Grow your business to own a second studio

When you step into MIA studios in Paddington there’s a sense that there’s going to be fun had in this space while you get your workout done and that’s exactly how owners Robin and Kamilla Tate created it.

In October 2019, Tate and Kamilla opened their studio in Sydney’s east after almost 12 months of back and forth with the local council. “We were financially committed so this studio was going to happen no matter what…it was all about trying to get the stars to align,” said Tate.

And so My Inner Addiction (MIA) studios, named after their daughter Mia, was born. “Kamilla came up with the name for the studio and the brand concept that our Pilates studio was a good addiction to have. It wasn’t long before we found clients who shared the same values as us.

“When you come to MIA studios Kamilla and I wanted to create a really simple ethos. We want you to have fun, get a good workout, not take things so seriously, and build a connection with our instructors and the broader community. We saw lots of friendships developed off the back of our first studio.
 
“What sets us apart is how we encourage each of our instructors to bring their own style of teaching and their own personality into the classes. It gives them real freedom. All of our teachers have points of difference and are motivating in their style,” said Tate.

To start our first studio Tate and Kamilla had to take a leap of faith. “Sure you always worry about if it doesn’t work what will happen. And when you start to run your first Pilates business you quickly discover that when you do one step you suddenly have five other things to do. There’s always going to be the unknown. You need to remain flexible and don’t be surprised when things pop up. The fear is always way worse than the reality. Sure there were sleepless nights and at the time we endured Covid lockdowns but it didn’t stop us.

“With full classes and engaged clients in our first studio, some of our clients started asking if we would be opening a second location. We started to casually look around and before we knew it we saw something suitable in Alexandria in Sydney’s Inner West. The space fit our brand style and was in an up-and-coming area so we decided to jump at it. Not because we felt we had to. There wasn’t any real urgency. The right thing just happened at the right time,” said Tate.

So in September 2022, Tate and Kamilla decided to open a second studio. “We had two kids at the time and another on the way. We thought we’d have it all up and running before baby three arrived, but it didn’t work out that way. In fact, the second studio in Alexandria opened eight days after our baby Issi was born. We had two big life events happening at the same time but we made it work.

“We knew that the second studio had to bring the same culture and vibe that MIA was now known for, however, we were conscious that it would be different people in a different area coming to our classes so the second studio had to have its own style. We made sure it was the same fit out, the same tools and experience but in our view, every location should offer a slightly different experience. As long as it remained fun and welcoming to everyone then we were confident it would build more members and more community.

“I would say opening the second studio wasn’t as fearful as the first. With the first you have so much to set up, consider and get going, with the second you’ve already built your brand, your website, and your accounting software, you don’t have to start from scratch. We were also able to leverage the teachers across both studios which definitely helped. There are economies of scale to be made and in my opinion, there is less risk and the upside is bigger. Sure you double the teacher costs and the rent but you have an opportunity to double your profit.

“The flip side is that twice as many things can go wrong. It’s more challenging to cover two studios. I can’t be in two places at once. You have to manage twice as many members but we’re fortunate that we’ve got really good staff who handle our clients super well. Our open communication style means our team members feel supported. We’re very reliant on our staff and we want to look after them and reward them well. We want them to feel very much a part of the team. We’ve had a lot of the same team for the past three years.

“Another key learning was realising that what worked in Paddington may not always work for Alexandria. A great example is that early mornings are super popular for Paddington so we did the same at Alexandria and quickly learnt that night classes were much more popular. We also put on more beginner classes in Alexandria, which also made a big difference.

“We also realised that we needed to teach equally across both studios. When we got the second studio our members asked if we would be teaching less at the first studio as they always enjoyed our classes. So we made a conscious decision to make sure that whoever took over these classes had a similar style and the clients enjoyed them just as much so they had a seamless transition from one of us to one of our other teachers. In my opinion, it’s always good to have a mix of different teachers. Sure we were worried if we taught less that it might become an issue, but we quickly realised how beneficial it could be.

“Between the two of us, we now split our teaching hours between the two studios and I spend more of my time responding to every member's enquiry. We don’t have Studio Managers, that’s all on me. I do it because I want to know what’s going on, I want to have a relationship with my members, and we’re a reasonable small family business. We want to remain community-led, personable, small and nimble. We know that our members like that we are a small boutique Pilates studio. We’re not about becoming a franchise, we’re all about doing what we do really well. Who goes to Starbucks now anyways?” observed Tate.

So what is Tate and Kamilla’s final advice on opening your second studio?

“Do it for the right reasons, not just for the money. Don’t sacrifice to churn out another studio. Keep the same ethos. Keep the same quality and make it true to who you are. Make it personalised, your clients will love it and in turn, you’ll create a successful business.”

Robin and Kamilla Tate own both Padding and Alexandria M.I.A Studios in Sydney @m.i.a_studios