Making your yoga business future proof

Having a Diverse Network

A broad and diverse network is essential. This makes your business adaptable and resilient because you access multiple ventures that go beyond just teaching yoga. In my thirty years of teaching, I have always reached out to other health practitioners such as masseuses, meditation experts and those who are experienced in their respective fields. In doing so, I’ve collaborated in ways that have been commercially beneficial, but also deeply educational.

During a recent urban retreat I hosted, I led two days of yoga sessions combined with a profoundly powerful gong bath for all attendees. Many people had a novel experience with the gong bath and this was complemented with a talk on acupuncture which gave the retreat a holistic and unique essence. This is just one example of collaboration among many and over the years these have broadened and diversified my network. This diverse network has made my yoga platform fun and varied, offering a multitude of ways for me to earn money and develop as a teacher.

Loyal & Returning Clients

Last, but perhaps most important are loyal clients. When I started teaching thirty years ago, yoga was still quite niche and running a yoga business was more of an unusual thing. Today, the market is saturated and people can choose from hundreds of class options and practices. This makes it hard to find returning, loyal clients. Fortunately, I have maintained a loyal group of students, many of whom I consider good friends.

I always do my best to take a genuine and considered interest in my students' lives beyond the yoga classes. This tends to be reciprocated in turn, leading to enduring friendships and, as a by-product for my business, a steady and reliable income irrespective of pandemics, competing teachers or economic instability.

If you want to build a loyal client base, the advice is simple. Care about your clients. People crave authenticity, especially in a market where so many teachers are trying to make a quick buck at your expense. By taking an engaged interest in those who come to my class, we have been able to share more than just a yoga session.

Learning about clients' health, injuries and importantly their lives outside of yoga, I have had the privilege of building a caring community of yogis. This allowed me to set up yoga retreats with people who come year[1]in-year-out. Moreover, loyal clients spread the word about my work in an infectiously positive tone and inadvertently do much of the marketing for me. Beyond just teaching yoga, care and sociability with my students have helped build a loyal and communal client base - making my business resilient to whatever changes the future holds.

Summing Up

Some points are more obvious than others but are still ignored time after time. Yes, of course, we know the internet is important and social media is a big deal, but using these things in the unique ways described will bring benefits that I have tried and tested. The key thing is to be open as times change and always put genuine care and creativity into your work - from this, everything else will follow.