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Let me share some goss.
I am a member of a lot of different Facebook groups for pole and aerial studio owners and instructors and the question that gets asked pretty much once, in any group, in any week is:
How much should I charge?
For a drop in class, a membership, a pack, a 1-2-1, studio hire, a course, showcase tickets, workshop, merchandise. You name it.
The well intentioned advice we then tend to give each other is to look at what others are doing in the area, and to base your pricing on where you are situated.
All fair.
And – lacking THREE huge points that are, in my opinion, way more impactful that what everyone around you is charging, or where you are based geographically.
And that is:
1. How much do you need to be paid for your work to feel fairly rewarded for the effort you put in, and to not get salty?
2. How much money does your business/you as a solo-preneur (yes that’s what you are as a freelancer pole/aerial teacher) need to reach those biz goals you wanna achieve?
3. Can you really compare one business to another? Are you like for like?
My reasons for this are many but can be boiled down to
– preventing feeling resentful of our clients, our work and our businesses by feeling fairly renumerated and recognised financially
Because feeling shirty of what we do and who we serve is real shitty and you won’t last long.
– professionalism (being professional can look very different and is no longer tied to the image of a boomer manager behind a massive desk, so please scrape this image from your mind) meaning you can provide a top-notch service to all which will require you to have some resources to pour into your biz or professional development
– recognising that other studios and teachers are not you, and that you and your business function independent of others, you make your decisions.
And for all of these, we need cash because of the economy we are in, and it’s neither dirty, nor needy, nor means you are not doing it for the love of it or the purpose. We can be paid well AND be purpose driven.
Plus one more:
If you look at what other studios/instructors are charging and that’s your only indicator (note: only, not one among others) of where your pricing should sit. How do you know why the pricing you look at is what it is? Are they paying VAT (20%, 8.5%, 7.5%) or none? Is this a promo rate? Is this a one time offer for a marketing campaign? What are their overheads? Is this a hobby or a job for them? How much of this money are they re-investing? What are their desired outcomes for their business that affect their pricing strategy? How are they positioning themselves, for example as an exclusive boutique studio that offers the best high-end service in the area?
You see – lots of moving parts and variables, so whatever you do, do look around at what’s happening in your area, but do not make it the sole, and one and only yardstick for your pricing.
You matter.
Your work matters.
Your impact matters.
Your effort matters.
And all of it deserves to be rewarded <3
You can hear more about tips for class and membership prices on my free Spotify podcast here.
Anna x
