If you are considering opening up your own barre studio, I HIGHLY recommend Amy Mewborn and Studio In A Box! I could not have done this without Amy’s knowledge, expertise, advice, humor and friendship. I was trying to decide between just the SIB and the Full Package, with added one-on-one time with Amy. After receiving a glowing testimonial from another client of Amy’s, my decision was simple - I went all in. It was one of the easiest (and best) decisions I have made.

Amy is honest, professional, personable, kind, and fun. Opening a studio has been my dream for the past 8 years. My investment in Amy and SIB has been worth every penny. She has been my consultant, my counsel, my guide, my rock and my friend. And that, is invaluable to me.

I have been planning on opening a studio since I was 5 years old. I dreamed about what I would teach and how I would decorate and that my dad would build it for me. But then, I moved from my tiny town to Silicon Valley, California and I realized that I’d be competing with franchises that had entire boards dedicated to curriculum and purchasing and music! How to compete with these fitness giants who made their money telling their studio owners what to do? At first I went through the process of franchising and was accepted...twice, but both times I felt a tiny voice that told me I didn’t need panels of strangers telling me how to run my dream. That voice also chided that I had no idea how to open a studio that would compete with the Barres and Core Powers in my area, so I started to research.

Studio in a Box is fantastic; it walks you through your business plan, studio build out, hiring packets, and props. Literally, everything you need is in an online portal that walks you from step one to step 100. How to protect your brand by trademarking it, (feel free to look up Flex Fusion Studios, we are a registered mark!) how to find employees, how to register your business with the state. Licenses and permitting and things that when I said I wanted to own a studio I never would have guessed, and I am a third generation entrepreneur! The logistics of business ownership - that is where Amy shines and where she saved me time and time again.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Amy's Studio in a Box program.  My studio is now open and I'm beginning to live the life I have always dreamed.  I had contemplated opening a franchise and had been speaking with one in particular but I had always heard that you were buying yourself a job when you buy into a franchise...which is what I wanted to leave.  They also required very high liquidity and required me to quit my job.  I thirsted for the freedom to do what I wanted and to have the flexibility without rules and fees, but also wanted (and needed) the support.
 
I would not have gotten my loan or a real estate agent to take me seriously without the documents provided for a business plan and financial projections within the program.  Creating these documents from scratch would have taken forever since I have zero experience in the management of a studio.  The operations manual, instructor guide, and client forms were a huge time saver and had ideas in them that I hadn't thought to implement.  I continue to reference all the documentation and it is the first place I go if I'm running into an issue and not sure what to do.  Also, Amy is always available for a quick question and wants you to succeed.  I highly recommend it for anyone dreaming of starting a studio without the franchise fees, while maintaining true creative freedom.  

Amy’s program is exceptional.  She is a very caring person.  She goes above and beyond to assist and help you succeed.  She provided every bit of feedback I requested when asking for assistance.  Amy checked on me on a regular basis.  I would highly recommend her program versus trying to wing it or go it alone.  It is tough out there and if I had to do it all over again I would still have signed up for her program. 

The most valuable pieces to me were the wealth of documents containing information that I needed prior to opening.  This would include:

• the checklists
• the HR forms
• the ad templates for hiring instructors
• the equipment links, etc 
  
  

ALL OF THIS was extremely helpful!

In addition, I was able to take the information from the marketing and PR section and get local media coverage for my events!