Tours & group departures
Minimum enrolment for classes: how to set it and reach it
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Many classes only work above a certain size. Students accept that — what frustrates them is a cancellation the night before with no warning.
Quick answer
A minimum enrolment is the smallest number of students that makes a class viable for you. Set it from your real costs (venue, tutor, materials, your time), show it openly, and set a decision date well before the class starts. Let students say they are in if it runs, watch the count, then decide yourself. Reaching the minimum is a signal to confirm details — not an automatic confirmation.
Key takeaways
- Base the minimum on costs, not a guess.
- A visible minimum and decision date make cancellations rare and fair.
- Students can share the class to help it reach the minimum.
Work out your minimum
Add up the fixed costs of running the class once — room hire, tutor fee, setup — and divide by the price per student after materials. That is roughly the smallest class that covers costs. This is not financial advice; use your own numbers and judgement.
Pick a decision date
Choose the last day you can cancel the venue or tutor without cost, and give students a few days’ notice before that. Tell them the date up front.
Explain it to students
Example wording only: “This class runs with at least 6 students. Say you’re in by 10 March; we’ll confirm on 11 March whether it’s on, then you book and pay.”
Worked example: an evening Italian course
Fictional example: a tutor needs 7 students for an eight-week course; the room fits 14. Five commit in the first week. Two share it with workmates, the count reaches 9, and the tutor confirms the room, decides to run it, and sends her normal enrolment link.
Common questions
Is minimum enrolment the same as a demand test?
They overlap. A demand test asks whether a new idea is wanted at all; a minimum enrolment applies to a specific class with a date. See the workshop demand-testing guide for brand-new ideas.
Does CountToGo take enrolments or payments?
No. It counts conditional commitments before your decision. Enrolment and payment stay in your usual system after you decide the class runs.
Show the minimum enrolment and see who’s in before you confirm the class.
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Set your class minimum