By Faye Martins
Do Yoga teachers need business tips? If you don’t need money, please read no further. It is true that there are some people who win the lottery, sue their best friend, have a big inheritance, a sugar daddy at home, own a diamond mine, or own a few oil fields, but most of us need money to make ends meet. Otherwise, we will be living on the streets with the homeless. Sorry for the reality check, but teachers, ashrams and studios cannot run without money.
Here is a Yoga teacher’s problem: How can I boost my teaching business? If you are an independent contractor or you own your own school, teaching can test your creativity in any economy. For independent contractors, this is the time to flourish, because you don’t have the large overhead that studio owners have. You don’t even have to teach full time to cover your expenses.
On the other side of the coin. Opening a brick and mortar yoga business is rewarding, but we have to think about finances, risk, and the state of the economy. In order for a studio to thrive as a business, a steady clientele of students will be necessary. Getting and keeping students doesn’t have to be a difficulty and should come naturally for a good yoga school.
Walk the Talk
The first business tip for promoting a successful yoga business is to be yourself. All yoga teachers have their own unique style, which sets them apart from all the rest. Cultivate your own teaching style and teach yoga the way that comes most naturally for you. When students select a yoga instructor, they’re looking for someone who exudes confidence and honesty. If you teach what you believe, students will pick up on that and respect it. Your teaching style will not please everyone, and they will go to other teachers within your studio. That’s fine. We all walk our own path and in time you’ll attract a body of students who were meant to learn from you, and you from them.
Over Deliver
The second business tip for a successful business is to always give your students more than they expect. By always going the extra mile, your students will learn more and feel a deeper connectivity with you as their instructor and the studio as a whole. If you give your students a sense of belonging they will keep coming back, time and again. Isn’t that what yogic methodology is all about, the connectivity of all things?
Flexibility
The third tip for running a successful yoga business is flexibility. Not just flexibility in the sense of being able to practice the asanas, but also flexibility in terms of classes and offerings. There are groups that are often excluded from yoga practice such as those with specific illnesses, individuals who are either younger or older than what is viewed as the ideal age, as well as clients who would be viewed as problematic by other schools such as those suffering from addiction issues. Consider opening up your studio to those individuals by offering classes made specifically for them. More people will be helped by yogic practices and your business will grow as well. Also consider alternative settings to the studio such as parks, churches and schools. This will give your studio more exposure in addition to making yogic methods more freely accessible for all.
Create a Network
The fourth business tip for a success is networking and marketing. The best advertising is word of mouth advertising and if you teach yoga classes, your students will tell their friends about it. In addition, consider taking advantage of social networking and blogging. Social networking is a great way to spread the word about your studio. By offering informative articles, inspiring daily posts and thought provoking quotes; people will begin to see your yoga classes as much more than a business before they even set foot inside of the building.
Yoga training is a deeply enriching practice that people from all walks of life can benefit from. By taking steps to build up your reputation as a good yoga instructor and attract students, you are impacting the world in a positive way. If everyone on Earth practiced yoga, the world would be a healthier, happier place.
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