Pricing is one of the most common questions new instructors ask and one of the things experienced instructors are most reluctant to talk about openly.
What do you charge per student for your most common class type? How did you arrive at that number? Did you start too low and have to raise your rates? Do you price differently for corporate clients vs individuals? Do you compare pricing with local competitors? Let’s have an honest conversation about the business side of CPR instruction.
Hi everyone! 
I thought I’d jump in because pricing is one of those things I see small business owners run into across almost every industry. Many owners set their prices based on what everyone else is charging. While it’s always good to know your market, I’d also encourage looking at what it actually costs you to teach a class.
Knowing your cost per student gives you confidence that you’re not just staying busy, you’re building a profitable business.
Before deciding what to charge, I’d make sure you’re accounting for things like:
• Instructor pay (including paying yourself for your time)
• Payroll taxes or self-employment taxes
• CPR cards and certification fees
• Manikins, AED trainers, and equipment replacement over time
• Travel, mileage, and vehicle expenses
• Liability insurance
• Rent or classroom costs
• Marketing and advertising
• Scheduling, bookkeeping, and other administrative time
• Credit card processing fees
Once you’ve added those costs together, divide them by the average number of students in a class. That gives you your approximate cost per student. From there, you can decide what profit margin makes sense for your business instead of simply matching what someone else charges.
Knowing this number can also help you answer questions like:
• How many students do I need to break even?
• Is it worth offering a discount?
• Can I afford to travel for this class?
• Should I raise my prices?
I’d love to hear how everyone else approaches pricing. If you have questions about the business side of running your CPR company, feel free to tag me or send me a message. I’m always happy to help however I can.