I have been running and teaching at my own studio for about 2 years now and have expanded a little too fast.... i am not making any money for myself that is im able to pay my 3 instructors 50% and my bills. I am going to consolidate back to one space and have to cut pay down to 40% to survive. ANy suggestions on how to keep these instructors and have them see when things get better ill be able to pay more? im really upset and need some good support from my fellow pilates people out there!!!

Pilates is doing well in the DC/Metro area in spite of the recent economic downturn. We are fortunate.

We are also struggling in Southern California. It's a saturated market with people cutting back on almost everything due to the weak economy and high unemployment.

I work alone with very low overhead which allows me to earn an income. I've been able to survive because I keep my rates low so I can see people who ordinarly would not do Pilates. I also barter for services which doesn't help me to earn more, but it allows me services that I would have cut back on.

Suggestions: I think group classes are the thing now because they are less expensive. I personally can't do group because of my small space, but if I could I would.

Promotions: People want deals. Offer them a free class if they buy a certain number. It seems everyone everywhere are offering deals so people feel like they are making wise decisions.

Offer off-time specials. Perhaps a class at 2PM or some other off time at a reduced rate would bring in people who don't work or have flexibile schedules.

Good luck with it.

I agree with Devra on all points. I'm in Orange County, CA and there isn't anyone who isn't watching their money. I have great success with customized packages. I ask the client “how many times a week can they commit and what is their monthly budget for Pilates,” and then I create a package that makes sense for them and my business. I’ve added classes to my schedule in order to bring the clients cost down and in return I make more per hour.

Hi, can I ask, how many hours do you average per day?

Anne...I'm in OC too. I also have a home studio so I don't teach group classes which means I probably work less than many other instructors. I did the math and it makes more sense for me to not rent a space and teach fewer hours...at least until things pick up.

On a good day I will see 5 clients. On a bad day...one or two. I have a nice clientele and I teach group classes at another studio but I have pretty much stopped all advertising other than website maintainence since I felt I was not getting much out of it.

I live in OC too... and it's slow for sure. I think the Pilates business has some inherent problems which have always been there, I wont go into detail since it's likely you all are experiencing them.

As far as instructors pay goes and what there concerns are, again it is part of the inherent problem. Perhaps giving them time where they can do trades as well(like two or three hours per week) could help since the overhead will stay the same for you think of perks you can give them as a sort of nod and respect for them as equals, cause they aren't ever guaranteed anything in the income department either just as you are not. The best thing to do is cut overhead obviously in order to buy you time to think creatively and adjust to survive and ride the wave.

This post is a bit late but it's still relevant.
I also have a studio at home. My studio is large enough to share premises so I have a colleague who runs a separate business to mine however we share space and equipment.
This way I receive rent, my colleague gets a studio space at low rent while we both remain independent.
I believe space sharing is the best way to survive in this economy. Don't bother with expensive advertising but do put any spare cash into your web site. Make it stand out and don't offer too many deals. You still need to maintain your integrity and quality of teaching. People know that they get what they pay for!

I have owned a studio since 1999 and have always rented space to instructors rather than employ them. It's worked out very well.And while I live in an area that has seen some down turn its not as bad as the rest of the country. For many years I used to have 10 clients per day,and actually had a waiting list, but the last 2 years it dropped and some days I was seeing only 3. (same with the other instructors) However in the last few months I am getting busy again and amd averaging about 5-7 clients per day.
But like I said I am fortunate in that as well as the economy did not suffer as much where I live, another fact was the Pilates community was still small and so ther was not as much competition.

I became certified about one year ago and taught group classes at a studio. However, I'd like to teach privates and semi-privates at my home, using (re-designing) my living room. Any suggestions as to the design of a home studio would be greatly appreciated.

Cathy,
I have been doing privates in my home studio for the past 4 years. I have found that I am comfortable in an 11X14 room with a reformer/tower combo that I can fold up, which then also allows me to use a low chair. I keep a small basket with props I use frequently and have a large mirror leaning behind the tower - this allows me to look at my clients from the head down while still having the machine against the wall. Hope this helps. The only negative I have experienced is having to keep my house spic and span when clients are coming in! I do not have room for semis and am expanding my space to a detached garage in a few months.

I think pilates (the way it has been taught lately by a majority of instructors) is more akin to passive bodywork, like feldenkreis. Really bizarre that this seems to be the way it is taught in NYC, the home of classical pilates. I think this is due to Kelly Kane's contribution to the industry. She is based in New York. She is a movement genius but her appeal comes from teachers and bodyworkers primarily, and NOT paying clients who want a workout that transforms their whole body. Basically, for those looking for an active workout, pilates comes off as humdrum boring and old hat. A big granola snorefest that burns a hole in the wallet! Zzzzz. Group classes where you sweat, feel the burn, and see the body transform are where the future is. These slow moving pilates privates are expensive, too slow, and yield very little physical results.