Taking Your Group Fitness Teaching Capabilities Private

If you want to make more money, say goodbye to health clubs, and say hello to your own private practice, where you pocket all the profits. It's not as scary as it sounds. And here are some sound business ideas on how to get started.

By Rachel Holmes

You love what you do, but can you make it pay off? The answer is yes…with help from this article. Whether you looking for an idea that will build booming profits, or earn you a little extra cash, here are some business ideas, hot tips and testimonials from other successful fitness entrepreneurs to get you moving forward.

There is a financial ceiling on teaching fitness classes in clubs and leisure centers, you may be working for exactly the same rate that you started teaching with originally, even though you've furthered your education by taking courses and attended regular workshops and conventions but that makes none or very little difference to our rate of pay in this industry. It's one rate and one rate only and that very rarely goes up!

Establish How Much Money You Want To Make Per Hour

First things first, let's establish how much money you want to make per class per hour. Before you take on another classes or venture you must work out your costs and profit.

Add in all the hidden costs

How much does it cost you in petrol to get to and from a venue, include any parking charges and then work out how much time you spend getting to and from the class. Consider how much you spend on CD's, insurance, and memberships so before you even walk in the studio door you are aware of the cost you've incurred. Next divide the class rate you currently receive into how many hours you have used traveling to and from the venue.

Example: Let's say your goal for income per class is £25.

It takes 20 minutes drive time to get to and from the club, 20 minutes of set up time and questions. Total time away from home is 2 hours 10 minutes divide by £25 gives you an hourly rate of £12.50 minus petrol, parking, insurance, music.

Next, Decide how much you want to earn per hour and write it down.

By writing it down and seeing the figure in black makes it real and attainable so lets work on getting your desired rate.

Teaching Ideas

#1 Classes In Hired Venues

Move out of the health clubs and leisure centers and hire your own space, seek out every venue that can fit a minimum of 40 exercisers. Think big; if you hire a small room you are limiting the amount of people who can attend immediately. Ideally the venue would be within a 10 mile radius of your house to cut out unnecessary traveling time.

Below is a list of venues you must find and check out. Look in yellow pages under Halls for Hire, Churches, and Sports Clubs or try www.yell.com and scour local papers for information on rooms for hire.

Church Halls

The best rooms to hire are church halls, they are always cheap, they don't close for school holidays and they are community based. Many have been modernized, have central heating, toilets, parking and many have a stage and a sprung floor.

Caroline Yates, Wilmslow, Manchester told me, "I pay £7.50 for one of my church a halls that is located in the centre of town with parking for 100 cars next to it and it has a big stage, my dearest church hall costs £11 for 2 hours"

Churches and schools have halls available at reasonable rates to hold your own fitness classes.

School Halls

Usually more expensive and may close for school holidays or charge you more for the caretaker to open and lock up. The benefits of being based in a school hall or gym are the many parents who will be interested in attending your classes.

Ask your contact at the school if flyers can be handed out to children and staff. Every school hall class I have ever taught has been packed with mums and teachers as well as local residents.

Check out if the school remains open during holidays and if it is, check the extra caretaker fees. Lots of community schools also have a minimum rental of 2 hours so classes can be taught back to back. School halls generally cost between £18 - £30 per hour.

Function Rooms

Read the local papers and find out which pubs have large function rooms. Ring round and find out costs. Many function rooms are empty durning the week and any landlord would welcome the prospect of 40 - 50 extra people stopping at the end of your class for a drink.

Barter your services and ask for a low room rent if clients stop for a drink. Busy pubs are a great way of advertising your classes and getting the locals attending, stick posters on the back of toilet doors and get the bar staff talking about your new class to the regulars.

Vikki Scovell in Bristol runs "Yoga in the Pub" and "Pilates in The Pub" all held in a large function room. She get s the room free as most people will stay and have a drink afterwards so the landlord is more than happy to oblige.

So You've Found A Suitable Venue, What's Next?

Decide which evening and which times slot you will go for. Monday to Thursday being the best evenings, with Friday evening being unpredictable. Ask for availability on weekends, Saturday and Sunday morning can be extremely busy if it's the right kind of class.

Next, work out what type of class to teach. It has to be a class that people of all ages and abilities can do; it won't work if its too hard, too fast or too complicated. Consider any type of body conditioning. weight management, mind/body, yoga, Pilates, dance classes such as salsa, ceroc, street dance, stretch, abdominal classes, or come up with something new. Continued...