Learn-to-Skate group classes

Parents enrolling children in term or holiday programs, adults wanting group lessons, and sometimes schools or community groups booking a session.

Students pay per course or per session. Income grows with class size and number of classes, minus ice hire or rink fees and assistant coach pay.

• Skating and teaching ability
• Planning lesson progressions for mixed levels
• Marketing to local families
• Managing bookings and assistant coaches

• Insurance, including public liability, and workers compensation if you employ staff (check your state scheme)
• Everyone working with children needs the right checks, so check your state or territory requirements
• Ice hire is a big fixed cost, so empty classes can lose money
• Check whether assistants are employees or contractors with the ATO and your state body
• Rinks may limit outside programs, so confirm what is allowed in writing
• Class numbers can be seasonal, so test demand before booking lots of ice

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $9,000, depending on how much ice time you book, your insurance and your marketing. Ice hire is a big fixed cost, so test demand before booking lots of sessions.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on class numbers, pricing and how many terms or holiday clinics you run. Empty classes can lose money because ice hire is fixed, and numbers can be seasonal.

Check insurance, including public liability, and workers compensation if you employ staff. Check the working with children requirements in your state or territory, whether assistants are employees or contractors, and confirm in writing what the rink allows.