How to price a Reformer class in your studio

The price of a Reformer class starts with what one place really costs you, not with what the studio down the road charges. As a studio owner, divide your fixed monthly costs by the places you can realistically fill, then test every pack against that floor to see where you earn and where you lose.

How to work out the cost of one class place

Add up the monthly costs you pay even if nobody turns up: rent, utilities, salaries or fixed fees, accounting, software and an amount set aside for equipment. Divide the total by the places you realistically fill in a month.

The example below describes a fictional studio with 30,000 RON of fixed costs, six machines and 80 classes a month. That gives 480 available places. These figures are neither TimeNow customer results nor market benchmarks.

The gap between 50% and 85% is larger than most discounts you might offer. That is why occupancy deserves as much attention as the price on your list.

Why Reformer and mat should not share a price

A Reformer class has as many places as you have machines, while a mat class usually fits more people in the same room. If the hour costs the same, the cost per place falls as capacity rises.

This is a simplification, because machines raise the true cost of a Reformer hour through purchase, maintenance and floor space. If you sell both formats, allocate those costs separately and the difference becomes clearer still.

How to test your session packs

For each pack, divide the price by the number of sessions and compare the result with the cost per place. If your company is VAT-registered, compare the amounts excluding VAT, or the margin will look larger than it is.

In this example the 12-session pack only covers its cost, so any further discount loses money. You can raise the price, limit the pack to hours that are hard to fill, or knowingly accept that margin for your most frequent clients.

What to watch on an unlimited membership

With unlimited access, revenue per visit falls with every class the client attends. Work out the threshold before launch, then track actual attendance.

A frequent client is not automatically a problem, especially if they take places that would otherwise stay empty. The risk comes when unlimited members fill peak hours and push people who would pay more per session onto the waiting list.

For validity and balance rules, continue with the guide to yoga and Pilates memberships. Then word the offer so that clients understand what they are buying before they pay.

How to protect your price when places stay empty

An empty place in a class that has started can no longer be sold, so cancellation rules directly affect your cost per place. bsport recommends a 12–24 hour window for Reformer; choose one you can apply every time.

• Set a cancellation deadline and show it before booking.
• Turn on the waiting list for classes that often fill, so a released place reaches the next person.
• Compare occupancy each month by class type and time slot, not only as a studio average.
• Rerun the calculation when rent, fees or the number of classes on your timetable change.

In TimeNow, capacity is set per class, and when someone cancels, the first client on the waiting list is confirmed and notified automatically. Reports show attendance and cancellations by class type and instructor, so you have the data for this calculation. The Pilates studio page shows how it works.

When to look at competitors’ prices

Other studios’ prices show how clients will compare you, not whether your offer is profitable. Note the rates of three to five studios in your city only once you have your own cost per place.

If you are well below them, you have room to raise prices or to explain your offer better. If you are well above them, check your smaller groups, instructors, timetable and location, then tell clients clearly what the extra buys.

If you are just starting out, this calculation is part of the guide to opening a Reformer studio. For new clients, the cost per place also sets the floor for a first-class offer.

Software is a fixed cost too, so include it: TimeNow plans start at 99 RON a month, based on employee count.