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to the studio owners
do you just sometimes want to throw the towel and close everything down
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19 Replies
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I do not own a studio but have several friends that do and from comversations we have had the resounding answer is YES.
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I also do ot currently own a studio and YES! I never wanted to OWN anything but sadly – that's how it has to be.
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id hate to cross any lines or force anyone to answer any unwanted questions…but if you feel confortable, im just curious as to why or what are some things that you may face as obstacles that are most frustrating
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I must admit – I have days when the admin and S$#t from other studios is too much and I just want to close – bu then they are out numberd by the days when my students conquer a move and they are delighted. I am reminded on the good days why I actually opened in the first place and it strengthens me.
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Owning any business has it's ups and downs. When the going gets tough you just need to worry about yourself and stay the path. (dont worry about the other places) There is room for everyone. Be authentic to yourself. If this is what you are passionate about then you are in the right place.
If you would rather teach then own….then just be a teacher.
If you would rather just Pole then teach, then go back to being a student.
Well wishes,
Jennifer
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https://www.studioveena.com/users/view/bca825f0-d89d-11df-ab19-12313b090e12as you can see already by the responses, you are not alone in finding it difficult to run a studio and make money.
It's difficult enough to run one even if you're loaded, and then 10 times harder if (or probably when) you find yourself in financial hardship. I say "when" not because I'm a pessimist but because in my discussion with many pole studio owners from ALL over the world, struggling to rub two coins together when you're running a pole studio is incredibly common.
Now, many business people will look at us any say "duh". Everyone knows it's not enough to just love what you do. You have to be smart about it too.
Business minded people will know you can't just open a pole studio coz you love pole (or are good at it, or have the money to throw at it) just like you can't just start a cake shop coz you love cakes or expect to make a living out of being a singer because you love music.
You need a business plan, and marketing strategy. You need to do market research in your area and crunch your numbers. Too many studio don't do this before opening – because many of us are just following our passions and taking an opportunity if it comes our way, without any education in business, economics, marketing or management. And that's okay – you CAN learn on the job, but it's a tough gig, so be prepared!
And never fear -it's not too late to crunch those numbers now and make a business plan, even if you've already been running while.
There is still value in tracking your incoming vs outgoing and projecting this into an expectation for the future earnings. And then compare that to what you NEED to make, and start planning for ways you can get that to happen. It will depend on our area, but the types of things you'll want to know (which you can find through market research) is: how old are the people in your area, what socio-economic status are they, what are common hobbies and interestes among your students (besides pole), what percentage of the population in your area spends money on health or fitness, etc etc etc (a lot of this is available form the library).
With this data on hand, you then combine you findings with your own knowledge about your studio – what it offers, what type of people you want to attract etc. (Don't say everyone, that's a waste of marketing money!) After all that, you can start thinking about which avenues will be fruitless and which are more likely to work. By avenues I mean different products/services (merchandise, clothing, parties, stretch, pole, silks, yoga, belly dance, lap dance – etc) and also different marketing strategies, as well as the different people and places you will cater for and market to. The answers to all this will depend on lots of factors, like whether you have parking (if not, consider dropping flyers on foot,instead of avdertising elsewhere perhaps) or whether you have showers (if not, lunch time classes for office workers are maybe not gonna take off) – etc etc.
So whatever struggles you are going through, I highly recommend you take the approach to review your business and assess what you could do differently. Combine some cost saving ideas with revenue raising ideas and take comfort in the fact that MOST other owners are fighting the same battle!
Good luck x
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It s not only the finances, after 3 years i am fed up… It s not for me. I am tired of dealing with clients, example those who miss classes and then want to take them back for free, or again student forgot their money and asking to pay next week…i just dont have any patience. I think my passion for pole is just gone…. No ones takes this seriousy, there s no reer, no pension plan. I am lucky i can close, i am not stock with a lease at least.
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Those types of issues are very common for many businesses. Sounds like a good idea to salvage what you can if you are unhappy.
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yep makes me very unhappy to the point where i fear mondays , the start of the week, i just don t want to do the classes anymore
today, we are monday 🙂 I am just like….ahhhhhhhh not again
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I replied earlie but I got frozen on SV when I tried to add a smiley..
Olivia,
I would like you to consider this:
When one goes to a store or restaurant, or get gas…can you get those products without paying and now, if you don't pay what are the consequences? It isn't too long that for a store you are 'shop lifter' and you can't leave unless you pay or leave the product behind.
I would like you to be firm in your policies. Or even create policies in re: to the issues mentioned.
If your client wants to cancel last minute you may have a one time incident in your policies and then after that well…they lose the class and no free make up class. They need to be accountable for their lives and time management. Don't let them take advantage of your kindness in this regards. If they want to cancel then they know two days prior what's going on and they need to give up their space so someone else can use it .
I would also implement that you need to be there 15 minutes prior and if not on time then you lose your class. It is intrusive to other people in the class when people walk in late because it delays the rest of the class b/c that person has to warm up and the flow of the class is interupted.
Basically, if you want to extend credit then have them fill out a credit app form so that you know they are good for it . Or, if they don't pay then you can get a collector after them.
I don't go anywhere unless I have money on me for the event that I am attending. LOL…try to go to a concert without a ticket.
Even if it is Monday, I think you need to re-evaluate your policies.
It will be tough at first but they will respect you and you will attract a different clientelle.
I want to see you be successful.
Pole Love
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p.s. you can also implement policy 5 to 10$ administration fee for paying late.
Then once you have established that your not taking any of it on and you can focus on pole love.
I hope this helps.
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The unfortunate reality with any business is that a passion for the purpose is not enough. You need to either have or be partnered with someone who has a business mentality. These are the two unseperable sides of a business:
1) What you are selling
2) How will you sell itIt's not something that can be explained in a couple paragraphs on a forum.
If you really want to make a go of it find a mentor. This should be someone who has built and run at least one successful business, someone who is available via phone when you need it and someone who is available to step in occassionally and teach you when tough decisions need to be made.
This person can help you with the tactical decisions such as late fees and such but more importantly they can help you with the strategic decisions that will shape your business from the top down.
Good luck!!!
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Do a 24 hour cancellation policy. If they do not cancel within 24 hours, they are charged for the entire class- have a card on file at all times.
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Hi all,
I'm sure has notices and policys…People do what people do. It is easy to say do this or do that, but when it comes to the "politics" of keeping clients…and keeping them happy. It's a whole new ball game. I think this is one reason why business owners have a hard time. If you are not inspired by your business/job…then it is either time delegate out what you dont want to do..(or perhaps what you dont do well) to someone who can.
But remember one thing..No one will care about or business, or treat it as well as you do. Never ever. I manage everything that goes on in my business and the days I want to crawl in a whole and die I just decide to dig in a little harder and do a little more. Even when I am not there I have my phone on so that anyone can reach me. Every client has my personal cell phone. Every client is special, and every client has a unique personality and a way they prefer to communicate. In a service business that is key. It IS A 24 HOUR 7 DAYS A WEEK type of thing.
Good luck and follow your heart
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Olivia, yes. I have definitely had days like that! Like the others have said, running a studio is not only a passion, but also a business. If you need help with more of the business end of things, maybe check out SCORE.org or something in your area that may be similair. Basically, it's a group of business mentors. It seems to me that a lot of women get into the studio business because they think it will be fun dancing all day. There is so much more to it than that and so much paperwork for a business that is just basically physical movement. Plus, our community is so tight and friendly, and it's easy to get to know your students quickly on a friendly basis, I think it's easy for us to feel guilty about actually putting our foot down and enforcing policies that are needed (cancellation, placement tests, late arrivals, late pays). I also think that part of this is due to the fact that most studios don't rake in hordes of money so some of us feel like we should do anything to keep our clients happy, even if that means walking all over us or short-changing the other students (disrupting class, raising prices across the board to cover no-shows, etc.). If we let our students schedule and not show without penalty, that's what they will do. If we let them arrive late, they will. If we let them get a hold of us at any hour, they will be pissed the first time they can't reach us for an hour because we are having dinner with our family. This isn't just a pole studio problem, plenty of other businesses deal with these issues also. However, having a business plan and policies that are enforced help greatly with these issues. Run it as a business, not as a gathering time for your buddies. Your time and skill is valuable. Be confident in that. I'm not sure what your issues are that are bringing you down, but evaluate what needs to change in your business. Do research, network with other business owners, etc. to find the steps to help reduce your problems. Hopefully, that will help you feel a bit more motivated to keep going.
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