For small group training 3-6 people, is it best to charge by the month or as a package of a set number of sessions?
I own a small personal training studio and I’m the only trainer. I’ve only been offering 1-on-1 training of 30 minutes sessions. I currently offer 1-on-1 packages of 5 sessions @ $150, 10 sessions @ $270, and 20 sessions @ $500. I live in a small town in a rural area with a median income of about $42,500. I want to make the training affordable for those who can’t afford 1-on-1 but I also have to cover my rent, utilities, supplies, etc. as well as the increased challenge of working with multiple people at once. Any suggestion of what I should charge for the small group based on what I charge for 1-on-1?
OK, now that I’ve added a couple more monthly clients, since I’m not a studio owner I’m starting to think that monthly payments are a pain in the butt. The gym gets a secure monthly income, but I don’t. Just like with session purchases, I only get paid when a client trains. That’s fair. BUT, since our system is set up to release sessions pro rata based on payment, it messes with a client’s ability to take anything quickly. A person buying 12 sessions from me can use them in 4 weeks if they want to come 3x a week, but 12 sessions on month to month gives them one session a month, which isn’t effective, which means they drop out and don’t take all 12 sessions.
So, yeah, if I owned the studio I’d be really excited for monthly payments because I’d have a predictable income and I might not even have to pay the trainer because I’ve got an uncancellable contract for income, but if the client moves out of town or quits there’s no expense. But as the employee, it kid of sucks.