by Amanda Kingsmith | Apr 11, 2018 | Blog, Business
Running a yoga business is unique to other businesses in other industries. You are offering customers a specific service, hoping that they will realize the potential and benefit of your product, signing up for a few lessons or classes. Once you get them through the door and they start practicing yoga, you have won a customer. But how do you get to that point? You need to make sure that you are connecting with your customer. There are several key ingredients you’ll need to achieve this online. (more…)
by Amanda Kingsmith | Mar 23, 2018 | Blog
Whether you’ve recently attended yoga classes and become a massive fan or you’ve taught classes for years, the idea of opening your own studio can seem very appealing. It’s a profitable business model because yoga is popular with millions of people. Plus, it’s a fun business for someone who loves yoga; you get to make a living by doing what you love. Of course, a love for yoga isn’t enough to create a successful business. Even if you’ve been a professional for years, you need an entrepreneurial mindset to create and run your own studio. Here’s some advice on creating a strong business plan. (more…)
by Amanda Kingsmith | Feb 26, 2018 | Show Notes, Studio Owners
Listen on iTunes or Download Here.
Andrew Gordon is a yoga teacher, former studio and the host of the Yoga Moves You Podcast, joining me from Charlotte, North Carolina. Andrew came to yoga after a family tragedy, and found that it changed his life for the better to the point that he wanted to share yoga with the world as a teacher.
After getting his teacher training and beginning to teach, Andrew dove into studio ownership. On this episode, he shares the struggles and challenges of being a yoga studio owner, and why he ultimately sold the studios he owned, as well as some of the most important lessons he learned through the journey.
Since selling his yoga studio, Andrew has dove into running the Yoga Moves You Podcast. Andrew shares why he decided to make this change, what life as a podcast host is like, as well as what he’s learned through running his podcast.
Enjoy!
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by Amanda Kingsmith | Nov 24, 2017 | Blog, Business
Your Facebook page is an extension of the community you work so hard to create in-person. It’s a place to celebrate your studio, your teachers, your owners, and especially your students.
Here are 10 ways a yoga studio can create a stronger Facebook page:
Give credit (be in integrity). There are so many beautiful quotes and graphics floating around. If you use one and it’s easy to credit the author or the source, do so. If you’re sharing a photo that a student took at your studio, ask them if you can share it and then give them credit too.
Post quality images. The best photos of our yogis and of our studio are taken during the day, when sun streams into the room. I almost exclusively take photos mid-day for this reason. The quality of your photos will impact (possibly unfairly) a potential customer’s impression on the quality of your studio. Don’t be afraid to delete old, blurry photos.
Show the studio (even the nooks). If someone who has never been to your studio is on your Facebook page, chances are they want to know what it looks like. Show off your studio through wide shots of the space, and don’t be afraid to include photos of your lobby and front desk. Also, avoid any potential confusion by making it a hard rule not to post photos of other studios. If you’re trying to highlight your incredible teaching staff, only post photos of them outside, or at your space.
Emphasize your point of differentiation. Often, your personality will come through naturally. If your yoga studio is more serene, that can be what you choose to capture in your images.
Be humble. Everyone who works for your studio — from the Energy Exchange, to the teachers, to the owners — are all human. Just because social media allows us to present picture-perfect versions of ourselves, doesn’t mean we have to. Speak with your audience, not down to them.
Have a personality. You’re a person interacting with your Facebook community. Post what you think they’ll want to see, and actually be excited about the things you’re sharing.
Please, don’t hide diversity. I say this as a student, as a teacher, as a advocate of men practicing yoga, and as a visible minority: If the only people you are posting images of are toned, white, females, you are going to intimidate potential customers, and possibly even alienate your current ones who don’t fit that mold. Being inclusive of everyone on your Facebook page will make your studio a more welcoming space.
Link to your Facebook page on your website. And tell people about it! I refer students to our Facebook page when they are looking for details on upcoming workshops and events.
Don’t flood your students with information. Be clear, and be intentional with your message. Try to keep the text of your post short enough that students won’t have to expand to see what you wrote. Provide a link to any secondary information.
Involve your students: After a busy class, I’ll sometimes ask if students want to stick around for a photo. Or, if I see a student practicing a pose after class, I’ll ask them if they would mind me taking a photo for our social media. Always get permission, and offer to tag them in the post. The key is to celebrate your students just as much as your teachers.
The books pictured at the top of this post are Baron Baptiste’s 40 Days to Personal Revolution and The Fruit Feast.
Laura Fraser is a yoga teacher, digital media specialist & hand-lettering artist. You can learn more about Laura here.
by Amanda Kingsmith | Nov 12, 2017 | Blog, Business
I’ve been working for The Yoga Lounge, based out of Canmore, AB for nearly 3 years. I’ve done a lot of different tasks as one of the three studio managers, and had the opportunity to work as the primary studio manager this past summer for 5 months. Throughout my time working for The Yoga Lounge, I’ve learned a lot.
Here’s are 6 important lessons I’ve learned about managing a yoga studio: (more…)
