How are class types and capacity set up in a pilates studio?
A pilates studio runs three class types: group, private and duo. The size of the room or the number of apparatus sets the capacity of a group class, a private class seats one member and a duo seats two. Level matters as much as capacity: keeping advanced members out of a beginner group, and beginners out of an advanced one, protects the flow of the class and makes the instructor’s job easier.
- Group class
- The studio sets the capacity, but it can never exceed the room the class is held in. Separate rooms for mat and apparatus classes keep the two from being booked into the same hall at the same time.
- Private class
- A one-member session; capacity is fixed at one. Often the first choice of members coming back from an injury or just starting out.
- Duo class
- A two-member session; capacity is fixed at two. Set up for couples, friends or two members at the same level.
- Level
- A class is marked Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced or All Levels. A member at a different level cannot book it themselves; staff see the warning and can confirm it to add them.
In Dakik a room only hosts the classes assigned to it and a session’s capacity can never exceed the room’s; a session that clashes with the same room or instructor is flagged before it is saved.
How are pilates packages usually built?
Pilates packages are usually built around how often a member comes each week: a 4 or 8 class credit package for someone who comes once or twice a week, and a time package with a weekly limit for someone who comes more often. Group, private and duo classes are sold as separate packages because a class is worth a different amount in each type. A one-time trial package covers new members.
| Package | Type | Credits | Validity | Cancellation and make-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mat group 4 classes | Credit | 4 | 35 days | 12 hours before, make-up pool |
| Mat group 8 classes | Credit | 8 | 35 days | 12 hours before, 1 cancel a week |
| Monthly mat | Time | Up to 3 classes a week | 30 days | 12 hours before, make-up pool |
| Private 10 classes | Credit | 10 | 60 days | 24 hours before, reschedule |
| Duo 8 classes | Credit | 8 | 45 days | 24 hours before, reschedule |
| Trial class | Trial | 1 | Kept short | No cancellation |
The table is an example; the number of packages, their validity and the cancellation window are each studio’s own call. Dakik only lets a package be used for the classes chosen in its definition and of the same class type: a group package does not pay for a private class.
What cancellation and make-up rule suits a pilates class?
Because a pilates class has few spots, the cancellation rule has to leave enough time for a freed spot to reach another member. The common practice is to give the credit back as a make-up when a member cancels before a set number of hours, and to count it as used on a last-minute cancellation or a no-show. Writing the rule into the package itself, not into a verbal agreement, prevents arguments.
- Cancellation window: how many hours before the class a member can still cancel, e.g. 12
- Cancellation frequency: how often that right can be used, per week or over the package
- Make-up policy: the canceled credit is lost, moved to another session or returned to the make-up pool
- Reschedule window: how many days the member has to use the make-up credit, e.g. 7
- Freezing: during a holiday or an injury the package end date moves forward by the frozen days
When the studio cancels a class, say an instructor falls ill or a hall is closed, the held credit goes straight back to the package whatever the cancellation rule says.
How do you keep track of pilates members?
Tracking pilates members means seeing, in one record, how many credits each member has left, when their package ends, which classes they came to and how much they still owe. Kept in a notebook or a spreadsheet, all of that is updated by hand after every booking. In software the credit follows the booking, attendance follows the roll call, the balance follows the payment, and a member whose package is ending gets a reminder.
- Credits left and the package end date
- Make-up credits and when they expire
- Which classes the member attended and which they missed
- The amount paid, the balance due and the installments falling due
- A reminder to members whose package is about to end
How is a pilates instructor paid?
Pilates studios usually pay instructors by the number of classes taught, by the number of members who attended, or with a fixed salary. Where group sizes vary, paying per participant makes the instructor a partner in filling the class; for an instructor who mostly teaches private sessions, a per-class fee or a share of the revenue can be fairer. Whichever model the studio chooses, the calculation should rest on attendance.
- Per Class
- A fixed fee for every class taught, the same whatever the group size.
- Per Participant
- A fee for every member who attended; a full group earns the instructor more.
- Revenue Share
- A percentage of the class value of the members who attended; common for instructors who mostly teach private sessions.
- Monthly Fixed and Weekly Fixed
- A salary for a staff instructor, with an optional bonus per class or per participant.
In Dakik every instructor has one pay definition, and a definition that changes mid-month is applied to each class by its own date.
How does a pilates studio move to Dakik?
A pilates studio moves to Dakik in six steps: define the rooms and classes, set up the packages with their rules, put the weekly schedule on the calendar as recurring series, enter each instructor’s pay terms, move the current members across with their packages, and finally invite the members. After that, booking, cancellation, make-ups and pay run on their own from the rules.
Define the rooms and classes
Enter each hall as a room with its capacity; define mat, apparatus group, private and duo classes with their type, length and level, and choose the rooms each can be held in.
Set up the packages with their rules
Define credit, time and trial packages with their credits, validity, the classes they cover, the cancellation window, the make-up policy and the freeze allowance.
Put the weekly schedule on the calendar
Set each class up as a recurring series with its day, time, room and instructor; the calendar flags a clash before you save.
Enter each instructor’s pay terms
Pick one of the five models for each instructor and enter the fee or the percentage; the pay comes out of attendance.
Move the members and their packages
Move your current members, their packages and the credits already used with the help of Dakik’s team; confirm the remaining credits with members before the switch.
Invite the members
An invitation email brings each member into their own panel; booking, canceling and make-ups now run from their phone.
Class schedule, capacity and conflict checks: Schedule
Credit, time and trial packages: Member Packages
Cancellation rules, the make-up pool and freezing: Make-up Pool and Freeze
Five pay models: Instructor Pay
Moving from a spreadsheet in detail: Moving from Spreadsheets
Frequently asked questions
Can I run mat and reformer classes separately in the same studio?
Yes. Each hall is defined as its own room, and a room only hosts the classes assigned to it. Mat and reformer get separate packages, and a package can only be used for the classes in its scope, so nobody books a reformer class with a mat package.
Can pilates members book classes from their phone?
Yes. Dakik runs in the browser: members download nothing from a store, they add the link to their home screen. They see the schedule, book a spot, cancel within the rule or move a class, and see their remaining credits, make-up credits and balance on the same screen.
What happens when a member wants a full pilates class?
They join the waitlist. When a spot opens, the next member in line is notified and has the time the studio set to accept it; if they do not, the offer moves on to the next member. Staff cannot push a member past the capacity of a full session either.
Do I have to book members who come at the same time every week one by one?
No. A weekly class is set up as a recurring series and its regular members are added to the series once, which holds their spot in every session. A member without a package yet is held as Awaiting Package, and those seats turn into bookings when the package is sold.
Can a pilates studio with several branches use Dakik?
Yes. Each branch opens as a studio of its own, with its own rooms, schedule, members and cash accounts, and runs on its own rules. The owner switches between branches from the same account, so one branch’s packages or pay never mix into another’s records.