A signup is not a retained member-month
Trials, signed future contracts, failed charges, freezes and cancellations can inflate a gross enrollment count without producing the earned recurring revenue used by the model.
Fitness & sports / Maine / State profileFitness Studio
Fitness Studio
in Maine.
The Maine fitness-studio reference earns about $3,363 monthly EBIT at 280 assumed paying members and breaks even at 256 whole members at its $149 net price. A Portland exercise-studio listing quotes $15/SF NNN but conflicts on the offered area; local class memberships at $119 and $140 expose the price sensitivity without proving this proposed studio's collections.
Leased boutique group fitness studio with one primary class room, a defined weekly timetable, paid instructors, paid studio coordination and recurring monthly memberships
State benchmarks: May / July 2025 · Page prepared September 13, 2026
Can a Portland class studio retain 256 paying members at its price?
With the published Maine wage roster, 280 assumed active paying members yield about $3,363 monthly EBIT at a $149 net monthly price. At 250 members the same model loses about $794. A Free Street exercise-studio listing asks $15 per square foot NNN but names 2,062 square feet in its description and 2,409 in its structured space field; that means $2,578–$3,011 monthly base before unknown NNN and utilities, not a settled lease. Two Portland class operators advertise $119 and $140 monthly memberships for different offerings. Maine requires clear automatic-renewal terms, affirmative consent and cancellation by the same method as enrollment. The lease area, complete occupancy, class bundle and retained paid members must all be resolved before treating the $149 reference as achievable.
Reference EBIT$3,363/mo280 assumed paying members
First whole-member break-even256At the assumed $149 net price
At 250 paying members-$794/moRoster and costs unchanged
Which facts change the decision?
| Input | Published evidence | Planning use and remaining scope |
|---|---|---|
| Member contract | Maine Title 10 §1210-C expressly covers health studios and class facilities. Automatic renewal requires conspicuous terms, affirmative consent and a cancellation method matching enrollment; the disclosure includes charge frequency and the refund policy. Sources: Maine Legislature: Title 10 §1210-C | Design the actual monthly offer, online enrollment, billing and cancellation before presales. Forecast earned paid member-months after freezes and refunds, not gross signups. |
| Exercise-studio space | The broker-authored 125 Free Street listing advertises a turn-key exercise/yoga studio at $15/SF NNN. Its description says 2,062± SF, while a structured listing field says 2,409 SF. Conditional monthly base is about $2,578–$3,011; NNN is unquoted. Sources: Malone Commercial Brokers: 125 Free Street listing | Resolve the floor plan and rentable area with the broker, then request a complete NNN, utility and fit-out schedule. Neither conditional base can replace the model's $7,500 full occupancy allowance without that work. |
| Class pricing | Hustle and Flow advertises a $119 monthly class membership excluding pole, and Portland Power Yoga advertises $140 monthly for unlimited live classes plus online access. The formats, access and commitments differ from the proposed studio. Sources: Hustle and Flow: direct Portland pricing · Portland Power Yoga: direct pricing | At 280 modeled members, $140 net rather than $149 lowers reference EBIT to about $1,020; $119 net turns it to about -$4,449, with all other inputs fixed. These are price sensitivities, not adopted competitor net revenue or a demand forecast. |
| Member threshold | The listing and renewal statute do not measure retention, paid instructor coverage, class occupancy or this proposal's billed-and-earned member months. Sources: Malone Commercial Brokers: 125 Free Street listing · Maine Legislature: Title 10 §1210-C | Test 250, 256 and 280 active paying members against the complete roster and usable timetable. Recheck the threshold once the exact price, lease and approved room capacity are known. |
Change earned paid member-months, collected net monthly price and complete occupancy together. The $15/SF NNN listing has conflicting area fields and local advertised memberships are different offers. Test the complete financial scenario →
State wages · reference operating decision
Use the full calculatorWhat changes the operating decision in Maine?
The mature reference month has a surplus. 280 assumed paid active member-months per month produce $3,363.15 EBIT and $5,146.48 cash after the modeled maintenance investment. Both include paid work and exclude financing, income taxes and owner distributions. The $336,287.65 opening-funding scenario is separate; a reserve cannot remove an ongoing operating loss.
The May 2025 Maine Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors median is $22.63 per hour. Applied to the page’s full paid roster, state occupation benchmarks produce $18,653.12 monthly payroll, $749.36 higher than the same national-wage roster ($17,903.76), including the assumed 18% employer allowance. BLS state May 2025, SOC 39-9031, H_MEDIAN, row 13791. Use this comparison to obtain role-specific hiring terms and employer charges; it does not price rent or demonstrate customer demand.
Which activity covers the stated cost boundary?
With the same realized yield, costs and paid roster, 256 full billable member-months in a modeled month produce $37.47 EBIT; 255 leave −$101.10 EBIT. This tests earned full member-months, not leads, trials, signed future contracts or frozen memberships. The separate mature cash-after-maintenance boundary is 243 full billable member-months per month, before financing and income taxes; it does not establish launch payback.
Rounded break-even values elsewhere on this page are estimates. The conditional whole-unit tests here use the full unrounded inputs. EBITDA excludes depreciation and maintenance investment; EBIT includes depreciation; cash after maintenance deducts maintenance investment and is not owner income.
Can that activity fit the paid operating plan?
The assumed timetable has 45 classes a week with 16 places each: 3,120 monthly reservation spots on a 52-week annual average. At 8.5 reservations per member-month, 280 billable members need 2,380 spots; the 350-member planning ceiling needs 2,975. Paid instructor coverage is 243.75 hours per month, equivalent to 1.25 hours per scheduled class; operations and member service are paid separately. Check preferred-time access, safe room capacity, setup, reset and substitution. Track billable members by cohort: replace cancellations, freezes and failed collections before counting net growth. The $149 is a realized earned yield; class-pack or drop-in revenue already included in it must not be added again. The post-ramp flat membership line assumes replacement succeeds; it is not evidence of zero churn.
Three operating sensitivity tests
| Change from reference | Monthly EBIT | Held-constant scope |
|---|---|---|
| 20% fewer paid activity units | −$4,396.77 | Assumed activity falls; yield and the paid roster remain unchanged. |
| 25% higher full occupancy cost | $1,488.15 | Complete occupancy changes; refundable opening deposits also change in the full calculator. |
| 10% higher wage rates | $1,497.83 | Every paid role changes together; hours and the employer allowance remain unchanged. |
20% fewer paid activity units gives the lowest EBIT among these three tests: −$4,396.77. These differently sized tests are sensitivities, not a probability range or an exhaustive risk ranking. A result reverses when realized contribution no longer covers the stated paid costs; validate the selling unit and every binding resource before accepting extra volume.
Next validation action: Keep the named city’s rule, list-price and asking-rent examples separate from the retained reference inputs. A cheaper base rent or competitor tier becomes a model input only after its full scope matches this studio. Observed wage and population records keep their source periods; the rent, selling yield, opening allowances, employer load and sales ramp remain disclosed assumptions unless a separately scoped observation says otherwise. Inspect this page’s exact sources and limits · Read the shared business format.
Financial information disclaimer
Published research and calculations support business planning and education. They are not personalized financial, investment, tax or legal advice, and they do not guarantee costs, revenue, profit or financing. Estimates depend on the stated format, location, source periods and assumptions. Check the requirements and commitments that apply to your circumstances.
How to use this Maine profile.
This completed planning profile combines checked state wage and population sources with a transparent financial scenario. Use its opening-cost, operating-cost and revenue figures as planning inputs, then replace location-sensitive assumptions when evaluating a specific address or service area.
| Evidence family | Published basis | What to confirm locally |
|---|---|---|
| Opening costs | Published planning inputs — replace with local quotes | premises scope, fitout, equipment, installation freight tax, deposits, preopening training, opening inventory, contingency |
| Operating costs | Published planning inputs — replace with local quotes | occupancy, utilities, insurance, materials, payment fees, marketing, software administration, maintenance |
| Paid labor and employer costs | State wage benchmark used — confirm employer costs | paid roster, wages, wage floor overtime, employer taxes, benefits leave, workers compensation, owner role |
| Revenue and collections | Published planning inputs — validate price and demand locally | realized price mix, demand volume, capacity, industry cross check, launch ramp, seasonality, collections |
| Permissions and fees | Confirm for the selected address | activity address jurisdiction, initial fees, recurring fees |
National equipment prices can support the plan where configuration, delivery and taxes match the intended purchase. Confirm rent, selling prices, demand and permissions for the actual location instead of applying a generic state adjustment.
What changes in Maine?
1,414,874State population · July 1, 2025
+0.46%Population change · 2024 to 2025
$22.63Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors · state median / hour
The Census estimate for Maine is 1,414,874 people. It grew by 6,436 between July 2024 and July 2025 (+0.46%). This statewide movement cannot identify a viable retained membership, usable class-access pattern or realized member value.
Using the same paid roster, Maine occupational wages produce $18,653 of monthly loaded payroll. That is +4.19% relative to the identical roster priced with national occupation medians ($17,904). Only wage benchmarks change in this comparison; it does not measure a state’s overall business attractiveness.
Keep the wage difference in proportion. Site, price and demand can still dominate the decision. Verify the membership offer, cohort retention, class-level utilization, timetable, premises and complete paid roster before using statewide population to plan active member-months.
BLS wage source · Census population source · Exact fields and workbook rows
Which business is being modeled?
Leased boutique group fitness studio with one primary class room, a defined weekly timetable, paid instructors, paid studio coordination and recurring monthly memberships. A 2,500-square-foot boutique group fitness studio delivering a defined weekly class timetable through paid instructors, studio operations and member-services coverage.
The authored timetable provides 3,120 bookable class spots per month from 45 whole weekly classes and 16 spots per class. At 8.5 reservations per member-month, the arithmetic supports 367 whole member-months before time-slot preference; the shared model uses a lower 350-member ceiling. Both are planning assumptions rather than observed demand or approved occupancy. Peak-time access, safe layout, equipment, instructor coverage, opening and closing work, cleaning, cancellations and the actual member visit pattern can reduce usable capacity.
| Input | Reference assumption |
|---|---|
| paid active member-months per month | 280 |
| Net selling price per paid active member-month | $149.00 |
| Trading days / month | Monthly recurring-account model |
| Variable cost share | 7% |
| Occupancy / month | $7,500 |
| Other fixed costs / month | $6,500 |
| Employer cost allowance | 18% above base wages |
3.0% payment processing and transaction leakage, 1.50% member-use consumables and amenities, 1.0% refunds, credits and chargebacks, 0.75% sales and affiliate incentives, 0.75% variable program-supply replacement; all instructor, operations and member-services compensation remains in payroll. Utilities $2,000.00; Cleaning and laundry $1,500.00; Recurring local marketing $1,250.00; Insurance $750.00; Booking, point of sale, music and software $600.00; Accounting, administration and professional services $400.00. Occupancy is modeled separately at $7,500.00 and maintenance investment at $1,000.00 per month.
Open-gym membership as the primary offer, personal training, online subscriptions, retail, nutrition services, child care, clinical rehabilitation, massage, pools, courts, franchising, a second location, subletting and unpaid owner labor are outside this recurring group-class format. Limited class-pack and drop-in receipts are included only through the disclosed realized member-month value. Selling prices exclude collected sales tax. No price or volume above is presented as a market observation for Maine.
What does the Maine staffing benchmark imply?
| Role / SOC | Paid hours / month | Wage benchmark / hour | P25–P75 / hour | Base wages / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paid group fitness instructor coverage39-9031 · Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors · State observation | 243.8 | $22.63 | $17.93–$32.68 | $5,516 |
| Paid studio operations lead39-1022 · First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers · State observation | 173.3 | $25.37 | $22.10–$29.02 | $4,397 |
| Paid member-services coverage43-4051 · Customer Service Representatives · State observation | 260 | $22.67 | $18.44–$24.72 | $5,894 |
Base wages total $15,808 per month. An authored 18% allowance for employer costs adds $2,845, giving $18,653 of loaded payroll. The allowance is a planning shortcut; it is not a state-specific payroll tax calculation or benefits quote for Maine.
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors, First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers and Customer Service Representatives are broad May 2025 occupational wage benchmarks. They do not establish studio-specific hiring quotes, qualifications, lawful scheduling, employer obligations or compensation terms. The model pays all class instruction, operations and member-services hours; it does not use unpaid owner work to create capacity. Every operating role is paid, including management or supervision. If the owner performs a modeled role, their compensation occupies that role once; no additional owner draw is included in operating profit.
The middle 50% wage interval describes the occupation’s observed wage distribution. It is not a confidence interval for this business’s total payroll. Allocate the aggregate hours across an actual roster and check wage rules, overtime, leave and employer obligations for the chosen location.
At this roster, a 10% increase in wage rates adds $1,865 per month to loaded payroll. At the reference price and variable margin, it needs about 13.5 additional paid active member-months per month to offset it. This sensitivity holds staffing hours and other inputs fixed.
How is the opening funding scenario built?
| Use of funds | Cash paid |
|---|---|
| Design, lease review, permits and professional allowance | $12,000 |
| Tenant improvements, acoustic treatment, HVAC and electrical allowance | $80,000 |
| Resilient flooring, mirrors, storage and signage | $30,000 |
| Functional training equipment package allowance | $45,000 |
| Audio, access control, POS and security setup | $12,000 |
| Furniture, cleaning equipment and opening supplies | $8,000 |
| Insurance deposits and launch marketing | $8,000 |
| Opening contingency | $20,000 |
| Refundable deposit (two months of occupancy) | $15,000 |
| Paid pre-opening training | $2,204 |
| Total payments before opening | $232,204 |
The equipment and premises allowances are the same in all 50 states for this operating format. They are a comparison baseline and must be replaced with local scopes and quotes. Training uses 80 aggregate paid hours at the modeled team’s weighted loaded rate. The refundable deposit is cash tied up, not an operating expense.
$38,777Peak cumulative operating cash deficit · month 4
$65,3062 months of fixed cash costs · assumed buffer
$336,288Opening payments + deficit + buffer
The cash schedule tests 60 months, with sales ramping through 40%, 55%, 70%, 82%, 90%, 96%, 100% of the volume assumption. Full payroll and fixed costs begin in month one. The reserve covers the deepest cumulative operating deficit plus the stated buffer. A buffer is retained cash, not spending and not part of project payback twice.
The reference assumes member charges are collected without receivable delay for the month in which access is earned. Prepaid terms, deferred service, failed payments, refunds, credits, freezes, chargebacks and taxes collected for government need their own billing and revenue schedule. Asset purchases are depreciated over 60 months for this scenario. No sale or deposit recovery is assumed at the end.
Can the reference operating month support the format?
At the assumed 280 paid active member-months per month, the reference scenario produces $3,363 of mature monthly EBIT, a 8.1% operating margin. Its continuous EBIT threshold is approximately 255.7 paid active member-months per month for EBIT break-even. This result depends on unverified selling price, demand and premises inputs.
| Measure | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $41,720 |
| Variable operating costs | $2,920 |
| Loaded payroll, including management | $18,653 |
| Occupancy assumption | $7,500 |
| Other fixed operating costs | $6,500 |
| EBITDA | $6,146 |
| Depreciation | $2,783 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | $3,363 |
| Maintenance capital expenditure | $1,000 |
| Mature project cash flow | $5,146 |
EBIT break-even revenue is $38,104 per month: $35,436 of fixed costs plus depreciation divided by a 93% contribution margin. At $149.00 per paid active member-month, that is approximately 255.7 paid active member-months per month and 73.1% of the stated capacity.
| Measure | Months 1–12 | Mature month |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $430,968 | $41,720 |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | -$24,438 | $3,363 |
| Project cash flow | -$3,038 | $5,146 |
Project payback occurs in month 58 in this reference schedule. It measures recovery of actual pre-opening payments from cumulative project cash, with no financing or owner distributions. It does not measure cash paid back to an owner.
Average utilization can hide poor access
Full preferred-time classes and empty off-peak classes can produce a reasonable average while retained members cannot book the service they value.
Test your own Maine scenario.
Change the assumptions to see how this format responds. The sections above remain the published reference, so you can compare your scenario with the original. Use the browser-local export buttons below to save only the scenario you are working on.
Reference scenario. JavaScript enables editing and exports.
$336,288Opening payments + 60-month cash reserve
$3,363Mature monthly operating profit (EBIT)
255.7Approximate EBIT break-even paid active member-months per month
280 paid active member-months per month × $149.00 = $41,720 revenue. Loaded payroll: $18,653 per month. Break-even uses 73.1% of capacity.
The download preserves the published scenario and its source references.
The practical opening route in Maine.
Describe the exact address, proposed use, room layout, occupancy, activities, equipment, sound, ventilation, restrooms, accessibility, hours, signage, employees, membership terms, cleaning and any child care, food, retail, massage, clinical or personal-training activity. Ask the landlord, insurer and responsible state and local offices which business, land-use, building, fire, accessibility, employer, tax, consumer-contract and activity-specific requirements apply.
| Workstream | Official starting points | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Business and activity | Which entity, name or activity registrations apply, and which local or specialist office also has responsibility? | |
| Tax | Which registrations and treatment apply to the actual goods or services, location and staffing arrangements? | |
| Employers | Which employer accounts, reporting steps and labor obligations apply to the planned paid roster? |
Take the activity, address, proposed equipment and staffing plan to the relevant office. Record applicability, supporting documents, fees, dependencies and renewal terms from the actual official response.
Agency routes were listed on the IRS Maine directory when retrieved September 5, 2026. Links identify starting offices; they do not verify a permit, tax treatment, fee or opening time for this business. Open the full Maine opening checklist →
What must be verified before opening in Maine?
Can a retained paid membership use the promised class timetable while realized member revenue covers instructors, studio operations, occupancy and the complete opening commitment?
- Define one paid active member-month, including term, earned charge, discounts, credits, refunds, failed payments, freezes, cancellation timing and excluded services. Track prepaid access by service month.
- Measure paid starts, renewals, cancellations, freezes, failed collections and returns by start-month cohort. Keep leads, trials and signed future contracts outside the active member count.
- Reconcile every class reservation, attendance, late cancellation, no-show, waitlist refill and turnaway with the whole timetable, safe room capacity and complete paid roster.
Membership and demand test
Fix the recurring offer and run an authorized presale or controlled opening test. Record paid starts, earned member-months, cohort retention, realized member revenue and usable class access rather than treating leads as members.
Premises and installed scope
Confirm permitted use, occupancy, egress, accessibility, ventilation, temperature, acoustics, floor, mirrors, storage, restrooms, utilities, signage, cleaning and neighbor conditions for the exact class plan before the lease or fit-out payment.
Timetable, roster and opening cash
Build whole classes with paid instruction, setup, reset, opening, closing, member service, administration, cleaning and substitution. Fund the ramp and fixed premises costs without assuming every available spot will be reserved.
Start with Maine government and agency contacts and the SBA launch guide. The relevant city, county or state office must confirm the actual activity and address. This page does not publish verified permit fees, legal determinations or approval timelines.
The premises defines more than floor area
Permitted use, occupancy, egress, accessibility, ventilation, acoustics, safe exercise zones, equipment, restrooms, cleaning and neighbor conditions must support the actual timetable.
For a selected address or service area, collect an evidence pack covering premises and equipment quotes, paid demand, staffing, collection terms and the responsible authorities. The state wage and population evidence on this page does not supply those location-specific inputs.
What supports this page?
- BLS: May 2025 state occupational wages (XLSX in ZIP)
State: Maine, FIPS 23. Cross-industry, ownership 1235. H_MEDIAN supplies an available hourly benchmark; H_PCT25 and H_PCT75 describe the occupational distribution. 39-9031 (Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors), state workbook row 13791; 39-1022 (First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers), state workbook row 13775; 43-4051 (Customer Service Representatives), state workbook row 13829. Retrieved September 5, 2026.
- BLS: May 2025 national occupational wages (XLSX in ZIP)
The national comparison uses the same paid roster and these national H_MEDIAN observations: 39-9031, national workbook row 785; 39-1022, national workbook row 737; 43-4051, national workbook row 872. Any national value substituted for a suppressed state value is identified separately. National observations do not become state observations.
- Census: Vintage 2025 state population estimates (CSV)
SUMLEV 040; STATE 23; POPESTIMATE2025 and POPESTIMATE2024. July 1 estimates; change and percentage change are calculated within the same vintage. Population is context, not a customer forecast.
- BLS: wage definitions and technical notes
OEWS covers employee jobs across industries. It is a statistical benchmark, not a hiring quote or legal wage floor. Employer benefits and overtime premiums are outside the wage measure; tips can be included.
- USAGov: Maine government and agencies
An official route to the state government and major agencies. This directory does not confirm the fees, permits or approval times for a particular address or business.
- Reference assumptions and calculation method
All selling prices, demand, paid hours, employer allowance, premises, startup allowances, cost shares, ramp and cash buffer are authored planning inputs. No commercial quote or researched state total is implied.
- Maine Legislature: Title 10 §1210-C
Statute with 2025 amendments checked September 17, 2026. Health-club membership renewal scope, disclosure, affirmative consent and same-method cancellation.
- Malone Commercial Brokers: 125 Free Street listing
Broker-authored listing checked September 17, 2026. $15/SF NNN exercise/yoga studio; 2,062 SF description conflicts with 2,409 SF structured field.
- Hustle and Flow: direct Portland pricing
Operator pricing checked September 17, 2026. $119 monthly class membership excluding pole, with stated membership terms.
- Portland Power Yoga: direct pricing
Operator pricing checked September 17, 2026. $140 monthly PPY Basic with unlimited live classes and online access.
State wage and population benchmarks are sourced. Confirm premises, demand, selling prices, permits and commercial quotes for the selected location. State Fit and Business Idea Scores are not assigned.
How to read the reference inputs
The stated operating format and paid roster define the scenario. Wage and population observations keep their geography and period. Replace commercial assumptions only with evidence that matches the scope, then reconcile the same inputs across earnings, cash and the delivery schedule.
Plan your next evidence check →Continue through the site.
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