Tips from the experts to help you grow the yoga business of your dreams
To mark the end of the year we’re presenting a ‘Best of 2019’ this month, showcasing some of the top insider tips and highlights from the past 12 months
BUSINESS PLANNING
“I have run my own business for the last 14 years. It is essential to have clear goals along with a detailed plan for achieving these. I work with yearly, weekly and daily planners and have a promotional plan running concurrently to ensure events are effectively communicated. I try to keep on top of bookkeeping and work with an accountant who ensures I meet all my legal deadlines. I also make a conscious effort to be kind, friendly and respectful to everyone I meet.”
Sheila McVitty, Yoga For Athletes, Manchester
MARKETING
“Word-of-mouth is your best bet (at least where I live). I’ve had flyers printed and yes, they brought in a few enquiries but word-of-mouth and social media are the two places I get most of my students from. I do think it’s important to have a unique selling point. It gives students something to talk about! Find your voice and speak up fearlessly.”
Wendy Snongjati, FlowMotion.Life Studio, Matlock
HARDEST LESSON
“Teaching too strong yoga. I realised quite early on that everyone who comes to my classes likes to put in a really good effort on the mat but not too much so they leave feeling totally shattered and put off coming again. Balance and really listening to your clients’ requirements is key as most people want to come to yoga to feel re-energised and to find calm.”
Emma Leaf, Infinite Yoga, York
MIND THE EGO
“Beware of the spiritual ego! When we first step on the path of spirituality, it is wonderful and exciting and it’s very easy to become judgmental and a bit of a preacher. When I first started I thought the style of yoga I practiced was the best and didn’t take into account how wonderful and unique each and every person is. My favourite teachers are the ones that encourage you to try what they say and see if it works for you, and I learned that the hard way after an inflated ego finally burst!”
Luke Bache, Luke Bache Yoga, Sweden
BE YOURSELF
“Don’t try to be anyone else – you’ll only ever be second-best at that. If you simply try to speak someone else’s words, it will come across as hollow and soulless. Don’t be afraid to express how you feel about the practice. Also, don’t be afraid to teach postures that you find really challenging. People will appreciate your honesty, when you admit that you’re not perfect, either!”
Brendon Murphy, Shanti Warrior Yoga, Luton
GROW SLOW
“I have had a five-year business plan since setting the studio up. I planned it so that I didn’t grow too quickly. It’s very easy to charge less money, below your worth, to sell lots of memberships, or use Groupon, etc, but I did not want this in my studio. I have trained hard, and put lots of money into my teacher training, and I have put lots of money into the studio; not only that, the other teachers at the studio are also very well trained. It is important that any business grows slowly; this studio is no exception. Selling low prices, and filling classes lessens the worth of the teachers and the studio. Plus there is a danger of over-subscribed classes, and people not being able to book on. I do not want 50 people crammed into the studio, that was never, nor will ever, be the intention of the Yoga Bank. The magic of my plan is exactly that: slow and steady growth.”
Jackie Quayle, The Yoga Bank, Widnes
BUSINESS COACH
“I’ve been working with a business coach since the middle of last year. It was a massive step for me for a couple of reasons. First of all, it was a big financial investment and one that I could have easily talked myself out of. But I realised that I needed to stop being ‘just’ an occasional yoga teacher, and properly step into being a yoga business owner, and to do this I needed to get professional. This included investing in me, investing in my business, and showing The Universe that I meant it! I am also rubbish at asking for help, so this was a big lesson in admitting that I needed someone to support me, coach me, encourage me, challenge me, and show me how to be the awesome, successful yoga business owner I have the potential to be.”
Meg Jackson, Real Life Yoga, London
SOCIAL MEDIA
“I keep my feeds as real as possible; I don’t practice yoga in a bikini while drinking a green juice, so that’s not what you’ll see! I also practice yoga much more broadly than asana, so I don’t rely on pictures of myself in poses to sell my class, but offer tips meditation or the yamas and niyamas to encourage more taking yoga off the mat. I tend to use happy photos of my clients to sell my classes. Keep it professional, not confessional. Be consistent with content and style to give people a clear idea of your approach to teaching and your personality.”
Dr Tracy Johnson, Brainbox Coaching & Empower Yoga, Bristol
FUTURE TRENDS
“Things seem to be moving away from hotter, harder calorie-burning, Fitbit-focused yoga and slipping into experience-based classes. Finding more ease, being at ease and developing self-enquiry are at the heart of my teaching — after all we achieve more when we make friends with our bodies rather than when we treat them as the enemy.”
Rose Shaw, Yoga by Rose, Lancashire
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
