STUDIO NOIR · Business Plan
Prepared for banks, investors, landlords, and any external party who requires a single-document version of the company.
Internal team, use the full dossier (00_FOUNDATION through 16_FRANCHISE_SYSTEM). This business plan is the compressed narrative.
Company: STUDIO NOIR LLC (an NC LLC, formed 2026 via Northwest Registered Agent) Founder + Manager: Tajanay (“Taj”) Hines Chief Strategy Officer: Emmett (“Trill”) Walker · The Walker Group Registered address: c/o Northwest Registered Agent, 3801 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 210, Raleigh NC 27607 Primary market: Raleigh · Durham · Chapel Hill (RDU), North Carolina Phase 1 opening: Q3 2027 Capital request (Phase 1): none. Phase 1 is self-funded by Taj at $84,000. External capital request begins Phase 2 (2028).
1. Executive summary
STUDIO NOIR is a luxury pole and movement studio opening in the Raleigh-Durham metro. The concept combines hotel-tier hospitality, boutique-tier movement training, and members’-club architecture in a category no competitor in the Triangle currently serves.
The market is proven: Wake County alone has 119,000 households earning $200K+, retail vacancy sits at 2.3% (one of the tightest in the country), and service tenants (spas, fitness, salons) leased more retail last year than traditional retailers for the first time in the Triangle’s history. Our addressable segment (women aged 25 to 45 in $250K+ households across the RDU metro) is 35,000 to 40,000. Membership at 1% penetration equals 350 to 400 members, which is well above the Phase 1 target.
Phase 1 opens with 60 to 80 members at a blended $200 to $350 monthly membership, generating $15,000 to $28,000 monthly revenue at maturity. Startup capital is $84,000 in Taj’s cash, augmented by roughly $50,000 in landlord tenant improvement (TI) and $11,000 in equipment financing (non-cash). Cash payback at plan is roughly 24 months.
Phase 2 (2028 to 2030) raises $3.5M to $5M against Phase 1 performance to build a full-scale luxury wellness club (recovery wing, café, retail micro-boutique, broadcast-grade competition floor). Phase 3 (2030+) franchises the concept nationally.
The founder is Taj Hines: Raleigh-based, mother of a preschooler, widow, and a career operator with an entrepreneurial track record across event production (SoftPlay Era), creative direction, and lifestyle branding. Chief Strategy Officer is Emmett Walker of The Walker Group, a production and creative-leadership firm with an active client roster across major-label artists and touring productions. Marketing is led by Tia Dunn (cross-brand Marketing Director across the Walker Group ventures).
2. The offering
Product
A private, membership-based studio. Two membership tiers Phase 1: Access ($199/month unlimited classes) and Studio ($349/month unlimited classes, locker, guest pass, priority booking). Founding cohort: The Founders (30 charter members, $179/month for 12 months locked, with public-share obligation).
Programming Phase 1: pole (all levels, curriculum-based), heels, sculpt, mobility, occasional private lessons. Six to eight classes per weekday, four to six on weekends. Two contract instructors, paid per class. Class capacity 8 to 10 per session on a floor of 6 to 8 pole rigs.
Class economics: at 60 members × 4 classes/month average attendance = 240 class-slots/month absorbed against ~48 classes/month scheduled = 5 members per class blended. Comfortably above the 3-member break-even for instructor cost.
Space
1,500 to 2,500 square feet of ground-floor high-street retail. Target neighborhoods: North Hills (Raleigh), Fenton (Cary), Waverly Place (Cary), Village District (Raleigh), Brightleaf (Durham). Minimum ceiling clearance 10 feet; 14+ feet preferred. Sprung floor. Mirrors on one wall. Reception with concierge desk and prosecco chiller. Signature scent through HVAC.
Non-negotiable lease terms: landlord approval of pole rigging in writing; structural engineering sign-off on dynamic and static load prior to LOI.
Service standard
Hotel-tier hospitality delivered at boutique scale. Named greeting within 30 seconds of entry. Prosecco or member-selected non-alcoholic option at arrival, always. Music curated by our in-house team (never streamed from a public algorithm). Staff dress code uniform, tailored, no logo larger than a coin. No signage clutter on the training floor.
3. Market
Size
- Wake County: 460,175 total households; 25.94% of family households earn $200K+ = ~119,000 HHs at $200K+. Source: US Census / USAFacts.
- Triangle metro (Wake + Durham + Orange): ~35,000 to 40,000 women aged 25 to 45 in households at $250K+ income.
- Retail vacancy in Raleigh 2026: 2.3%, one of the tightest markets in the US.
- Population growth: Raleigh-Cary MSA +10.2% since 2020 (now 1.6M); Durham-Chapel Hill +6.6% (now 621K).
- Rich renter growth: households earning >$150K/year in Raleigh grew 178% between 2015 and 2020.
Wealthiest catchment ZIPs
| ZIP | Area | Median HHI | % HH >$200K |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27519 | West Cary (Preston, Amberly) | $154K-$165K | 38.9% |
| 27614 | North Raleigh (Bedford, Wakefield) | $128K | 29.4% |
| 27608 | Raleigh Five Points (ITB, Hayes Barton) | $148K | — |
| 27540 | Holly Springs | $128K | 26.5% |
| 27615 | North Raleigh (North Hills adjacent) | $112K | 24.7% |
| 27587 | Wake Forest | $133K | — |
Full analysis and sources in the accompanying Market Brief.
Customer
Primary member profile: adults aged 28 to 55, household income $150K+ (Phase 1) or $200K+ (Phase 2). Center of gravity: the wealthy stay-at-home wife-mom who is also a lifestyle creator on Instagram and TikTok, sets the aesthetic tone for her friend group, and pulls other women into any room she vouches for.
Secondary profiles: female executives at RTP tech and finance firms, wives of Duke and NC State head coaches, CAA/WME agent spouses relocated from LA/NY, and dancers/athletes training seriously who require real equipment and (Phase 2 forward) a competition-grade stage.
4. Competition and whitespace
The Triangle currently has no studio combining (a) pole/heels/sculpt as movement discipline, (b) private-club membership model, (c) luxury materials-forward aesthetic, and (d) creator-friendly production values. Nearest analogs:
| Studio | Category | Why not a direct competitor |
|---|---|---|
| Aradia Fitness Triangle (Cary) | Pole, aerial, silks since 2003 | Utilitarian gym vibe, not luxury |
| Pole Play Fitness (Raleigh 27615) | Pole, heels, stretch | “Upscale club” language but strip retail context |
| Pink Cherry Pole & Dance | Pole, party/bachelorette | Bright pink, party host, not luxury club |
| MEGA (Raleigh + Cary) | Lagree + Pilates + trampoline | Different discipline entirely |
| JETSET Pilates Downtown Raleigh | Reformer Pilates | Different discipline; strong aesthetic |
| Life Time Signature Raleigh + Cary | Full-service luxury health club | Mass luxury; no pole; no private-club membership feel |
| The Umstead Spa (Cary) | Forbes 5-Star hotel spa | Not a studio; not a membership |
Charlotte reference: Pole Body & Arts (best-in-class pole studio) prices at $175/month unlimited. Nothing in the Carolinas breaks $200/month for pole. STUDIO NOIR at $199 to $349 sits above every direct comp and aligned with NYC private-club pricing.
National luxury club benchmarks (positioning references, not local competitors): Continuum Club NYC (~$10,000 initiation + $10K/mo), Remedy Place NYC/LA ($255 to $3,250/mo), Heimat West Hollywood ($300 init + $350/mo), Bathhouse Williamsburg ($250/mo), The Well NYC ($500 + $375/mo), Ethos Athletic Club, Soho House Cities Without Houses ($3,520/yr).
5. Revenue model
Phase 1 (Year 1 stabilized)
| Revenue line | Members | Blended monthly rate | Monthly revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access members | 40 | $199 | $7,960 |
| Studio members | 30 | $349 | $10,470 |
| Founders (charter) | 20 (locked-in through Y1) | $179 | $3,580 |
| Membership subtotal | 90 target (stretch) | $22,010 | |
| Drop-ins + guest passes | ~30/mo | $45 | $1,350 |
| Retail (small print-on-demand) | $500-$800 | ||
| Private lessons | $500 | ||
| Total monthly revenue at Y1 stretch | ~$24,000-$25,000 |
At Y1 base case (60 to 70 members), revenue is $15,000 to $19,000/month.
Phase 1 (Year 2 stabilized)
Membership base 70 to 90 active, drop-ins pick up, small retail matures. Monthly revenue $20,000 to $28,000. Founder distributions to Taj begin at $5K/mo once member revenue covers fixed opex plus $5K for three consecutive months.
Phase 2 (Year 4-5 stabilized)
Flagship space 8,000 to 15,000 sqft with 400 to 600 members at three tiers plus Black Card ($999/month). Recovery amenities included. Café + retail incremental. Corporate wellness (B2B) programs. Monthly revenue $200K to $350K. Details rebuilt against real Phase 1 numbers in 2028.
6. Startup capital ($84,000 total, Phase 1)
| Bucket | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Legal, insurance, trademarks, software setup | $5,000 | Getting the business legally born |
| Lease deposit + first + last month rent | $15,000 | Doors we’re going to open (rent ~$5,000-$16,000/mo depending on submarket + TI package) |
| Cash buildout (beyond TI + equipment lease) | $15,000 | Brand-critical finishes, custom millwork, concierge appointments, signature scent |
| Signage + soft-launch marketing | $5,000 | 200+ waitlist names + 30 warm intents at soft-open |
| Cash reserve (~5.5 months fixed opex) | $44,000 | Untouchable cushion while membership ramps |
| Total cash from Taj | $84,000 |
Non-cash augmentation (in addition to the $84K cash):
- Landlord tenant improvement (TI) allowance: ~$50,000 amortized into monthly rent
- Equipment lease: ~$11,000 principal amortized at $400/month for 36 months
Effective Phase 1 build pool: ~$145,000. Detailed line items and rules in 05_FINANCE/00_STARTUP_BUDGET.
7. Break-even + payback
Blended member revenue at $250/member/month; fixed operating cost (rent, insurance, utilities, software, cleaning, supplies, equipment lease) ~$7,900/month plus variable instructor cost ~$60/class × 12 classes/week = $2,880/month. Total monthly operating burn at zero members: ~$10,800/month.
Break-even at 46 members (accounting for TI amortization in rent). Target trajectory: 30 members by Month 3, 50 by Month 6, 70 by Month 12. Break-even reached by Month 5 in the base case. Reserve of $44K covers 5.5 months of fixed opex if member ramp slips.
Cash payback to Taj on the $84K: approximately 22 to 28 months at plan; 32 to 40 months in the pessimistic case.
Full model: 05_FINANCE/06_BREAK_EVEN.md and 05_FINANCE/03_3YR_FINANCIAL_MODEL.md.
8. Marketing and go-to-market
Anchored on a specific persona: the wealthy stay-at-home wife-mom who is a lifestyle creator on Instagram and TikTok. Full plan in 10_MARKETING_LAUNCH/05_PERSONA_TIKTOK_SAHM_PLAN.md. Five moves:
- The Charter. 20 hand-picked Founding Members (creators, RTP exec spouses, coach spouses, medical/legal wives) invited personally by Taj. $179/month locked for 12 months in exchange for organic public-share obligation.
- The Waitlist. Public landing page at
studionoir.thewalkergroup.studio. Target 500 to 1,000 names before opening. No hard sell. - The Story Highlight. Charter Founders pin an Instagram Story highlight labeled STUDIO NOIR on their profiles; this becomes the “how to know it’s real” surface for their friends.
- The Local Signal Loop. Warm partnerships with The Umstead, 21c Museum Hotel Durham, WALTER Magazine, RALtoday, Duke Integrative Medicine, HER Health Collective. Reciprocal, cash-neutral.
- The Content Cadence. 3 IG feed/week + 5-8 stories/week + 1 reel/week + 2 TikTok/week + 1 monthly newsletter.
Full media map and hotel partner list in 10_MARKETING_LAUNCH/03_PR_STRATEGY.md and 07_MARKET_BRIEF_RDU.md.
9. Operations
Phase 1 headcount: Taj (founder + creative director, never operator), Trill (CSO, contract), Tia (Marketing Director, cross-brand contract), two contract instructors (paid per class). Booking software handles reservations, membership billing, class capacity, and roster management (Mariana Tek recommended).
Daily rituals: opening walk-through, prosecco chiller check, scent diffuser check, first-class prep, mid-day tidy, evening final walk-through. See 07_OPERATIONS/01_DAILY_RITUALS.md.
Safety and liability: proper commercial general liability + professional liability insurance, signed member waivers with pole-specific language, quarterly rigging inspection by certified rigger, progression rules on advanced moves. See 07_OPERATIONS/02_SAFETY_LIABILITY.md.
Vendor roster: internal document, not surfaced in outbound.
10. Legal and entity structure
Two LLCs, both formed in NC via Northwest Registered Agent (see 14_LEGAL_IP/04_FORMATION_SOP_NORTHWEST.md):
- STUDIO NOIR LLC (OpCo): operates the studio, signs the lease, employs contractors, takes member payments.
- STUDIO NOIR IP LLC (HoldCo): owns the trademarks and brand assets, licenses them to OpCo for a small annual fee. Set up on Day 1 to be franchisor-ready.
Both LLCs are single-member (Tajanay Hines, 100%) and manager-managed. Operating Agreements executed at formation, per 14_LEGAL_IP/05_OPERATING_AGREEMENT.md.
Federal treatment: disregarded entities by default (Schedule C on personal return). S-corp election available in future tax planning.
Trademarks: STUDIO NOIR filed with USPTO at formation ($1,300 all-in). THE NOIR INVITATIONAL deferred to Month 6 ($900). Full strategy in 14_LEGAL_IP/01_TRADEMARK_STRATEGY.md.
Insurance: commercial general liability, professional liability (movement instruction), property, workers’ comp on the two eventual employed instructors (Phase 2 hire).
11. Team
Tajanay (“Taj”) Hines · Founder, Manager, Creative Director. Raleigh-based. Widowed mother of a preschooler. Career operator across event production (SoftPlay Era, a luxury kids event company), creative direction, and lifestyle branding. Investor in wellness and hospitality categories. STUDIO NOIR is her wealth vehicle and career capstone. Not an operator; a founder.
Emmett (“Trill”) Walker · Chief Strategy Officer, contract role via The Walker Group. Founder and CEO of The Walker Group, a production and creative-leadership firm serving major-label artists and touring productions (roster includes Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Teyana Taylor, Latto, GloRilla, Doechii, Khalid, 50 Cent, Future). String arranger on Mary J. Blige’s Gratitude album. Producer on the Teyana Taylor album. Berklee College of Music trained. Also serves as Chief Strategy Officer across the Taj Hines portfolio (STUDIO NOIR, SoftPlay Era, additional consumer product ventures). Strategy, capital structure, brand, and (Phase 2 forward) production of THE NOIR INVITATIONAL through TWG.
Tia Dunn · Marketing Director, contract role. Cross-brand across the Walker Group and Taj Hines portfolio. Owns pre-launch, launch, and ongoing content strategy.
Contract instructors (Phase 1): two roster instructors, paid per class. Onboarded through curriculum review and demo class evaluation. Names not surfaced in this doc (staff privacy).
Phase 2 hires: General Manager (6 months before flagship opening), Head of Programming (3 months before), Director of Member Experience, F&B lead.
12. Risk and mitigation
Top five risks and their mitigations. Full risk register in 00_FOUNDATION/05_RISK_REGISTER.
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Reserve gets spent on buildout, run out of rent money before members ramp | Reserve is untouchable. Buildout overruns come out of buildout scope, not reserve. Two-signature rule on any Reserve transfer above $500. |
| Lease signed with a landlord who won’t approve pole installation | Pole rigging clause in every LOI before signing. Structural check by licensed engineer before signing. No LOI without landlord written approval draft. |
| Taj gets pulled into daily operations | Hard rule, no exceptions. If nobody can cover a class, we cancel the class. Trill enforces. Founder-promise clause in the operating agreement’s manager section. |
| Member injury on the pole | Commercial general liability + professional liability insurance. Signed waivers with pole-specific language. Quarterly rigging inspection by certified rigger. Progression rules on advanced moves. |
| Phase 1 does not clear 50 members in 12 months | Charter Founders provide floor of 20 committed dues + tastemaker warm reach. Waitlist targeting 500 to 1,000 names pre-open. Umstead + WALTER + media partnerships in place. Aggressive persona-tuned marketing plan. |
13. Milestones
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| LLCs formed via Northwest | Week 1-2 of formation sprint |
| Bank stack open (Mercury) | Week 2-3 |
| Domain + Google Workspace live | Week 2 |
| Waitlist landing page live | Week 3-4 |
| Broker retained | Sep 2026 |
| Top 3 properties structurally checked | Nov 2026 |
| LOI signed on primary property | Dec 2026 |
| Lease signed | Feb 2027 |
| Buildout begins | Feb 2027 |
| Charter Founders (20) confirmed | Dec 2026 |
| Waitlist crosses 500 | Jan 2027 |
| Soft open (Charter only) | May 2027 |
| Full public opening | Sep-Oct 2027 |
| First month of member revenue covering fixed opex | ~Month 5 of operation |
| First distribution to Taj | ~Month 6-7 of operation |
14. Ask
Phase 1: No external capital. Self-funded at $84K by Taj.
Phase 2 (2028): $3.5M to $5M through a mix of Phase 1 retained earnings, SBA 504 loan (through Live Oak Bank in Wilmington NC, the largest SBA lender in the country), landlord tenant improvement allowance, and potentially outside equity for the balance. Phase 2 capital ask document produced in 2028 against real Phase 1 numbers.
What we would consider Phase 1 (optional, not required): - A landlord willing to structure a strong TI package ($60+/sqft) with 6-8 months free rent in exchange for a design-forward tenant that raises the profile of their center - A local hotel or luxury retailer interested in cross-marketing - A local content creator or media personality interested in the Charter Founder cohort
Contact: taj@studionoir.thewalkergroup.studio (Taj direct) or hello@studionoir.thewalkergroup.studio (general inbox).
Appendix
Full supporting documents for this business plan live in the STUDIO NOIR OS dossier:
- Foundation: master plan, executive summary, strategic thesis, market selection, risk register, roadmap, market brief
- Brand book, story, voice, visual identity, naming architecture
- Member experience: journey, hospitality SOPs, signature amenities
- Concept and programming: floor plan, tiers, class programming
- Real estate: property targets, neighborhood analysis, broker roster, build spec, buildout budget
- Finance: startup budget, unit economics, revenue model, 3-year model, capital stack, cashflow forecast, break-even, distributions, bank runbook
- Org and hiring, operations, digital platform, marketing launch, retail, corporate wellness, pandemic resilience, legal and IP (entity structure, trademark, contracts, insurance, formation SOP, operating agreement), SoftPlay sunset, franchise system
Access to full dossier by request.