Small wellness studio in rented rooms

Local adults looking for relaxation, stress relief or regular movement classes, plus drop-in clients and class-pass regulars.

Clients pay per treatment or class, or buy blocks and memberships. You can also charge therapists and teachers a room rental fee instead of paying them.

• A qualification in at least one therapy or class you offer
• Booking and scheduling
• Welcoming, calm customer service
• Basic bookkeeping

• Check with your council whether your premises need change of use permission, and whether business rates apply
• Public liability insurance, and professional indemnity for treatments; check that visiting therapists hold their own cover
• Some councils require a licence or registration for massage and special treatments, and others do not, so check with your local council before you start trading
• Music played in classes may need a licence, so check with the relevant licensing bodies
• Treat client health information carefully under data protection rules, and check whether you need to pay the ICO data protection fee
• Rent is a fixed cost, so test demand before committing to a long lease

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £5,000 to £25,000, depending on the premises, fit-out and equipment. Rent is a fixed cost, so test demand before committing to a long lease.

Monthly revenue is typically around £2,000 to £10,000 as an estimate, depending on how many treatments and classes you run and whether you bring in other therapists and teachers. Treat this as a guide.

Check with your council about change of use permission, business rates, and any licence or registration for massage and special treatments. Also check insurance, including cover held by visiting therapists, music licensing, data protection rules and whether you need to pay the ICO fee.