Do I Give Up After A Month?

[allie007]

I've started running exercise classes for older people, have only done 6 but I'm not enjoying it and am losing so much money as I'm turning down work for my 'proper' job to do this. My head is so messed up I don't know what to do.
I'm a single parent and I've been working as a supply teacher for the last few years. The work is erratic at certain times of the year, but mostly busy. The downside is I don't get paid when I dont work, so no pay during school hols etc, but I manage to save through the year so I get by. The upside is I'm there for my kids in all the hols, the evenings, and if theyre off ill or have an inset i don't have to worry about taking time off. The freedom is great. It does get me down in September because I get no work, especially last year so I studied and qualified 6 months ago as an exercise instructor for older adults. I figured this could be something I could do easily, set my own hours etc.
Started a class 1 day a week,meaning Im turning down teaching work. Despite advertising loads Im only getting a few to the class and it doesnt cover my costs, never mind making any money. Ive felt nothing but stress since I started the class, to the point where im taking Kalms and i'm getting ratty with my son and not sleeping. I know its very very early days, classes need time to build up but I never thought it would get to me like this.Friends are telling me not to give up because ive worked so hard, to give it more time, but at the end of the day ive got bills to pay and i can't afford to keep losing hundreds a month. Its on my mind 24/7, and this was the reason I gave up full teaching. But at least that was a good, regular income and a pension.
Am I giving up too easily?

This was supposed to ease your financial worries, not add to them! How long have you been running the class? You do need to give a new business time, but not, I think, at the expense of alternative paid income/pension contributions.

Have you thought about approaching care homes/sheltered housing to see if you could run a class there? I have a friend who does this alongside her personal training business.

Thank you xx i can't do evenings or weekends because of my kids, i'm on my own with them.

I have but it won't cover what I'm earning as a supply. Plus my confidence doing the classes has taken such a nosedive. I wish I did enjoy them and I don't know why I don't. I get so flustered. Thought i'd be ok because of my teaching experience but Im a wreck. I hate posting flyers, i hate the thought of going round places trying to sell myself.

Can't you run the classes on one day of the week and be available for supply teaching the other four days?

Can you try late afternoon - after school finishes, maybe while your kids are in after school club?

I think the decision to stop or press on needs to be made on the basis of whether you think it will ever build up to a level to which you'd be comfortable turning down supply work for it. If not, drop it sooner rather than later. If you think it would, then it's just about whether you can afford the wait/risk.

Could you approach local gyms or leisure centres, see if they would take you on as an instructor or let you run a class or two at their premises? That way you might get paid by them regardless of how many turn up if employed by them, or if you still have to pay for room hire etc, at least they would do the marketing for you by adding your class to their schedule.

I am available the other 4 days but its not as easy as that, for example for a few weeks there was no work on a few Mondays but there was on the day of my class, which meant I only had 3 days work for those weeks. I was approached by a couple of gyms but to work for them you have to be available to work anytime from 6am till closing. After school i take my kids to their clubs, swimming, gymnastics etc so that's out aswell.

You need to stop the classes and accept all teaching work offered. It's the only way you'll build up savings to get you through September.
So there are days Mon-Fri when you might be free short notice. I guess you know by 10am if you have work that day? So you need to find a source of income which you can do without committment or advance notice from 10am to 3pm on the days you find yourself free. It's difficult.
Matched Betting following Team Profit might get you £100 per week. (It isn't gambling and there are threads on it on MN if you search). Not subject to tax. If you have a spare bedroom (unlikely I know) for an overseas student you could sign up to a homestay English teacher agency. They have adult students visiting the UK all year round. Depends on where you are based. Is it attractive to tourists? You negotiate teaching hours and students are usually flexible and independent.
Do you have Senco training? I wonder if there is any adhoc Senco one-on-one work around?
Others will hopefully have more suggestions.
Don't look on the exercise classes as a failure. You tried it, you move on and you might be in a position to come back to it when your DC are older.

Thank you all xxx