The article appeared in the Yoga & Health Magazine January 2011!
3 Ethical steps to build your yoga business – Part 1 by Tamara Machavariani
Just last October I received a call from the BBC. It was about the business side of Yoga. The question was, ‘Should Yoga be marketed like a regular business? If so, should Yoga teachers have marketing education, that will help them increase their profits in Yoga business?’
For me the answer is obvious. Let me explain and start by asking you a question. Do you know what the difference is between a profitable Yoga studio or Yoga teaching and those that run at a loss? And have you ever thought why, if Yoga is such a big, ever growing market (according to industry news IHRSA 16 million people now do Yoga with a growth rate of 17.1%), there is still a lack of students in some classes when the market place is so big?
Is it a coincidence that only a fraction of teachers give themselves permission to really enjoy a teaching career without risking burn out or facing financial uncertainties? And have you noticed that most happy yogi/nis teach less, travel the world, get paid handsomely and inspire at least 10 times more than an average Yoga teacher?
I’ll come back to these questions in a moment. Let me introduce myself. My name is Tamara Machavariani. Today I’m a recognised expert in helping Yoga business get more clients and more profits.
I am the founder of the International Yoga Business Academy. In the past 12 months alone, I have helped over 250 Yoga entrepreneurs and independent teachers like you start and grow their Yoga business around the world. And what I discovered over the past 12 months is that actually having a healthy, profitable Yoga business is easier than you might be thinking.
Let me assure you, building a successful Yoga business already has a long held proven formula. It has a blueprint that is easy to follow, and if you follow that blueprint step by step you will attract Yoga students, have a healthy flow of income and still have time for yourself and loved ones. This is the right way, the ethical way!
Let me just uncover the myth and reveal a yoga business secret for you. To achieve all the above, you don’t have to have any business experience, be a technical genius, or have a marketing degree. In fact, if your experience is close to zero, even better (proven)! To have a healthy Yoga business, you really need just 4 very simple steps.
In fact you could easily double your turnover in 28 days (proven time and time again) or less in step one, by easily gaining control of an exclusive yoga marketplace. Maybe you are saying… “the yoga market is already so saturated, everybody seems to be opening studios and qualifying from teachers training?”. Whilst that is true, this is exactly where your advantage is. This is how you do it and
remember this 3 sacred rules:
Three Easy To Follow Rules You Can Use Today In Your Yoga Business
Rule No 1.: Be a big fish in a small pond
When it comes to positioning yourself in the already crowded yoga marketplace, it is 10 times stronger, and much more profitable to be the big fish in a small pond. What do I mean? Become specialized expert in one kind or market place for Yoga. So rather becoming a general Hatha teacher, become a yoga teacher for NHS workers, and here is why. When we stay within a specialisation we can charge more and gain expert status quicker.
Rule No.2. People seek and are happy to pay for specialized experts
That’s right when you are a specialist you no longer have to search out the marketplace the marketplace is already searching for you. Here’s a quick example. Hairdressers search out help for bad backs. They could easily got to a chiropractor that deals with backs or would they call a chiropractor that specialises in hairdressers spinal problems?
See the difference? The marketplace is already there. You simply tap into it.
Rule #3: Take example from your asana practice.
Can your posture ever be brilliant? Same is true for your service; don’t assume it reached its perfection. This is what I mean.
The fact is most service based businesses like yoga rarely measure quality of service, so here is what we recommend. Ask the customer what they think of your classes or workshops. All you have to do is build a simple questionnaire (5 questions will work brilliant) to help reveal what else they want from your service, where and how can you improve and give your clients better experience. Follow those simple steps and you’ll get incredible results I promise. As I will prove to you as I reveal even more about those steps over the course of the next months. Don’t miss!
But before I hear you asking “If running a Yoga business and attracting clients, without burning myself out is so easy, why isn’t everyone doing it and what is it I am not doing right?” The main reason for this is that most Yoga businesses have an out-dated business model (if at all).
You are a wonderful holistic practitioner, you were probably never taught how to really create successful Yoga business. You are overloaded with information, but what you need really is guidance!
Chances are that you seek business advice from other Yoga teachers who probably know little more than you do. You attempt to improve business but apply the same strategies that give the same results over and over again. You believe to be successful, you have to overwork yourself. Chances are you also have no marketing system in place, like 98% of Yoga teachers …
Does the above sound true for you? Like many teachers, you may believe teaching Yoga is not business and feel almost guilty marketing your skills and talent. Do not worry, it’s isn’t a problem and over the next few months I’ll share some very exciting ways for you to grow your business faster.
So lets remember … Running your Yoga business must be ethical, but no more or less so than running any other business. Yoga is not an exception. No profits, no students, no business for you! Can you name a business that has ever been created without honesty, love and dedication to their customers? And if they have been, they are long out of business.
I promise I will teach you ways that will make it easier for you to focus on manifesting your reality of finally having a healthy Yoga business, earn the income you deserve, whilst doing what you love. Why shouldn’t you?
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