Studying and practicing yoga for the purpose of becoming a professional yoga teacher is an invigorating experience. Practicing yoga and teaching it from studio to studio is one thing, but starting your own entrepreneurial journey as a yogi is another. Of course, we should ideally start with yoga teaching at various studios before commencing our own. To establish a successful yoga practice, there are certain key points to remember and look into.
We are going to discuss the most important ones that can really help you pave your way into the yoga teaching industry as a successful yoga entrepreneur.
- Be Authentic
Being authentic about yourself, your yogic craft, and your teaching methodology is the most important aspect of establishing a successful yoga practice. You will attract the right kind of client base when people resonate with you and your values as a yoga instructor. Make sure you convey it as well through the ambiance of your yoga studio and also by aligning your classes with traditional yoga philosophy.
Tell your story, let me know who you are. Once they begin to trust you, the kind of loyalty you would build with your clients will last forever.
- Get Certified
Going by the standard of the industry is another piece of advice that a yogi aspiring to establish a successful yoga practice should try to inculcate even though it is not a compulsion for the studio to be certified. Getting a certification builds credibility and also supports you in getting the right price for your classes. You can enroll into a yoga school that offers a certificate which is recognized by Yoga Alliance, the body that rules the national standards of yoga. Attend a yoga school in Goa, Rishikesh, Kerala or somewhere in India for the ultimate traditional exposure and gaining credibility as a highly-skilled yoga instructor who studied under the yoga masters of India.
- Create a Business Plan
Just like every business idea requires a solid business plan in place for the idea to become a success, establishing a successful yoga practice is no different. With a proper business plan in place, you would be able to rightly chalk out the key points about the current market structure, what kind of marketing strategies would you need, etc. Ideally, your business plan should include what type of proprietorship you would hold. Would you set up a solo practice or with a partner? What kind of client base do you want to capture? What are the current prices going on and what the competitors are doing?
Eventually, be clear about the kind of financial investments you would make and what kind of ROI (return on investment) you can gain from it. Conduct a thorough analysis before freezing upon the entire business plan.
- Create A Website
Even though Yoga studio is primarily an offline business, with the trending online yoga classes and the fact that people prefer to read about a business online and book it the same way without willing to actually come down to the studio to check it out, having a proper, well-optimized website is essential. A website would serve the following purposes, especially if it is optimized for SEO and if you are also targeting customers via online ads.
- You can teach yoga classes online as well as offline.
- Having an SEO optimized website will put your name on the top charts in terms of organic reach, which again builds credibility.
- People will be able to go through your portfolio and studio facilities as well as book classes with you online which makes the process hassle-free and swift as well.
- You will be able to create brand awareness at a much faster pace.
- Work with a Niche`
While it is good to be a jack of all trades, it is important to be the master of one. This is especially true when it comes to teaching yoga. Delivering one style of yoga that works as a USP is more viable than teaching all sorts of yoga and not being known for any. People prefer to go to places that are known for specifics and work with a niche` so they can learn the best from one of the best. Hence, go with a yoga style that you can really build your brand around. It could be Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Kundalini Yoga. or whichever you resonate with more.
- Find The Perfect Location
Building a yoga practice depends largely on its location as much as the other discussed factors. People prefer joining studios that are easy to locate, easy to reach without hefty traffic, and should have sufficient parking facilities as well. Make sure it has an amicable ambiance that people feel welcomed to. If you are looking for a location on a budget, then you can go for a home studio practice for the time being.
- Do Some Serious Branding
Yes, even if yoga is far away from a corporate setup, it still requires some basic rules to build brand awareness and that is ‘branding’. Invest in some honest branding activities from online ads to offline branding collaterals. You can start with logo development and then take it forward from there with brand kits, yoga accessories, brand posters, brand story, etc.
- Engage in Lead Generation Campaigns
This is specially important for generating a new client base. You can take the help of google or facebook ads to create some really interesting lead gen campaigns. Another platform to do the same is Instagram.
- Network! Network!
As you must know by now that yoga is more about word of mouth, personal recommendations and hence, building a network within the yoga community plays an important role for both creating new clientele as well as retaining the existing students.
Author Bio:
Laura is blogging at Goa Yogashala, a website that offers best yoga retreats and yoga teacher training for yogis around the world. Always on the lookout for interesting places to visit. It took him 25 years of his life to realize where the true calling lies, but once that was done, there’s been no looking back. Since the last ten years that she is on the go, She is sharing his travel experiences by writing about them.