We sat down recently with Tom Wyer who owns a Studio Pilates in Sydney, Australia, to get a vibe for his experience owning a Studio Pilates franchise. Tom is a qualified Physiotherapist and in addition to owning his own Studio Pilates, he owns a Physiotherapy Clinic in Sydney. He has now mastered the operations of the business model and is currently planning to open more locations. Here’s what he had to say in our recent interview.Meet Tom, a Physiotherapist from Sydney who wanted to help his clinical clients more with Pilates. He chose a Studio Pilates franchise to make this possible.What was the key factor in deciding to open your first Studio Pilates location?I’ve owned a physiotherapy practice in Sydney CBD for more than 12 years. I found I was regularly advising clients on introducing Pilates exercises to improve posture, and for injury prevention and overall well being. Many of my clients would then ask me to recommend Pilates studios once they had finished with their physiotherapy session so they could continue with their rehabilitation.I did open up Pilates classes 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. I was also limited in being able to provide a wide and interesting variety of Pilates exercises, and in finding physiotherapists who were adept in teaching Pilates.I had undertaken training reformer and matwork training courses with Studio Pilates in the past and, when I discovered they were offering franchise opportunities, I realised that this 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.What is your opinion on the instructor training program provided by Studio Pilates?The instructor training program really ensures that trainers meet a high standard of understanding in the field of anatomy, and the exact purpose of the exercise and how to modify each exercise according to injury or ability. The continual feedback and education ensures instructors continue to grow after they have completed their training program, breeding a strong instructor base, which in turn results in experts that are able to provide a safe environment in which to maximise clients’ workouts.How have you found the business systemisation and business training supplied by Studio Pilates?The franchise offered a turn-key systems approach, which really appealed to me. Having classes automatically updated on the audiovisual system daily, with a structure every instructor is able to follow with ease, was a real plus and really reduces workload from an organisational perspective.Initially, the business training was a steep learning curve for me. I did find it difficult at first getting my head around the software, and moving into more of a sales mindset, compared with the physiotherapy industry. However, now I am familiar with the systems, I feel extremely confident in the business model. It has even helped me to become more business savvy with my physio practice and I have experienced a shift in the way I approach sales and marketing with my physiotherapy clinic.The systemisation of the Studio Pilates business model has meant Tom has even more time to do the things he loves, like surfing incredible waves around the world.What motivated you to open your Studio Pilates franchise and has it been a success so far?I’ve been doing Pilates for more than ten years now and can honestly say Studio Pilates is the best form of resistance exercise, given the specificity and safety of the activity. It targets all the right stabilising muscle groups, which often get neglected with other forms of exercise. It is great as a cross-training exercise to enhance performance in other sports, but is also perfect as your sole source of exercise. It is great for injury prevention. And it allows all walks of life to gain benefits.I have experienced many Pilates studios (mainly in Sydney) and found Studio Pilates to be far superior in terms of the quality of reformers used, the intensity of the workout, the cleanliness of the studio and, most importantly, the results. This was my main motivation for joining the Studio Pilates franchise. I believe that SPI will become the market leader in the Pilates industry globally.Can you describe to others what it's like to own a Studio Pilates franchise?Studio Pilates is a solid machine and no stone is left unturned.HQ is very diligent and wants the best for every franchisee. I was concerned that, after signing the franchise agreement, the service would drop off and I would be left to my own devices in another state of Australia. However, I can reassure anyone with this concern that this did not happen. The staff have been more than helpful, are very good at communication, easy to understand and are very responsive and very well educated in their respective fields.In terms of an intense, specific, fun and safe workout, the Studio Pilates model is a standout. It has been structured in a way that makes it very user-friendly and offers enough variety to keep clients returning again and again.‘The ultimate toning workout’ rings true, and the results are tangible.Own a Studio PilatesWhere to next for you? Are you planning to expand further and open more locations?I would like to open another studio in the next three years that is geographically close to the current studio, which would make life easier in terms of travel time between studios, and brand awareness will be higher if located nearby.In your opinion, what is the best part about being a Studio Pilates franchisee?I like the fact that there is a lot of support for all areas of the business, the product is the best in the industry and the branding is sleek. There is also room to move in terms of how many staff you require. You can employ studio managers and instructors or you are free to do all the roles yourself, it is entirely up to you. All the other franchisees I have come into contact with have been very helpful and insightful and it really feels like you are all part of the same team working towards a common goal.I love being able to do all the classes regularly myself and having the ability to offer the product to those I come into contact with at work and socially.Own a Studio PilatesTom loves to enjoy the great outdoors with loved onesThe most rewarding part of the job?The most rewarding part of the job is interacting with healthy like-minded people and seeing clients who really apply themselves and make big improvements in their health, which in turn filters into the rest of their lives.What words of inspiration do you have for those who are thinking of taking the plunge and opening a Studio Pilates?If you are looking for a challenge which offers a balance of health and abundance of all kinds, then this will appeal to you. It will challenge you in many ways and also offer rewards in areas you didn't know existed.The Studio Pilates venture is the way of the future in the workout space, so get on board early and benefit from the expanding growth in this field.
