Turning Interest Into Income: How to Launch a Pilates Studio with Clients Signed Up

Why You Shouldn't Wait Until Opening Day to Start Growing Your Client List. Opening a new Pilates studio is an exciting, yet often stressful endeavour. Between finalizing the lease, getting the builder/painter to tie down a completion date, setting up equipment, cleaning and training your staff, it can feel like there’s a never-ending list of logistical tasks. But while most studio owners focus on preparing the physical space, many potentially overlook a critical aspect of a successful opening: building a client base before the doors swing open.

In this post, I’ll share how we recently helped a Pilates business launch a new studio with 92 clients signed up before the doors swung open and a list compiled of 100s of others waiting for the right time to start — proving that with the right strategy, you can turn interest into income well before your first class starts. Within 4 weeks this studio had gone from 0 to 150 new clients and 27 classes on the schedule!

The Challenge of Launching a Pilates Studio

When you're opening a new Pilates studio, it’s easy to get caught up in the physical setup—finalizing the location, designing the space, hiring instructors, discussing wall colors and patterns, scheduling classes and so on... While these elements are essential, focusing solely on logistics can leave you vulnerable when you finally open your doors and realize you don’t have enough clients to fill your classes.

The truth is, many Pilates studio owners find themselves scrambling to attract clients after they’ve already opened. This approach not only puts unnecessary pressure on the business but can also result in slower growth and financial strain in the early months. Reason being is that the studio opens with limited classes on the timetable that don't really appeal to potential new clients i.e. the timetable doesn't suit their schedule. So the faster you can get to a broad range of classes across the week the easier it is to attract new clients. But this must be balanced with having full to pretty-full classes otherwise the studio's atmosphere suffers - it's always a balance of course.

But what if you could open your studio with classes already sold out? That’s exactly what we did in a recent project, and the key to success was a (honestly quite simple) pre-launch strategy focused on building interest and securing clients before day one.

Why Wait? Attract Clients Before Go-Live.

The strategy we used was simple yet highly effective: leverage the power of social media and email marketing to generate buzz, collect leads, and convert those leads into clients before the studio officially opened.

Step 1: Generate Interest with Social Media.

Social media platforms are a powerful tool for reaching your target audience. We used Facebook and Instagram to promote the upcoming studio opening, sharing sneak peeks of the space, introducing the instructors, and highlighting the benefits of Reformer Pilates. This built anticipation and excitement among local Pilates enthusiasts and potential clients. We also had hooks to get people who were genuinely interested to sign up to our channels.

Step 2: Engage Existing Clients via Email.

We didn’t just focus on attracting new clients. By reaching out to existing clients through email, we kept them informed about the new studio and allowed them to help us spread the word in an efficient way using software tools that we already had available (in this case Mailchimp). This gave us a head start with a loyal client base that was already familiar with the quality of the services offered and were willing to promote our business to friends in the area of the new studio.

Step 3: Offer an Unbeatable Pre-Launch Promotion

To convert interest into actual sign-ups, we launched a limited-time pre-opening offer that included a discounted package. We choose not to go directly for memberships as we wanted to attract as many people in as we could, thinking was we will always have the opportunity to get them into memberships down the line. This pre-launch offer provided a strong incentive for people to commit before the studio even opened. By creating urgency with a "never-to-be-repeated" offer, we motivated potential clients to act quickly.

The Results

In less than six weeks—from signing the lease to opening day—we signed up 92 new clients.

There were 100s of potential clients added to our mailing list and several hundred more on our social media channels. These weren’t just casual inquiries; these were paying clients, secured through the combination of targeted (small investment) social media ads, email marketing, and the irresistible pre-launch offer.

By the time the studio opened its doors, it had a solid client base, ensuring immediate cash flow and packed classes from day one. Additionally, knowing how many clients had signed up in advance allowed us to adjust the class schedule to meet demand. It was obvious from the demand for the pre-launch offer that the 10-12 classes we originally planned wasn't going to suffice. We had created a different "challenge" for ourselves, getting enough classes on the schedule to meet demand with instructors ready to teach. Thankfully we had been forewarned and had time to solve these "challenges" before any complaint like "I can't book a class" came in. Within 4 weeks we were up to 27 classes. On day one, classes were full which helped create the vibe we were looking for, "This is the place to be!!!" .

Key Insights for Pilates Studio Owners

If you’re in the process of opening a Pilates studio or planning to expand, here are the key lessons we learned from this successful pre-launch:

1. Don’t Wait Until the Studio Opens to Start Marketing

Many studio owners make the mistake of waiting until they’ve opened their doors to start promoting their services. This is a missed opportunity. By starting your marketing efforts well in advance, you can build anticipation, engage potential clients, and secure sign-ups before your first class begins. Find the right balance, which maintains your sanity ;-), between getting the premises ready and actually building the business.

2. Leverage Your Existing Client Base

Don’t forget about the power of your existing clients. They already know and trust your services, which makes them more likely to follow you to a new location or refer friends. Keep them engaged with exclusive early-bird offers and updates on your new studio.

3. Create Urgency with a Pre-Launch Offer

A well-crafted pre-launch offer can be the difference between interest and commitment. Offering a special promotion that is only available before the studio opens creates urgency and motivates potential clients to take action quickly.

4. Plan Your Schedule Based on Client Demand

Knowing how many clients you have signed up before opening allows you to plan your class schedule more effectively. Instead of guessing what classes might be popular, you can tailor your schedule to meet actual demand, ensuring full classes from the get-go.

The Power of Planning

Opening a new Pilates studio doesn’t have to be a gamble. With the right strategy, you can build momentum, attract clients, and generate income before your first class even begins. This approach not only reduces the stress of filling classes post-opening but also sets your studio up for long-term success.

The next time you’re planning a studio launch, remember: it’s not just about getting the doors open—it’s about having clients ready and waiting the moment they do.

To Your Success

Brendan

3 Ways Brendan can help your Pilates Business to grow right now;

1. Join the Free FB group "The Pilates Biz Forum" dedicated to Pilates Business Owners ONLY to get free resources, information, support, training and much more.
   

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3. Book a no obligation Pilates Profit Acceleration Jumpstart call with Brendan and see for yourself the proven steps he’s taking with other Pilates business owners to transform their business and lives. In this session Brendan guarantees to uncover anywhere between €25k – €75k of hidden profits within your business. Book your session (info@peakperformancecoaching.ie) today and change the direction of your business and your life forever.