In the Beginning…
Location, Location, Location!
In business there is the famous saying “Location, Location, Location! If you open a pole studio it needs to be accessible as well as have a local market large enough to supply students for your classes. Main street might be good and twenty miles from city central may not. Opening a studio of any type in Mulvane, Kansas may not be a great choice as it has a population of about 6,000. Unless its the pole dancing capital of the world, there will probably not be enough potential students. Even if you open in a large city you need to ask several questions. : How many potential students in the area? Driving distance? availability of public transportation? How many competitors? Demographics of the area? Type of other businesses in the area? Will your customers feel safe (physically, morally, etc.) in the area?
From general location there is the facility. There may be choices in the same area. Rent is usually the largest expense for a business. You will have to consider that often first. Normally rent is priced per square foot. For a pole studio you need to look at how much of the square footage is usable. To start you do not need many extra rooms or an extravagant entrance-way. A room or area for the poles, bathroom and a changing area. While some pole studios supply lockers, it is an expense that we do not recommend when starting. Showers are also a luxury and not only add expense but time in maintaining. Extra space that is not needed is simply wasted money. Keep it simple and expenses low.
When looking at a facility consider these conditions:
- Support for Pole Setup/Installation
- Dance Floor
- Lighting or availability of adding
- Furnishing to look attractive
- Internet availability (if needed)
- Outside Signage
- Outside lighting
- Parking
- A/C/Heat and thermostat control
- Acoustic Insulation
You will need to inquire at the start what changes you will be allowed to be made. Some lease agreements do not allow any modifications or must be subject to approval. Others allow modifications but they must be put back to original condition. Still, some leases will specify any changes are considered improvements and must remain when you vacate. You may need to decide on the type or brand of poles you can use based on the lease. Commercial leases can be much more restrictive than residential leases. Outdoor signage may be dictated by the lease or may be superseded by local zoning. You can ask but you may need to phone the department that handles zoning. While you are on the phone you will also want to ask that your business is an “acceptable use” for the building’s zoning. You could lock yourself into a lease only to find you can not have pole parties or even a pole studio. Unfortunately there is still in some areas a stigma with pole dancing regarding community standards. We have found a few locations where pole dancing even if a school is considered an adult business and subject to the same restrictions. The thermostat control is important as some have a single thermostat covering several storefronts. How would your students feel if the person controlling that thermostat keeps it at 80 degrees year-round? Some commercial buildings also have limits on the AC & heat especially if utilities are included. Acoustic insulation is often missed. Most pole studios and of course pole parties wish to play music at a fairly high level. That might be an issue if the sound bleeds to adjacent facilities. It also works in the reverse, so make sure you do not hear from the other storefronts or offices. Before signing a lease, play a radio loud and have someone in an adjacent facility and also outside to make sure you will have privacy.
Leases are usually open to some negotiation. The longer the facility has been empty, the more negotiable it will be. A longer lease should fetch a lower rent. Shorter lease might be a higher rate but remember if you close the business you will be responsible for the entire length of the lease. If there is a lot of fixing up to do, you might ask for an allowance for that cost. Never hurts to ask! Even the restrictions on modifications like for your poles can usually be negotiated. Your lease will nearly always state the use of the facility. Referring back to the list at the top, you may want to get all of them listed. You may not want pole parties at the start but for some pole studios, parties earn more per hour than anything else. Why restrict your future business? In response, the lease may specify no alcohol or limited hours. You do not want the alcohol and you will have to determine yourself if the hours of operation are acceptable. If you are not real familiar with commercial leases, it might be worth it to have an attorney or paralegal read it before signing.
At this point you may discover that the rent is not within your businesses budget. It is much more advantageous to have your own facility. That gives you an open schedule and more flexibility in studio design, configuration, type of classes and too many other things to list. But if it is not in the budget then you need to look at options.
You can work with another facility and still retain a separate business. Working with a fitness center, gym, cardio studio, dance studio is all possible. You will again need to consider most of the same factors as your own facility. Even restrictions on modifications, local zoning, etc. If the room you will be using for poling will also be used for other purposes, remember changes to accommodate poles may impact the other activities. You will want to get an agreement in writing. Investing the startup costs and finding someone changed their mind or disagreed could be devastating. You will also have to consider responsibility for your equipment that is left in someone else’s facility. If the facility is part of a franchise you may need to read their franchise agreement or contact the franchise directly.
You can work with another facility as directly renting space per day or per hour. Subcontracting from them to operate pole fitness classes, being paid per student or per class as an instructor. There is an advantage in that you can leverage their existing members or students.
Its all in the Name!
Your name is not the most important thing in business except to the owner. There are some considerations to be made.
- Branding. Choose a unique name not just to the pole world. Branding is your identity. Especially in the beginning you want to be easy to find. Since so much is found through the Internet a unique name will help you be found. It will also be with you for many years.
- Easy to remember. If people have to refer to your business as the studio on main street, you are just making things difficult.
- Easy to spell.