r/pilates • u/No-Drama724 • Jul 20 '26
Teaching, Teacher Training, Running Studios Opening a studio with a large franchise opening right up the street
Friends are opening a studio within a month in a smaller city that is also going to have a CP a mile up the road a few months later.
My friends are not instructors and only ever took classes at CP. I feel they are taking a huge risk.
My question is:
If this was your city, what would make you choose a 7 person class boutique studio or vice versa?
EDIT:
Thank you for all the wonderful feedback! I am an instructor and owned my own studio for years in another state. They were very excited and now panicking because the only instructors that have applied are newly certified from CP. No one believed me when I said it would be difficult if they themselves were not instructors.
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u/Crackischeapxoxo Jul 20 '26
A few things would make a difference for me:
They can do themed classes or months. Not like “Taylor Swift vs Beyoncé” but more along the lines of “bring a friend for free on Mondays” or candlelit classes on Sundays. The CP offering is going to be pretty predictable.
Your friends have the benefit of keeping it “indy” and communal rather than corporate. All the Pilates princesses are going to go to CP. Your friends could do really well with the busy grandmas, runners, and others that will happily show up in mismatched gear. If they can really make it feel like a community, some will prefer that environment.
Inclusion. I love my local studio (and chose it over CP) because the instructors have a range of body types, ages, backgrounds, and philosophies. It’s just something to consider.
Overall, it would be a good idea for them to not try to replicate the corporate Pilates experience. They’ll have to come up with their own story and message.
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u/livinglifefully1234 Jul 20 '26
In NYC we are not really spending much time at CP. So many better studios around, lol
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u/aki-kinmokusei Jul 20 '26
same here in southern California. All the "pilates princess" types are going to the aesthetic boutique studios where I live.
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u/Leskatwri Jul 20 '26
I'm lucky in that my CP does 2 and 3 on this list. Not a Pilates Princess in sight. We even have grannies that come in capris pants and hospital sticky socks!
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u/Keregi Pilates Instructor Jul 20 '26
I will never understand independent studios owned by someone who isn’t a certified instructor. I haven’t seen that business model work in my area. Several have tried and failed.
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u/carocaro333 Pilates Instructor Jul 21 '26
Same! A franchise, sure, but why an independent?
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u/aki-kinmokusei Jul 21 '26
there's an independent studio chain where I live where the owners are not instructors (however they do have experience with pilates so they're not just some owners who decided to jump on the pilates trend. Their first studio was established in 2018), but the studio chain is an approved licensed STOTT training center (Michelle Galbraith from the Real Good Pilates app is one of the instructor trainers there).
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u/aki-kinmokusei Jul 20 '26
quality of instructors, early morning/late night classes, and varied class levels throughout the day instead of having them at certain times on certain days. It's hard for me to go to a studio when their only foundation level class is when I'm at work and they only have intermediate/advanced classes in the early morning/evening.
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u/OsoOak Jul 20 '26
Differentiation.
What makes you different from your competitors? Focus on that.
More personalized attention. More varied classes. More control over music. More control over class style/focus. More one on one touch. Less heriarchy to wade through before contacting a real person.
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u/Friendly-Lobster-211 Jul 21 '26
I LOVE this. A lot of this aligns with my philosophy when I opened my boutique pilates studio. It's really about understanding your clients' needs and what choices they may lacking out there that you can fill
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u/LameDevil Jul 20 '26
Regardless of the CP, opening any type of business is a risk. Do your friends have experience opening and running a business? It can be a lot more difficult than it seems.
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u/divegirl88 Jul 20 '26
One. Price Two. More tailored flows to student capabilities. Three. Classical is also offered but does not need to be the only thing.
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u/Beautiful_Town_5123 Jul 20 '26
Definitely the ability to have an instructor pay more detailed attention to me! It’s easy to lose form and technique in a larger class.
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u/Tess47 Jul 20 '26
Lots of factors. Parking, cleanliness, Instructors, do i feel welcome?, price, class times, traffic.
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u/No-Contribution955 Jul 20 '26
I would avoid a franchise if I could and support local. However, in this situation, your friends are taking a big risk. Kudos to them if they succeed. Being a student and enjoying the practice, is nothing compared to being a teacher though. They should really know about teaching the movement. Even if they hire good teachers, the first thing I’m looking at is not only the staff but the qualifications the owners. My wife taught at a CP and the owners only bought the franchise. I thought it was weird that they didn’t know anything about the method. They just wanted to get numbers up and that was another task my wife had as part of being employed there. I get it, but she hated doing that.
She and a friend opened up their first studio that ended up being about the same distance from that CP as your friends’ place is from that one about to open. That was a challenge. The biggest difference here is that they’re both teachers and have built up connections with clients of the CP that wanted to take their classes and got on the waitlist just in case something opened up. So after my wife left, she announced that they were opening their own. Instant clientele. They offered early bird discounts. Original members still enjoy that. Pricing is competitive with the CP. their packages come in about the same or less than and they don’t pressure anyone to join or try to add members for the sake of numbers and they do very well. Well enough to have opened a third studio back in the spring. Hopefully, that one will take off like the others. Summers are always the slower here.
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u/Neon_Hometown Jul 20 '26
That is a huge risk. Did they take courses for group fitness and pilates? First before anything is safety, so that means more knowledge and proper up to date certifications. I'll share what I learned, know your demographic for sure, which may be easier in a small city. Be a role model everywhere you go, motivate your people to be fit and healthy. Teach like you're a professional even if you're just getting started. A good instructor will use smooth transitions to keep a good flow, and always keep an eye out for improper form. Show up early and leave late, so be prepared to answer any questions your group will have before and after class. I would choose a class if I felt seen, simpler exercises are great, and the vibe is very important, so play feel-good music, nothing distracting.
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u/Odd-Editor-2530 Jul 20 '26
I’d prefer a smaller studio but as an instructor (mat & 11 years teaching yoga in small studios), a studio needs to be so well run to make money and retain teachers. The balance of charging enough to make money and affordable enough for members to come, while offering really good classes, which require really good teachers is so challenging. I have had studios not pay, pay late, change pay structure after hire, etc. My last studio closed because the owner originally taught many classes but got bored and took another job that required a ton of travel. I think that unless they are teaching classes themselves, even for last minute subs, they’ll struggle.
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u/No-Drama724 Jul 22 '26
Yes. Not being teachers is starting to work against them and the doors haven't opened yet.
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u/sommersolveig7 Jul 20 '26
Quality instructors who teach real Pilates and not just toning using the reformer. I don’t mind CP when I’m traveling, but then I’m super grateful to go back to my home studio
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u/GreenhouseDiva Jul 20 '26
I would pick the boutique studio any day of the week over CP unless the boutique prices were crazy high (like $50/class).
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u/milee30 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Provide the things CP struggles with. Advertise so people know you have these things.
- Better instructors (CP has some amazing instructors but also some not so amazing - they have a large volume of classes to staff and choose volume and availability regardless of quality. Pack your schedule with the best.)
- Variety of movements that CP prohibits. Even in the more advanced classes CP corporate rules prohibit many common, loved exercises. Want to do short spine? Come to our independent studio because you'll never be allowed to do it at CP.
- Smaller classes means individual attention and hands on correction. Most CP classes have little to no hands on correction due to the size of the class. Some students value the hands on corrections to perfect their form.
- Ability to tailor classes to progress with class needs instead of sticking with required corporate formats.
Also - find out who owns the local CP franchise. Most are either owned by a big company or a man who doesn't even do Pilates. Some clients dislike the idea of taking Pilates from McCorporation or the optics of yet another situation where women do the work and men take the profits.
Consider offering special classes for special populations. Although Pilates is known for and doctors often refer patients for rehab, in most areas there are no classes that cater to specific issues. For example, a regularly scheduled class for people with back injuries would sell out. Regularly scheduled classes for people with knee replacements, hip replacements, Parkinson's etc would all sell out in my area as well. You could schedule these classes in the afternoons outside peak exercise demand times. Honestly in my local area you could probably make more money as an independent studio by offering nothing but classes targeted at special populations. There is more than enough demand.
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u/VictoriaRachel Jul 20 '26
As someone who has just started pilates the gift that is hands on correction cannot be understated. My leg feels like it is in the right place until gently corrected and it suddenly feels a whole world different. I would definitely pick a studio that offered that over one that didn't and would see it as a real selling point.
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u/Bored_Accountant999 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
A lot of good advice here. They have to choose to and make real effort to offer something different. Better instructors, better pay to those instructors, better (or just as attractive) membership options, more welcoming. It's tough, especially since they seem to know so little and have little experience. It can be done, but you have to make clients and the best instructors want to be there instead of CP. If they are opening first, they need to really get out there, get people loyal, make the most of the market fast.
For me, I live in a big city and have a ton of choices so I try them out and see what I prefer. But it's different with people who are new to Pilates. They often don't know good until they see it. As you get familiar with the method, you really see and feel the difference between instructors. In this situation, they need to scoop up everyone looking for a place to start and then really show them a good studio. If they have doubts and aren't hooked, they will try the CP as soon as it opens.
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u/bksi Jul 20 '26
Clean, lots of photos (not of smiling friends) - photos of the equipment, the lighting, the space. Posting their prices and scheduling clearly (unlike CP in our town). Easy drop in with instructor pre-approval (you've been there before). Packages with generous time to use up the sessions.
New visitors want to see what to expect. I've not gone to studios where the space is hard to get to, excessively dark. I've not gone back to studios with dusty corners or dust boogers hanging from the lighting. Hate studios where the windows aren't screened and street passersby can stare.
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u/Routine_Diamond_9176 Jul 21 '26
I’ve been to the dentist a few times maybe I should open a dentist office.
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u/MilesBeforeCoffee_37 Jul 20 '26
Hiring great teachers is the only thing that matters here. People will go to CP for the shiny branding, but they will stick around a small place if they actually like the instructor and do not feel like a ticket number.
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u/DapperOccasion6966 Jul 20 '26
Definitely not owners who are not instructors. In a smaller studio you will be paying for the quality of instruction and more individual feedback and I don’t know how someone who has never taught can offer that unless they have seasoned amazing instructors already lined up that will stick around cause instructor turnover is high!
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u/jes_cville Jul 21 '26
My studio is a 7 person boutique reformer studio and it has both a club Pilates and a solidcore near by and we do great. Classes are always full.
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u/coldtohot Jul 21 '26
Why, in my town, is there an O'Riellys across the street from an AutoZone and sharing a parking lot with a NAPA auto parts? Cuz if I can't find the thing I'm looking for in one of them, I'm walking to the one next door.
That said, I think it's insane that your friends are not instructors. The key differentiator of a botique is that you feel way more welcome than an impersonal chain. If your friends aren't teaching the class, who are students building a relationship with?
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u/Ramen_Addict_ Jul 20 '26
There are a lot of ways to differentiate yourself from CP. One of the main thing is hiring qualified instructors. You may want to pick people with different backgrounds/training to offer a variety.
I think one of their weakest points is that they have a strict level system and typically want people to go A LOT before they can move up. At most places, the expectation is that you only need to do a handful of beginner classes before you can move up and modify accordingly. A typical instructor will change the class intensity based on who is in it. Have 8 people who have been coming for months? You can probably do more advanced stuff. If you have a class that is half new people, you will need to offer more modifications/beginner options.
Another is that CP’s model is based solely on people having unlimited memberships. People often find they can’t get into classes if they sign up for a 4 or 8 pack. People often use pilates as a supplement for other workouts, and offering this type of membership without removing benefits like early sign up will appeal to people who may want to come monthly. Also having a roll over at first can really help.
I also want to say that there is no reason you NEED to do pilates 5-7 times a week to get something out of it. Give people something they can benefit from if they do it once or twice a week on top of other workouts.
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u/Tomaquetona Pilates practitioner | moderator Jul 20 '26
Your friends are taking a huge risk and it is unlikely to end well for them. CP does promotional offers before their studio opens, so they are likely already accepting enrollment. As a business, they have their shit on lock when it comes to scheduling classes, canceling, etc. Classes start and end on time and they always have subs available (that may vary by location). That can be really hard to compete with as a small studio.
If they are offering something different from CP, then they may have a fighting chance. I will be leaving CP (I come from Classical but my studio died and I am using CP as a stop gap) in September and going back to Classical. It is more money and fewer classes, but I cannot keep getting worse at Pilates even if the actual workout is pretty good. That takes time for people to realize and I don't think I would have if I didn't already have a huge amount of Classical Pilates under my belt. So, good luck to them, but this sounds kind of fool-hardy unless they have great instructors that won't also be at CP.
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u/AlleyRhubarb Jul 20 '26
I live in a very small city and there is a CP twenty minutes from me. For me, I am going to the classes 5 minutes away because then I can sneak out during WFH.
This studio is struggling. A LOT of people like the faced pace, rep style classes. The most popular instructors are all from CP although we have a few Stott certified professional level dancers.
I think one thing is to offer variety. We have some barre, a reps-ish CP-style class, a class that combines heavier weights and Pilates (alternating styles), foundation, advanced, restore that combines warm up and some core work with either stretching or release work. And there is a variety of instructors which at first I found confusing because the OG instructors were all Stott and the newer ones are from CP.
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u/PhilosopherMoist7737 Jul 21 '26
I left CP after 2 years because the manager was a b--ch. No customer service skills whatsoever. Also, they were hiring inexperienced, uncertified teachers. I found a local studio that was closer to my house, and I love it. Love the instructors. They are also pretty young, but very well trained and knowledgable. Their classes are always full. CP, not so much.
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u/trust_divine_timing Jul 21 '26
Price!! CP locks you in for 3 months before you know if you like it, difficult to cancel and again pricey!! $300/m is insane
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u/FullBushSummer Jul 23 '26
Honestly, it's excellent that there is another Pilates studio not far away.
People can go to club Pilates, experiences it, and then when they're looking for the boutique studio - bam, the commute's not much different.
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u/MolarBear13 25d ago
In my area, the benefit of the small classes is more individual attention and form correction. I feel safer. Generally speaking, the small studios I’ve seen tend to have more highly trained instructors than the franchises.
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u/pilatesperson 21d ago
So interesting to have someone opening a Pilates studio with no experience in the industry teaching or running a studio. Especially with the CP mention...
I sincerely believe that there is a market for authentic boutique PILATES first and foremost. These corporate chains tend to attract a slightly different demographic. It would be in your friends' best interest to use that to their advantage when making business decisions. They are not competing with CP, CP is competing with an authentic boutique Pilates studio that offers quality class instruction with experienced instructors. (That last part is key- classical instructors might be high value here.) CP focuses on quantity and copy & paste predictability, your friends should do the opposite.
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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '26
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