[00:00:00] Welcome to Pilates Teachers' Manual, a podcast for Pilates teachers by a Pilates teacher. I'm Olivia, and I'll be your host. Jump in the conversation on Instagram @pilatesteachersmanual. Today's chapter starts now.

Hello, hello. Welcome back everybody to Pilates Teachers' Manual. Today is a continuation of last week's episode, so I'm still going to be talking about privates. But I'm going to be talking about privates that happen in clients' homes, which is the same and different from teaching privates in the studio. So I'm going to [00:01:00] break this up into two different parts, as I do.

The first part I'm going to be talking about is client facing, what you as a teacher are going to be looking at. And the second thing I'm going to be looking at is sort of the backend and your business as a teacher, what your going to be doing behind the scenes that your client may or may not be aware of.

So when we think about the client facing parts of teaching privates in someone's home, big things I want to focus on are how it's different from teaching privates in the studio, specifically in terms of equipment and administrative work, and the relationship between you and the client. 

So when you're talking about equipment, when you're at a studio, you have the studio's equipment, right? There's a reformer there, there's a chair, there's a Cadillac, there's an arc, there's a Bosu, like there's stuff there that you can play with. When you teaching in clients' homes, you need to bring that equipment with you or [00:02:00] your clients already need to have that equipment. 

So a lot of the props that I bring when I'm teaching in clients' homes are small. It's a stability ball. It's a balance pad. It's resistance bands. I have these like fun, like hand extensor and flexors for hand strengthening, but it's all small things. I'm not going to bring a Bosu with me. That's ridiculous. Like I also don't bring free weights with me because that's very heavy. The biggest piece of equipment that I'm going to bring is definitely the balance pad or the stability ball.

I also teach private yoga, so I might bring a mat or a bolster or like a yoga blanket with me. And that might work in Pilates as well, but it's only as much as I can fit into like either my duffel bag or like my yoga mat bag. So that's going to limit in some ways the kind of exercises that you do, but that's if you're the only person responsible for the equipment.

If you're working with a client and you have this [00:03:00] longterm relationship with them and you are seeing them once or twice a week for a year or multiple years, you are more than justified to recommend like, Hey, why don't we get you a yoga mat that you like and by, "we get you" I mean, "why don't you get for yourself a yoga mat that you're going to enjoy having?" 

Or same thing, like I do some work with foam rollers as well. Foam rollers aren't super heavy, but they are kind of clunky in terms of bringing them around. So you might recommend that they have their own foam roller. If you want to keep doing those exercises, that shouldn't be a problem, like they should ideally be invested in the work. So that that's fine. 

You also make the rules for your sessions and your appointments. So when you're working in a studio, they set the pricing and they set a cancellation policy and they set a scheduling software or whatever. You are responsible for all of that stuff on your end. So when you're going into [00:04:00] teaching these privates and people's homes, you already want to have a fairly good idea about what you want your cancellation policy to look like, what you want your payment scheduling to look like, you know, do clients pay upfront for appointments? Do they pay after the appointment? Do you offer packages of appointments or do you invoice monthly? 

There are pros and cons to each one of those models. You just want to know going into it, what you're going to be offering so that you can answer questions with clarity and you can sort of set the tone for that.

The scheduling definitely takes time. So I use Google calendar. I also have like a handwritten planner so that I can keep track of my appointments. And you do want to, just as a professional, be at your appointments on time or slightly early is even better so that you can set up. And you just want your clients to know that you can be counted on that you're a responsible individual. So that's scheduling. 

I try to set just for [00:05:00] my own clients that if you are asking for an appointment that isn't like a standing appointment, I would love two days notice just so that I can, you know, organize myself. But for most of the clients that I see in their own homes, it's a standing appointment. I see them every week at the same time. So they just kind of let me know their schedule changes as they come up. I would love 24 hours notice for cancellation. And I know that that can't always happen. 

The great thing about the appointments that I offer is because I'm offering them so close to my home and because I'm- all of my appointments are within walking distance. I am not super strict about a cancellation policy because just the clients that I'm working with in terms, you know, we have a trust. They aren't last minute canceling all the time. You know, if you get sick or something comes up, like I'm, I'm pretty understanding. 

I mentioned about, you know, your pricing, what I do for the most part [00:06:00] is I do upfront payment, usually anywhere between two to eight appointments in advance. And I have different pricing that I offer based on how many appointments you're going to be paying for in advance. But again, that's what works for me. You might be someone who's cool with invoicing. You might be someone who is fine with being paid after every session. Like it really depends on you and how you're setting up your situation. 

So along those lines, because you are responsible for everything because you are traveling to the client's homes because you are bringing your own props. And because just like the value of the service that you're offering, the pricing is going to be different. You want your pricing to reflect your travel time and the service that you're offering. So that's another thing that you want to keep in mind, and you just want to be clear about your pricing so that when people ask you can respond with confidence. 

Another thing that's important and is different [00:07:00] from offering in studio privates is the relationship that you have with your client. Working in the client's home is more intimate because you're in their space and you might also meet, you know, family members. You'll have some idea of what's going on in their life in a way that you don't when you're meeting sort of in this neutral ground of the studio. 

So one thing to keep in mind, again, as a professional is to, you know, be polite and also to have boundaries about things. I fall back on the PMAs, a scope of practice for Pilates teachers. And just this idea that you, you know, I'm not a certified therapist, I'm not a physical therapist, I'm not a medical professional. I have some knowledge about things, but I am not a replacement for any of those other professionals. You know, I'm not a massage therapist, things like that. So I'm really big on again, referring people [00:08:00] to physical therapists that I trust, massage therapists that I trust, so that they know that what we're going to be doing is yoga, is Pilates.

I'm going to listen. Like I respect that the person is a full spectrum, human being. They're not just a body that's moving. They also have, you know, emotions and stuff going on in their lives. But you do need to be clear about establishing boundaries so that it's a comfortable session for you and also for your client. They don't think that you're offering something that you can't offer. So those are client facing things, things that you're going to want to discuss with your clients going in. 

Another big question is, you know, how do I get these, you know, amazing at home privates? My first clients came to me from teacher recommendations that I had relationships with personal trainers and with yoga teachers and with other Pilates teachers, I had time in my schedule and you know, these teachers came to me, Hey, you know, I've got this person who [00:09:00] really wants to do this mid day appointment. I'm not available at that time, but I think that you're a great teacher. You might be available. 

I have had clients who knew me from a studio that I worked at and they wanted to do stuff at their home, whether it fits in their schedule better, or they, you know, need a little bit more personalized class, or group fitness isn't really working for them, and also recommendations from my clients.

So I might be working with one client, and they would love for me to work with their spouse or their family members or friends. I always try to make a special opening in my schedule to at least interact with that person, whether it's through email or to call them, even if they don't fit in my schedule. Just, you know, as a thank you for that referral. 

Another thing that I have is a website. I do have a contact me form and a way to interact with people who aren't coming to me [00:10:00] necessarily in a way that I like already know this person, they already have my phone number, email, or they got it from an existing client.

I am a little bit more cautious when I'm working with people who are coming in from my website, that aren't coming from someone that I know. And so my process of vetting clients is a little bit different when I'm dealing with someone who I don't already have a connection with, but a lot of it's just common sense.

You want to have this like open line of communication. I also try to meet with clients before we have a session. Like before I go to their home, I try to meet with them at a coffee shop and just chat with them and kind of feel them out, see what they're looking for and what I'm able to offer. And if our interests and abilities are meshable.

So maybe that last bit is more of a back end consideration when you're getting involved with private clients. But I think it's also [00:11:00] a front end thing that you do want to know what to do when people contact you. 

I talked before in episodes about creating your dream schedule and also about having privates, to just have a really clear schedule, a really clear pricing, really clear policies that you want to be able to enforce to the best of your ability, and really know that any relationship with your client should be built on mutual respect, that you should respect your client's time and your client's goals and your client's hopes for your private sessions. And they should also respect your time and the energy that you put into your sessions as well. A client that doesn't respect my time is not a client that I'm going to have for a long time, because it doesn't work if there's not mutual respect.

So coming up after the break, I'm going to talk a little bit more about what goes on behind the scenes.

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If you're going to be offering privates as a serious work that you're going to be doing serious, and that you're going to be making money, that you're going to have to claim as income on your taxes. 

I started a business that I really devoted to my private clients. So I do have a single member LLC. My business license from the city of Chicago just came in the mail. [00:13:00] Do know that if you are going to be setting up a business, that the bureaucracy takes a second, so know that going in. 

The reason I started the business is because again, like a third to half of my personal income is coming from private clients. And it just makes sense that instead of claiming that as miscellaneous income on my taxes, that like when I was getting started and it was like a really small amount, that's what I did. It makes sense to have a business bank account and the way to kind of track your business that way. Just a disclaimer, that I am not a lawyer and I am not a finance professional, but this is just what I've done with my business. 

Another thing you want to keep in mind is liability insurance. I have had personal liability insurance, even when I'm working in studios. I have never had any problems with a client and I don't foresee having any issues, but it's just one of those things that if you [00:14:00] are working with people, it's a good idea to have as a professional. My liability insurance covers both my yoga teaching and my Pilates teaching. I know that through  the Pilates Method Alliance, they do offer, you know, liability insurance for Pilates teachers.

I'm also a member of yoga Alliance for yoga teachers, and they also offer liability insurance. Instead of getting one from each, I have an insurance that covers both of those modalities and that's what works for me. There's a lot out there. I recommend researching that. 

I do also have a liability waiver that I have my clients sign. That's just sort of a blanket release of liability. That's what you would sign going into any studio or gym environment. So those are things that you definitely want to have behind the scenes.

Having a business means that there's a lot of administrative work, like even beyond scheduling your clients that you want to be aware of going in. I do expense reports. I have [00:15:00] a business bank account and like a debit card credit card that I can use for my business expenses. You definitely want to do research whether an LLC is going to be the right thing for you, whether depending on your needs, you can also file as a corporation. I think I'm going to do a separate episode of just like how to do the business aspect of it, because that's something that I'm learning and growing in right now.

Other things that happen behind the scenes, as you're doing these appointments in people's homes. As I do have files on all of my clients and I keep notes on what I'm doing with them in sessions and what their headlines are or what things like we're really working on, what things they enjoy, what things they do not enjoy because you're working one on one with someone,  occasionally there'll be something that a client doesn't like doing, like it might be being on their knees, or it might be [00:16:00] lying on their stomach. It could be like a body position or it could be, you know, they have stuff going on in their body and it's just not happening. Again, just looking at the goal of every exercise that you're bringing to the session and making it accessible to the body in front of you. 

Also on a given day, like I've had clients who, I come there and they're like, Oh, you know, something's kind of funny in my ankle. And then it's like, okay, well, all of the standing stuff that I had planned, maybe we're not going to explore that in a way that I wanted to. So there is a bit of thinking on your feet that happens and you know, that happens in group classes. Well, that happens in the studio as well, but it really happens when you're working one on one with someone.

You come to their house and they like just finished lunch. And so you were going to do a bunch of bridging to begin, but you know, maybe having their hips higher than their heart when they are, have just eaten is like not ideal. Maybe want to do something else first. 

Even more in a client's home [00:17:00] you have this like great possibility for growth with this individual. There's like such a level of trust and there's such potential that you can explore because you're really customizing every exercise and every session to meet this person's needs. One of the reasons that I keep notes in addition to just having multiple sessions is that you want to offer a sense of progression.

So if I have a client who's working on balance, you want to offer balance challenges that they can feel successful working with, and then you want to keep nudging them along. That's one of the things that I love that when we're doing an exercise and suddenly, you know, it clicks and you know, they've been struggling with it, but now it feels a lot more comfortable and it's like, "great! Let's keep going." And you really get to do that with your private clients. 

There are huge pros to offering appointments in your [00:18:00] client's home. A big one is that relationship that you really are going to be able to talk with this person and get to see them as more than an assembly of body parts. You really get to see them as a person. You get to know more about them. You get to talk with them a little bit. A lot of my clients like to chat during sessions. So a lot of what I do is kind of guiding them through exercises while also holding a conversation, which is a skill in itself, but also really fun. 

But another thing is financially, you're going to be charging more for those privates than you would for a group class. You do get to set your prices. I do recommend talking with other teachers who are offering similar services and just kind of feel out what price they're offering, because you don't want to undercut either them or yourself. You do want to be like adequately compensated for your time and your skill.

Another pro is flexibility in scheduling. If you're [00:19:00] out of town for a weekend and you had a client that you saw on Saturday, you can reschedule them for another time, another part of the week. If you have a group class that happens on Saturday, you're going to need to get coverage for it. But you can be a little bit more flexible with your scheduling.

Cons, if you do not love teaching privates and you do not love the people that you're working with, it is very difficult to do privates in a sustainable way. So if privates are something that feel draining to you, and that's not to say that that's bad or anything, but just know yourself as a teacher, if you don't like doing privates in people's homes, recommend other teachers if you have people who are asking for that. 

Private clients can go on vacation, so if a lot of your income is coming from those private clients, and then they're gone for a week or they're sick or you're sick, like you can really take a financial hit. I definitely have a mix of privates and group classes because I don't want to be entirely dependent on one thing.

[00:20:00] Group classes are a lot more regular privates. I try very, very much in my privates to keep them regular, but they have the potential to be a little bit more spontaneous or irregular. 

If you are a teacher and you are considering offering private sessions in clients' homes, these are all, some definite things to keep in mind, both on the front end, the fact that you're going to be in charge of everything, that's both the teaching and the administrative work. You're going to be in charge of scheduling and you're going to be in charge of the equipment. And also the relationship that you're building with your clients is going to be a little bit different than in a studio setting and on the back end of things, you're also going to be responsible for setting up your business, if that's the way that you choose to go and also handling, you know, your certifications.

And in addition to that liability insurance and just a lot of administrative stuff. If you have any questions or [00:21:00] are already offering privates in clients' homes, feel free to jump in the conversation and let me know what you're up to, what you recommend. We'll grow together. Thanks so much for tuning in.

Thank you for listening to this chapter of Pilates Teachers' Manual. Be sure to visit the Instagram link in the description for the post on today's episode. There, you can leave your comments, ask questions, and join the conversation. Also be sure to support the podcast and take advantage of the great affiliate links in the description. The adventure continues. Until next time.