If your business dream of owning your very own yoga studio is nothing more than an idea stored deep inside your brain, now might be the right time to dig down and bring it to life. Starting any business, yoga based or not, is a perilous yet exciting journey. You need to have your wits about you, your financial head screwed on and you need a stronger and deeper level of commitment to your dream than you ever thought humanly possible. Six months down the line when you are a fully fledged business, and you’re teaching yoga to new clients each week and business is buoyant, you will be thankful of the decisions you made and preparation you took early on.

There is no point leaping feet first into a venture and risking it all. It pays to be like the tortoise, take off slowly, get used to your surroundings and steer a steady course through the journey of entrepreneurship. There are many things that you need to consider before you launch your company. Take a look at how you can minimize your risk and build your brand in the most effective way.

Premises

Unless you’re blessed with having a monumental property with outbuildings and studio space, the chances are that you’ll be looking to lease a premises for your studio. Consider the location carefully. You want to be in a central position with excellent transport links. However, you don’t want to strive for this only to find yourself in the seediest part of town. Sacrifice size over location should it come down to it. You’re better off with a smaller studio that you can expand at a later date making sure that your clientele can easily reach you rather than having a massive yoga studio in the middle of nowhere.

Name, Logo, Voice

The naming of your yoga studio will say a lot about you, so it’s vital that you choose a name that resonates with what you want your brand to communicate. When you stumble across the right name, you will just know that it’s the one. If you want a laid-back vibe, opt for a name that isn’t too formal. If you enjoy the spiritual aspects of yoga, reflect this in your name and logo to give potential students the chance to gain a little insight into your attitude towards the practice.

Your branding will be at the very heart of your business. It will be on your leaflets, premises, signs, blogs and social media. When it comes to your Twitter and Facebook feeds, it’s vital that they remain active, relevant and full of high-quality content. When you post to your blog, ensure that you find the right voice for your business. As a yoga teacher, you should write how you would naturally teach. If the potential student likes what they are reading, they will soon be in touch.

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Your Website

Any business in the twenty-first century needs to utilize technology. With the Internet being the number one means of communication and research tool, and Google being the go-to search engine to locate or find out anything, you need a highly visible website. Consider outsourcing the website building task to a specialist company if this is not your forte. Companies like Kiss PR will create and market your website with exceptional SEO to ensure that your website appears high on Google’s search pages.

You could take it upon yourself to learn the skills of website creation or even use one of the many drag and drop website builders online. You may be able to create an exceptional website with a high-quality homepage, intuitive menus that are easy to navigate and visible links to your social media channels. However, if you are only able to source organic traffic because of your lack of SEO knowledge, you will struggle to compete with your rivals. Consider outsourcing to allow you the time to concentrate on the intricacies of your yoga syllabus and class timetables.

Marketing

Prior to your launch, you need to generate a buzz online and in your physical locality. Up to three months before, begin flooding your social media channels with alluring content such as a discount for the first twenty people who sign up for a class. Begin to drip feed class timetables. Show off your new staff with little profiles allowing potential clients to get to know a little bit about their yogis. Encourage a two-way conversation with your potential customer base, ask for their feedback about the website and encourage them to share links. Incentivize them with a free lesson should they bulk buy a block of ten.

Don’t be scared of heading down the more traditional route. Put flyers through doors, put up posters in similar establishments and post an advert in the local press. Try to forge links with local gyms and other sports clubs with a promise to display their marketing materials if they return the favor. Getting your brand visible and noticed is the most important part of establishing yourself in an already crowded marketplace.

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Pricing

Doing some market research and heading off to a few yoga classes in your local area will inform you of what is already available and for what price. Can you offer anything different? Is there a niche that isn’t being fulfilled? Are all age groups catered for or could you do a class for the older lady or for kids? Think outside the box a little bit and ensure that you don’t undersell yourself or price yourself out of the market. It’s important that you try to find a happy medium.

Congratulations on wanting to set up your own yoga studio. Having a long-held passion and shifting your mindset so that you begin to think of it as a business opportunity is not an easy thing to do. However, with clear thinking, focus and a determination to succeed, you will soon be a yogi entrepreneur.

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