01Move
DNA dimensions
Class fill rate, intro-pack conversion, month-2 retention, ancillary spend per member, NPS and Google review velocity.
All playbooksHealth & wellness
Fitness studio playbook.
Boutique London fitness studios on a class model (HIIT, reformer Pilates, spin, yoga). The lever is class fill, intro-to-member conversion and reducing churn in months 2–4.
Overview
A boutique London fitness studio with 1–2 rooms typically does £180k–£650k year one. Economics work when class fill averages 70%+ and intro-pack conversion to monthly membership clears 40%. This playbook covers opening a 12–24 spot single-modality boutique studio (HIIT, reformer, spin or yoga) in Zone 2–3 London — equipment, licensing, ramp and a credible 12-month plan.
+18 pts
Class fill lift
44%
Intro-to-member
78%
Month-2 retention
№ 01 / What you'll need
Equipment list with real 2026 UK prices.
Sized for a 2–4 chair shop. Buy mid-range on chairs and clippers; cheap kit fails inside 12 months and walks away with your barbers.
01
Studio room
Sprung wood or rubber flooring
12 mm cushioned for HIIT, marley for dance/yoga
£45–£120 / m² installed
Mirror wall + ballet barre
£1,800–£5,500
Sound system (zone + sub)
Powered speakers + DJ-style controller
£2,200–£6,500
Heart-rate display (Myzone / Polar)
£2,800–£8,500 + £40 / belt
Lighting (mood + class-mode)
£1,200–£4,500
HVAC upgrade
8–12 air changes / hr
£4,500–£14,000
02
Modality — Reformer Pilates
Reformer (Balanced Body / Stott / Align-Pilates)
£1,800–£4,500 each
12 reformers = 12 spots.
Props (boxes, jumpboards, mats, balls)
£280–£600 per spot
03
Modality — Spin / HIIT / Yoga (alternative)
Spin bikes (Stages / Keiser / Schwinn)
£1,400–£3,200 each
Functional rig + dumbbells + benches (HIIT)
£8,500–£28,000
Yoga mats + props (yoga)
£1,800–£5,500 total
04
Front of house
Reception desk + retail wall
£3,500–£12,000
Changing rooms (lockers, showers)
£12,000–£45,000
Retail stock (water, bars, branded apparel)
£1,800–£6,500 initial
POS + booking + RFID lockers
£180–£600 / mo
№ 02 / Where to set up
Location is half the business.
Catchment density
≥ 8,000 ABC1 residents within 15 min walk
Boutique fitness is hyper-local; 80%+ of members live or work within 1.5 miles.
Floor area
120–250 m² for 1 studio + FOH + changing
Allow 4–5 m² per spot, plus 30–40% for FOH and 25% for changing.
Ceiling height
≥ 3 m
Reformer carriages need overhead space; HIIT box-jumps need it too.
Acoustic separation
Concrete slab above OR below
Sound complaints from residential neighbours kill leases. Insist on acoustic survey pre-signing.
Shower drainage
Existing OR installable wet area
Showers are a non-negotiable for any premium studio; retrofit £18–£45k.
Use class
Class E (commercial)
Most former retail or office units convert without planning.
Area tier
Rent / month
Notes
Zone 1 (Marylebone, Chelsea, Mayfair)
£8,500–£28,000
Class price £24–£38. Premium reformer / boxing / hot yoga.
Zone 2 (Shoreditch, Clapham, Battersea, Hackney)
£4,500–£12,000
Sweet spot. Class price £18–£28, very strong intro-to-member conversion.
Zone 3 (Walthamstow, Brixton, Wandsworth)
£2,400–£6,500
Community model. Class price £14–£22, very high retention.
Outer / commuter town
£1,800–£4,200
Mums + commuter focus. Off-peak fill is the key economic battle.
№ 03 / Licences & registrations
Get the paperwork done before you sign a lease.
UK figures for 2026. Lead times assume you submit complete applications — councils will pause the clock if you miss documents.
Requirement
Who issues
Cost
Lead time
ReqRegister company + HMRC accounts
Companies House / HMRC
£12–£50
1–3 days
ReqPremises registration with local council
Local authority
£0–£250
2–6 weeks
ReqInstructor qualifications (REPs / CIMSPA register)
CIMSPA / awarding bodies
Per instructor, £400–£1,200 to qualify
Existing for hires
ReqFirst aid + AED training
St John Ambulance / Red Cross
£90–£280 per person
1 day
ReqPublic + employer + professional liability insurance
Insure4Sport / Sportscover
£280–£1,200 / yr
1 week
ReqPPL PRS music licence (group fitness tariff)
PPL PRS Ltd
£450–£2,400 / yr by capacity
2 weeks
OptDBS check (if working with under-18s)
DBS
£40 each
2–6 weeks
OptFood hygiene (if smoothies / snacks)
Local council
Free
28 days
OptAcoustic compliance / sound limiter
Council Environmental Health
£500–£2,400 if required
2–4 weeks
ReqICO data protection registration
ICO
£40 / yr
Same day
№ 04 / Build-out timeline
From decision to open in 12 weeks.
01
Phase 1 · Plan + finance
Week −20 to −14- Pick modality + postcode. Run NAVIZIX Demand Radar on 3 catchments.
- Build 12-month twin (£140k–£420k startup for 12–18 spots).
- Open bank + arrange asset finance for equipment.
02
Phase 2 · Premises + acoustic
Week −14 to −10- Sign lease (negotiate 3–5 month rent-free).
- Commission acoustic survey + design.
- Order long-lead equipment (reformers 8–14 weeks).
03
Phase 3 · Build-out
Week −10 to −2- MEP + HVAC.
- Studio floor + mirrors + sound.
- Changing room build.
- Booking platform + Stripe + ClassPass go live.
04
Phase 4 · Soft launch
Week −2 to 0- Hire 4–8 freelance instructors.
- Free founder-classes for 2 weeks with full review request flow.
- Influencer + local press preview classes.
05
Phase 5 · Compound
Week 0+- Week 1: NAVIZIX intro-pack nudge automation live.
- Month 1: First DNA scan — typically flags conversion + month-2 retention.
- Month 3: First peer benchmark.
- Month 6: Launch unlimited tier + corporate plan.
№ 05 / Budget
Realistic startup and monthly cost ranges.
One-off · Startup
Setting up the shop
Lease deposit + first rent + premium
£18,000 → £90,000
Shopfit (flooring, mirrors, sound, lighting, HVAC)
£35,000 → £120,000
Equipment (12–18 reformers OR bikes OR rig)
£24,000 → £80,000
Changing rooms + showers + lockers
£18,000 → £55,000
Reception + retail fit-out
£4,500 → £18,000
Booking + POS + integrations setup
£900 → £3,500
Branding, photography, opening marketing
£8,500 → £28,000
Licensing + insurance year 1
£1,500 → £4,500
Working capital (3 months)
£28,000 → £90,000
Typical total
£35k → £85k
Recurring · Monthly
Keeping the lights on
Rent + service charge
£2,400 → £12,000
Business rates
£0 → £3,200
Utilities (HVAC + hot water)
£800 → £2,400
Instructor fees (£40–£90 / class)
£8,500 → £28,000
Reception + manager wages
£3,200 → £9,500
Booking platform + POS
£180 → £700
Music + insurance + cleaning
£480 → £1,400
Marketing (Meta + Google + influencer)
£800 → £4,500
Card fees + ClassPass commission
£600 → £3,500
Typical total
£5.8k → £23k
№ 06 / Numbers that compound
How a fitness studio actually looks on a chart.
Interactive projections rebuilt from real UK operating data — toggle the views to see ramp, mix and weekly load.
12-month revenue ramp
Low vs high scenario (£ monthly)
High Low
Source · NAVIZIX cohort · 12–18 spot London boutique studios · 2025–2026
№ 07 / First 90 days
Dates that actually matter after opening.
01Day 0
Doors open. Booking, Stripe, GBP and review automation all live.
02Day 14
First DNA scan; first intro packs sold convert to nudge sequence.
03Day 30
First class fill measurement (4-week rolling). Off-peak fix begins.
04Day 60
First peer benchmark on intro-to-member + month-2 retention.
05Day 90
Unlimited tier + corporate plan launched; investor / lender pack auto-generated.
№ 08 / What's inside
DNA, route, automations, integrations, benchmarks, advisors — tuned for a fitness studio.
02Move
Suggested route
Fix intro-to-member conversion (it pays for paid acquisition), automate month-2 check-in, then build a referral loop with verified reviews.
03Move
Automations
Intro-pack nudge at day 7/14, post-class review request, lapsed-member win-back at 21/45 days, instructor-rota digest and waitlist promotion.
04Move
Integrations
Mindbody / TeamUp / Glofox, Stripe, Google Business Profile, Mailchimp, Xero, ClassPass.
05Move
Benchmarks
Class fill, retention and ancillary spend vs London studios of similar modality and price tier.
06Move
Advisors
Encore advisors from multi-site London boutique groups paired with NAVIZIX AI for daily fill + churn nudges.
№ 09 / Stack
Modules used in this playbook.
01DNA Engine02Route Map03Launch Twin04Automation05Verified06Encore
Related playbooks
Owners of a fitness studio often run — or cross-sell with — these adjacent operations.
Start with this playbook
14 days free. No credit card.
Full workspace, every module. The fitness studio playbook loads on day one. Cancel anytime.
Private preview · Waitlist
3,751 operators in the queue