The very best Pilates Business has the very best Pilates Instructors! Accredited Pilates qualifications and plenty of Pilates experience are essential for an instructor, but Professional Pilates Studios are looking for so much more to help support their Pilates Business.
Help to build their Pilates brand
Professional Pilates Studios are primarily a business. 50% of businesses fail in their first five years, so studios need a great team that supports sustainable business growth. The Pilates industry is growing worldwide, however profits declined sharply when COVID-19 hit, and recovery is projected to be slow. Now more than ever there are new obstacles to keeping a niche Pilates business thriving—and that means Pilates Studios need to invest in new growth opportunities and business development assets… carefully.
“During the COVID shutdown our Pilates studio business in Canberra, Pilates Can was able to Pivot over 50% of our clients overnight, from in-studio to live online sessions. This was primarily due to the “deep connections” between instructors and clients.” – Claire, Owner, Pilates Can & Pilates Business.
That’s where a Professional Pilates Instructor comes in. A great instructor can help support, sustain, and grow a Pilates Business. They do this by facilitating engaging Pilates sessions, that attract and retain clients, promoting the Pilates brand, and encouraging additional retail and repeat sales through their Pilates services. While a Pilates Instructor remains focused on their craft, they must also ensure they are working towards making the Pilates Business profitable and sustainable.
Facilitate social connection
The social environment is very important in a Pilates Studio. Pilates is not just about the exercise, it’s a social and wellbeing experience that improves health holistically. An instructor that builds social connection creates the best studio experience and encourages long-term client retention.
“What also helped immensely (during the COVID lockdown) was that the instructors could concentrate on those connections and on honing their “online delivery” skills as Pilates Can had a separate and very effective administrative team, who looked after all of the considerable administrative workload that was also required to achieve that “thriving” business transition result. ” – David, Owner, Pilates Can & Pilates Business.
During the COVID shutdown our Pilates studio business in Canberra, Pilates Can was able to Pivot over 50% of our clients overnight, from in-studio to live online sessions. This was primarily due to the “deep connections” between instructors and clients.
What also helped immensely was that the instructors could concentrate on those connections and on honing their “online delivery” skills as Pilates Can had a separate and very effective administrative team, who looked after all of the considerable administrative workload that was also required to achieve that “thriving” business transition result.
However, there is a lot a Professional Pilates Instructor wants, and indeed needs, to achieve a satisfying and sustainable career in Pilates. This can be a difficult mission, and one that requires a special set of circumstances to succeed. What are those circumstances?
In our last blog on What Professional Pilates Instructors Want, we looked at the role of teamwork in a career as a Professional Pilates Instructor and how to achieve job satisfaction in the Pilates industry.
Part 2 of this blog will uncover the multi-tasking nature of the Pilates instructor’s work. It will also discuss aligning professional and personal values, and how giving back to the business can benefit your Pilates career.
