Do you want more freedom in how you teach Pilates?
Do you want flexible hours that only YOU control?
Are you ready to go the extra mile to market your Pilates home studio?
Opening a Pilates home studio might seem like a great idea, and it absolutely is for many Pilates teachers. However, with the benefits also come a couple of obstacles that you will have to climb over.
Advantages of Running a Pilates Home Studio
- No overhead. “I started teaching from home to keep the overhead down. I rented a commercial space for a little while but I felt that I could not get as competitive with my pricing because of the overhead. I really love what I do but I do not like all the other stuff that is necessary to keep the business profitable in a commercial space,” says Devra Swiger.
- Getting paid what you are worth. Many teachers transition to teaching from home after working at another studio.
Jon Hawkins mentions that prior to opening his home studio he was “working 12 hour days in another studio and was exhausted all the time whilst struggling to make ends meet.” Now he earns more money for a vastly reduced amount of hours.
Sunni Almond of Studio S Pilates had a similar experience. “I was “sweat equity” at another studio that I had to drive so far to. I was getting paid only $10-12/class, and I was at that studio more than the owner was.” - Less running around. Silvia P Rodrigues who teaches from her garage converted into a complete Pilates studio shares “I had been teaching since 2008 in a variety of locations around the city but none of the locations was able to provide her with a full time work schedule. “Most days I traveled to at least two different locations….. if not four…. Often back & forth. Travel time was not billable time… and often gaps in the schedule were not long enough to come home. I had ALREADY had a small business renting commercial space from 2005 to 2008 and did not want the headaches that I knew came along with renting space, having staff etc. So when we moved we were able to convert the garage into a home studio.”
- No Drama. Mary Osmolski apprenticed at a large local studio where she also went through a certification program. “It was a very stressful working environment…I had worked in a high stress job in corporate America and was finding that I dreaded going back to working at the studio. The work environment was actually as stressful as my corporate job which involved cutting costs and eliminating jobs. It wasn’t working with the clients, I loved that; it was the working environment at the studio.” Mary had to take a break from teaching when her Dad was very ill.
“A few weeks after I came back from helping my parents, I got a call from one of my old clients who had heard I was back home. She knew I had a personal Pilates studio in my home and asked if I would consider teaching her there.So honestly I didn’t set out to have a home studio I stumbled into it … that one client referred three more to me and they have referred others.
What I found was that all the things I loved about teaching Pilates I had in my home studio with none of the drama or the stress.” - Having full control of your schedule. Courtney Klocke found Flexibility & Time Management in her home studio. For several years she worked at a Pilates studio outside of her home and she struggled with a broken schedule that she was experiencing there. Here are the scenarios that she was constantly running into:
“Scenario 1 – Driving into the studio only to find that my first client had cancelled. Big time waster.
Scenario 2 – Having an 8 hour day at the studio, with only 4-5 clients filling that 8 hours of time. Too many unproductive holes in my schedule, zaps my energy and enthusiasm.
Scenario 3 – At the studio, I would like to fill my open hours with clients, however a handful of those open times in my schedule are when the studio holds group classes and either the equipment is taken or it is much too loud for my liking.
In my home studio, I still feel productive even if a client cancels or I have a small client load day. I’m at home 🙂 There’s always a “to-do” list at home. Another huge benefit is, I have full control of my schedule. I do like the camaraderie and social aspect of working with fellow employees, but in that same breath, camaraderie and wanting to be an equal part of the team means I teach early mornings, late evenings and weekends. I did this for many years, and I must say, having full control of my schedule and not feeling guilty of it is a great feeling!”
Schedule flexibility. Laura B Grant had the experience of running her own commercial Pilates studio but after the move back to the East Coast she has decided to open a home studio instead. “I love sharing my love of Pilates with others. I decided that I could better serve clients without the distractions of running a business in a retail location. In my home studio, I have more flexibility and better control. I also don’t have to get in a car to drive to work :-)” - Teach the way YOU want to. Laurette Ryan is a Pilates teacher and educator who has recently transitioned from running a storefront Pilates studio to teaching from home. After many years in the industry she feels that this is the happiest transition that she has been through. “I think that working from home creates a more holistic experience for the clients. I feel that I can add a lot more personal touches to the home studio than I ever could to a commercial one. I feel that I have more freedom to do what I want to do with the space.”
- Focus on Pilates, not business. Jennifer Baker Jobson has recently closed her commercial Pilates studio to focus more on teaching. “When I am teaching now, my head is in, my body is in and I am not exhausted when I go in to teach my clients. I am not going to the “robot” mode. I can focus on spreading the “gospel” of Pilates rather than worrying about marketing or rent.”
- Choosing my clients. Silvia P Rodrigues says that one of the biggest benefits of teaching from home is the ability to choose her clients. “I am blessed to like all of my clients. I have SO much fun teaching everyday!” People who choose to come to a home studio are usually more serious about what they want to get out of a workout. They don’t do it to show off or create a certain image, they do it it because they love it or need it. The teacher-student relationship is also more personal because these clients come to you because they connect with your personality and your teaching style.
Avoid the Obstacles on Your Way to a Successful Pilates Home Studio
All of the teachers that I have talked to have been excited about taking their Pilates Teaching home. However, all of them agreed that they had a few speed bumps on the road to their Pilates freedom. Having all of the answers and all the help right at your fingertips is exactly what will make setting up and running a Pilates home studio a breeze.
Pro Members of PilatesBridge (join here) can download The Complete Guide to Running a Pilates Home Studio for FREE. This guide was created to answer all of your questions on how to set up, market and run a Pilates home studio. It includes 90 pages of practical materials including best tips on how to find clients, protect your business legally and make more money teaching.
Complete Guide to Running a Pilates Home Studio with PROFIT
- Marketing. Nobody knows that you teach Pilates from your home. You lose the advantage of having a sign outside of your studio or having the drive/walk-by traffic.
Harder to find clients through web search. Most people use Internet to find local businesses today. Many home studio owners do not disclose their address (for privacy and security reasons) so they can’t add their business to the Google Local Map Results. Google lists Map results at the very top of the search results page, and those results get the bulk (70-80%) of all clicks. - House should be “guest”- ready all the time. Silvia P Rodrigues mentions that as a home studio owner she has to keep her house spotless at all times. “Clients coming daily are like having guests arrive daily.” It can be particularly difficult to accomplish if you have young children. Your house should be studio-perfect at all times that your clients are going to come over. No strong smells, loud noises or friendly pets.
- Losing the “edge”. Working from home makes you lonely especially if you are an outgoing person by nature. Courtney Klocke adds “It is easy to become complacent within your home studio.”” You might also start missing the camaraderie and professional support that you get by working in a commercial studio with other teachers. You need to have a plan on how to grow as a teacher and build a professional network that will fuel your passion.
- Not all clients would like to come to your house. Knowing your “target audience” (ideal clients) is crucial in teaching from home. You will not be able to appeal to all clients and some people simply will not want to come to a home studio. Your best strategy is targeting clients who will connect the most with your biggest strength as a teacher. Discover it first and then figure out where your ideal clients are.
- Privacy and Safety. You have to be comfortable inviting strangers into your house. If you are home alone during the teaching hours then you must be confident in your personal safety. If you decide to teach only people who you know personally or have been referred to you by your friends then you are drastically decreasing your client base. You must find simple ways to screen the new clients before you give them your home address.
- Your realistic income. Teaching from home can turn out to be disappointing for some teachers who can’t make enough money doing it. The teaching is usually limited to privates or duets and finding new clients is a challenge. Setting realistic financial goals and making smart business budgeting decisions are vital steps in building a successful Pilates home studio.
- You have to motivate yourself. If you a sole owner of the business (and home studio is a business) then you have to be the teacher, receptionist and administrator at the same time. Sometimes it’s hard to get out of your PJs in the morning if you know that you don’t have to go anywhere. You need to find motivation every day to not only teach but also do other things that will guarantee healthy growth of your business: bookkeeping, marketing, website maintenance, client follow-up etc.
You can avoid all of the obstacles mentioned above if you have support and guidance of the teachers who have succeeded in creating their Dream Pilates Home Studios.
Get Practical Advice on How to Set Up and Run a Pilates Home Studio
I have interviewed a dozen of wonderful Pilates teachers who run Pilates studios from their homes and asked for guidance and advice. Some of them have transitioned from renting a commercial space to being home studio owners, some got tired of working at other studios for nothing, and yet others just fell straight into the home studio ownership. Basically, we have every possible scenario that you can imagine. You can get their best tips and strategies in the new PilatesBridge PRO resource – The Complete Guide to Running a Pilates Home Studio. All PRO members of PilatesBridge can access this guide for FREE.
Complete Guide to Running a Pilates Home Studio with PROFIT
Here is what you will find in the Complete Guide to Running a Pilates Home Studio
- Home Studio Setup – how to choose your space and equipment.
- Where to find good deals on Pilates equipment.
- Essential Business Setup – Legal and Liability questions.
- How to Price your Pilates sessions.
- What you should (and should NOT!)spend your money on.
- How to MAKE more MONEY without teaching more.
- Proven Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business.
- How to get Your First Client.
- How to establish successful studio policies.
- How to handle last minute cancellations.
- How to raise your rates without offending your clients.
- How to keep your Pilates Edge when working from home.
- Essential strategies for a work/life balance.
- Attachments to use for your business: Liability Waiver, Studio Policies, Client Screening Form.
I want to express my utmost gratitude to the wonderful Pilates teachers who shared their experience and invaluable advice on how to run a successful Pilates business from home.
Sunni Almond
Location: Temecula, CA
Teaching from home since 2010
Studio Website: http://www.temeculapilates.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunniAlmondPilates
Jennifer Baker Jobson
Location: Charlotte, NC
Teaching from home since 2014
Current Business Website: http://miracleskinnywraps.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cocoskinnywrap
Laura B Grant
Location: Raleigh, NC
Teaching from home since 2015
Studio Website: http://www.laurabpilates.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/laurabpilates/
Jon Hawkins
Location: London, United Kingdom
Teaching from home since 2013
Studio Website: http://freerangepilates.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pilatesNW3
Kristin Kalchbrenner Mann
Location: Ridgewood, NJ
Teaching from home since 2013
Studio Website: http://www.mankindpilates.com/Home1.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MankindPilates
Courtney Klocke
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Teaching from home since 2009
Studio Website: http://mypointofbalance.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/learnpilatestoday
Mary Osmolski
Location: Collinsville, CT
Teaching from home since 2012
Studio Website: http://www.collinsvillepilates.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mosmolski
Corey Anne Radtke
Location: Rye, NY
Teaching from home since 2003
Studio Website: http://www.purebodypilates.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mypurebodypilates
Silvia P Rodrigues
Location: Ontario, Canada
Teaching from home since 2013
Studio Website: none
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/milleniapilatesfitness
Laurette Ryan
Location: Halifax, MA
Teaching from home since 2015
Studio Website: http://www.balancepointpilates.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurette.cortiryan
Devra Swiger
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Teaching from home since 1999
Studio Website: http://ab-pilates.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ab-solutely-Pilates
Angela Sassinak Barsotti
Location: Toronto, Canada
Teaching from home since 2007
Studio Website: http://uglyducklingpilates.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uglyducklingpilates