.
Wash some dishes by hand?
🙁
-
We started out doing 6 week classes and people just complained they wanted to come more than just once a week, it was too hard to schedule classes any other way and accommodate all the needed times, days and levels. Turn over was high, they did not stick around. We took the plunge and went to unlimited classes, $60.00 a month We gave students what they wanted, 2 month minimum, multi level classes. Our studio took off, people stayed got fit, evolved and our whole studio has evolved. Ladies with kids and lives really need a drop in kind of membership to make it work in this town. Then we had to start separating the levels. We now have beginning pole drop in and Intermediate/advanced drop in. We have two teachers per class or one teacher and apprentice during our busy season. So far it is wonderful. We use Authorize.net to organize payments that come in online, I can recharge a card, set up auto pay, and get a much better rate than PayPal.
We use to offer punch cards but now those are only given to seasoned students who have moved on to advanced levels and their school and work make it difficult to come. Punch cards brought in students that come very irregularly, over fill classes, and often come in groups of 2 or more ( friends) and over fill our classes. They actually made it very hard on our teachers, as for our program we need consistent students, not ladies that come once every few months or so.
Mind and Body Software does not work for us, ladies will not reserve a class and show up, we end up with reserved poles but ladies not showing and not un reserving their poles and me dealing with whining women who can't organize their life perfectly.
I now explain in class since no one wants the headache of ' Un reserving " the pole in time for someone else and getting dinged on their card for not doing so, we must occasional suffer an over full class. "take it or leave it, you choose" they understand and have embraced the drop in classes. If we end up with a couple extra students the teacher gets off the pole, people double up, we make the class extra challenging and they "want" to share poles, and rest a bit. This may only happen a few times a year.
Now the one thing we do is offer occasionally a series of classes for those uncomfortable in a semi mixed class setting. We offer classes for new moms, ( bring the babies) classes for older silver stiletto types, and classes for those wishing to lose weight, and have a few extra pounds holding them back, we have been successful with these "sexy siren" packages as there always seems to be a shy little group out there that is too scared to join, but will take a workshop a few weeks long, once a week. These types of ladies are not our typical student, but we love them and they benefit tremendously.
Our studio is a " fitness studio" not a tricks based program, so classes are run like an aerobics class with an instructor leading at the front keeping the class going, while also teaching methods on how to advance certain moves in the class for those strong enough to do so. Students are not allowed to try more advanced methods unless their "card" has been filled out by a teacher and they can progress to the next stage of particular moves.
All our teachers are aware of our students abilities by these cards. Students often wish they could skyrocket to trickdom land but are always held back with strength, and performance testing we do to allow them to progress.
Our method has evolved over 6 years. We let go of series classes within one year. It can be more complex to handle multi level drop in classes, your teachers have to have lessons planned out and all our teachers work together to be on the same kind of plane for a few months at at time so students dropping in and out of all the classes get consistency, we have regular meetings to make sure we are all on the same page and deal with a growing and maturing student base. I listen to my teachers and give them a lot of creative license to mentor the student base that is attached to them and their style of teaching. They can develop their own classes and ideas as long as it fits into our agenda. We are a fitness studio 1st with our number one priority of no injuries, we are not a tricks based program. Our goal is to get ladies fit while getting them to progress to the next level uninjured, and some day perform in our showcase or someone els's, or just be really excited about their new sport.
So far we are loving it.
-
Thanks Majikmyke!
I wish I had someone to talk to with a background in business management years ago. I would have saved myself many lessons. Yes, I am skilled with a jigsaw, paint brush caulk gun, drill press etc. My background as a fine artist bronze sculptor gave me that. I have always been self employed. I currently own two companies, a fitness studio, and a pet care franchise. I also still do fine art. My small business's grew out of my necessity to make money when the fine art market dried up 5 years ago with the recession. Because it was imperative I make money to pay my bills running a business and not making a profit was not an option. Since I've never held a job, finding employment with a decent salary was impossible. Running a pole studio has been very rewarding.
If you live below your means, manage your money, and become aware of what a market wants and figuring out how to deliver you can be profitable.
While I love sexy pole dance, Tucson does not, they want pole boot camps and pole aerobics. There will be times that if you can rise to the occasion and figure out how to tap into what a market is craving, you will be successful. Painting Flower gardens was what I wanted to do, painting the Southwest is what sold.
You don't always get to do what you want to in business but I have been lucky to do what I love, fitness, animals and fine art, I am truly blessed.
-
Congratulations on your dream! Wanting to run a studio and actually having to supply what the market wants are two different things. If Seasons are going to be a factor where you are, and you will have a slow season and high season it will affect your being able to stay in business if you can bridge the gap.
If your philosophy is no sharing of poles, how many poles will you need, how much square feet, and can you afford the rent and over head.
Poles, Mirrors, floors and lighting are not as important as great teachers, and classes that actually are what people are willing to pay for. What you may want to offer may not be what the ladies in your area want.
Debt, I would say, try to stay out of debt, it will be easier to stay in business if you don't have a huge pile of bills to pay. Mirrors can be had for a song, if you know where to look. I built my studio on taking apart 4 feet wide closet sliding doors found in salvage yards, and Craigs list, affixed to the wall and saved $5000.00.
We started with 6 poles charged to my credit card, paid them off and in time expanded to now a 17 pole studio. All paid off. Besides mirrors, poles, some chairs you don't really need much to start.
The most important thing you and your staff can do is acommodate all types of women from all walks of life, be able to instruct a class room of varying levels, have everyone feel great and want to come back.
-
-
This was for Holly …. above :0
-
Sometimes it is better to schedule a private lesson with the owner or teacher that has the power to advance you. Here in Tucson when ladies come to the studio wanting to skip beginning or Intro To Pole Class I have them send a vid of pretty much all basic moves they know up to intermediate. Or schedule a private lesson and if they have the strength to do what is required for intermediate class and can do the moves I will advance them. I can't tell you HOW many emails go back and forth wasting my time. I tell them to send a vid and they send advanced tricks. I ask for beginning moves they send me 2! I ask for a vid of all they know for basic moves and they really don't have much…..
What we find is a lot of self taught polers that have skipped almost all static poses and proper hand placement on moves, don't really have the strength to invert unless they hurl themselves at the pole, know almost no spins and just want to go straight to tricks.
If you talk to the studio owner about advancement and take a private lesson proving you can accomplish all needed to advance, it should work. Thats how we do it, there is always plenty the student does not know and needs to learn in order to function in our classes.
j
-
If you have a local salvage yard, where all the doors, windows, bricks and such end up from tearing buildings down or re doing houses, you will find them there…contractors take them there and sell all the parts they can from a re-do project. Go in and negotiate a good price, $35.00 a mirror is a good price.
-
Look on craigs list like was mentioned above! I pick them up from salvage yards here in town and cragis list. Take the frames off it is not hard, just need a screw driver, the old brass colored doors no one wants. The 4 foot wide doors are great, then you can attach them to the wall with mirror brackets sold at the hardware store,
I have them in my Pole Studio
-
Oh, no, this sounds harder to put on and remove than I thought…. Sounds like it will be extremely difficult to remove.. Please let us know how it goes!
🙁
-
I ordered one, can't wait to see what it's like! They only had a turquoise one to ship and I want black so I have to wait….
🙁
-
Sorry, meant to say outside leg hook, into butterfly
-
Invert to inside knee hook into butterfly, ….. it is one of the easiest to learn on spin if you have the strength.
-
We have Platinum stages poles in our studio, and have gradually switched out our stainless ones for brass because they just are easier to stick to. I don't understand the "smell" you are talking of.
I wonder if the brass poles you were on were Platinum Stages? Was it just a faint smell left on your hands? What do they clean their brass poles with?
J
-
I have taken from her and she is a great teacher!
If you are doing private lessons be prepared to ask her to show you certain things you would like to learn if you are strong enough, have fun!
-
It can feel like your bone is hurting, and it could be your tendon attaching to the bone. The muscles in your forearms go very thin from where they attach and get fatter the further from the connection point. ( The belly of the muscle we call it) Massage this part as it helps to release the tight muscle that is pulling on the tendon that is attached to the bone.
This use to happen to me when I started, and I would massage my forearms by taking my thumb and doing small circles on the belly of muscles while driving home. You will find the pain diminish, they are tight and over worked, and the muscles are pulling on the tendons..
But Proper wrist and hand placement is crucial and wrapping your fingers around the pole in a split grip with the bottom hand is problematic,
-
"My boss just wanted what was safe & do the job he never wanted to try anything new or think outside of the box and he was super cheap, & didn't get that sometimes you have to spend $ to make $ concept."
I have heard this kind of quote many times from people who do not own companies employ people and have no clue what it costs to actually run a business. What many people don't understand is that in an unstable economy people who own business's are not willing or unable to invest money for a few reasons.
1st Banks are not lending to small business's. It is practically impossible to get any money to expand or start. That leaves the owner to spend his personal money to do so. All of you who are employed are also not spending all your savings on starting a business. You are all in here complaining. It is too easy to say that. To say they should risk the profits or their personal savings to try something new, when a lot of you won't even do the same thing is kind of hypocritical.
What many of you who are employed and not owners of a company do not understand is that you may make $20.00 – $50.00 an hour teaching pole, for example and the owner of the company often ends up working consistently a 50 -70 hour work week covering everyone who calls in sick, and her hourly wage ends up being less than $10.00 an hour. Sometimes less than that and sometimes no money at all in the slow months while employees still make $20.00 an hour.
Starting your own company will really change your perspective on " you have to spend money to make money" while at the same time make enough to pay your own bills when you are really in the end after all taxes and expenditures making $10.00 an hour or less.
Owning your own business can in one sense free you of the frustrations you have now, but there is a whole other side you have no idea about. Once you start a company and find out how many taxes and fees there are, and how cities, states, and the feds want you to pay more and more in taxes, , credit card companies, bank fees, commercial accounts of any kind are very expensive, it's very costly to run a business.
I can tell you as a business owner we are proud to pay our employees what we can afford to, and then to hear them talk like they deserve more, when maybe they do but there is not enough to so, and hear them complain like this it is disheartning…
I understand both sides, some of you don't understand both sides because you have not ever owned a company.
Just try o be thankfull for what you have.. We are really blessed here to all be able to make money, and support families and live like we do.
