Why Studio Pilates is a Franchise that’s Suitable for Every Body

We often say that Studio Pilates is the workout for every body, but this sentiment extends far beyond just the reformer. Our franchise network is one we’re constantly inspired by, thanks in large part to the professional diversity displayed among our studio owners.

 The turnkey business model was designed to be accessible for everybody, with no business or fitness experience required to succeed. Studio Pilates co-founders Jade and Tanya Winter had no business experience themselves prior to opening their first studio, and worked tirelessly to create training and education manuals and centralized systems including bookkeeping and cloud based accounting to take the time and pressure off franchisees. Today, that hard work has definitely paid off, with 64 studios across 4 countries and growing rapidly.

From Corporate CEO’s looking to expand their investment portfolios right through to Pilates instructors who are looking to turn their passion into profits, we love hearing the stories that led our franchisees into our network. We’re seeing a growing number of physiotherapists investing in Studio Pilates franchises, which provides the perfect opportunity to provide their existing clients an additional service.

One such example is Tom Wyer, a Sydney based physiotherapist who owns a clinic in the CBD and our Studio Pilates Bathurst Street studio. We took 5 with Tom to find out more about how both of his businesses benefit from one another.

Who referred you to Studio Pilates initially/ how did you find out about it?

I had undertaken reformer and matwork training courses with Studio Pilates Education in the past and received an email at some point with all the information on purchasing  a franchise.

What was the catalyst that inspired you to buy your first franchise?

I’ve owned a physiotherapy practice in Sydney CBD for more than 14 years. I found I was regularly advising clients on introducing Pilates exercises to improve posture, for injury prevention and overall well being. Many of my clients would then ask me to recommend a Pilates studio and so I figured I could add this service to my existing company.

I did create a Pilates service within my practice for 18-months, however there were a number of limitations. The small amount of space within the clinic meant the class sizes also needed to be small (only four clients at a time), so provided minimal financial benefit and it had quite a clinical feel about it.

Also with my Physiotherapy background I found I was limited in being able to provide a wide and interesting variety of Pilates exercises. It was also difficult to find physiotherapists who were adept in teaching Pilates to take on the classes to take the pressure off me being available all the time.

I realized that the Studio Pilates franchise model would solve a lot of the issues I was having running classes myself. It also came along with a marketing team and host of other resources that would streamline a successful venture.

Do you still work as a physiotherapist?

I do still work part time seeing clients and I still really enjoy the work and spend most of my time educating my staff. I am currently studying a concussion course which I would like to specialize in at some point in the future.

Did your physiotherapy clients feed into your Studio Pilates studios to assist with rehab and general wellbeing?

I am finding that almost all of my clients experience a weakness somewhere in their body and Pilates is the one form of exercise I feel safe referring my clients too for the fact that all the exercises are done with a neutral spine and the class can be modified in order to optimize each workout for all levels of client. It also targets all the right muscle groups which I think is fantastic for keeping clients aligned and in shape.

Had you been a business owner before/ did you have business experience prior to opening?

Yes, I had owned my Physiotherapy practice for 11 years at the time of going into the franchise venture. In 2007 I purchased an existing single operator Physiotherapy practice and built it up to 10x the size during this 11 year period now having 12 staff. The franchise model was slightly different in the sense that there was now a team around me for support and with experience in different fields of business operations, which I have found has helped me transfer these skills back into my Physiotherapy practice. This comes in the form of marketing and HR which are areas I had little knowledge in prior to opening the Pilates Studio.

What would you say to anyone who is on the fence about buying a Studio Pilates studio? 

The Studio Pilates franchise is a great option to add an adjacent service to your Physiotherapy practice whilst reducing the workload required to run a really streamlined Pilates studio. All classes are pre-recorded and automated to run daily and instructors can really run a great safe class with as little as 3 months experience. The HQ team are great and are really across the automation process for marketing and events and have a field of experience to tap into in different areas of the business.