Starting A Yoga Business : The Guide

The word yoga is Sanskrit word, derived from Sanskrit root yuj, which means “to attach, join, and unite”.

Regular practice of yoga helps individuals to create harmony or unity between body, mind, and soul, thus name. Yoga includes the physical practice of postures which are called asanas. Yoga has become an important part of people’s life because of the vast benefits it offers. 

Besides being a yoga practitioner, you can be a yogapreneur. Yoga has become a very good form of business. In fact, people are leaving their full-fledged jobs in order to start a yoga business.

Probably they find yoga a better choice than their corporate jobs or maybe they want to own a business instead of working for some company. Whatever the reason be, owning a business has charm of its own, and yoga is an unceasing, fulfilling and paying business.

If you are also planning to start a yoga business, then this post is for you. Here in this post we will discuss the ways of starting a yoga business and become a yogaprenuer. 

Here we go……

I. YOGA TRAINING BUSINESS 

You can be a yoga trainer or instructor. Yoga training business is flourishing globally for a simple reason – People are getting conscious about their physical health and mental health.

Also, they are aware that the traditional methods and techniques of patanjali yoga are a great way to stay fit. Of course, besides being the practice of poses or asanas, yoga also helps people to stay peaceful, mindful, and rejuvenated, most important in this fast-paced life. 

There are many avenues that you can take with respect to starting a yoga training business.

You can opt to work as a freelance yoga trainer, where you will be servicing private clientele on a one-on-one basis; or you can be a sole proprietor, or plan to start your own yoga studio or you can open your own brick and mortar establishment.

Whether you choose to become a freelance yoga trainer or start a studio, you need to fulfill certain requirements. Requirements for starting a yoga training business are:

First thing first, stay abreast, get formal education. 

1. Find Your Niche. There are many types of yoga, like Ashtanga Yoga, Yin Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, etc. Each yoga is different so before you choose to start a yoga training business you will have to choose your forte or niche.

2. Get Formal Education. Once you know the type of yoga, the next step is to obtain certification as an instructor or trainer from an affiliated Yoga institution.

There are several yoga teacher training institutes through-out the world. Make sure you choose the one that presides over the national standards. Usually 200-hour to 500-hour teacher training is required to become a trainer. 

3. Make Your Decision. Decide whether you want to be a freelance yoga trainer, or a sole proprietor or want to work as an institution. Besides, spend your time, efforts and resources in learning and educating yourself on how to run a business.

4. Plan Ahead. Once you know the type of business you are planning to start, draw up a business plan for yourself. For instance, you want to open a yoga studio, you will have to figure out the working capital and draw a business plan.

Your plan should include, projections, working capital, etc. In addition to this, gather information about your competitors in the area. How much they charge for a session or for a month etc.

Remember, yoga class fees vary extensively by area and the competition will be large in urban locales because of too many existing studios and private instructors. Plan way ahead and network with the community of like-minded people to know the insights of yoga business.

5. The Place. If you think you are ready with a business plan and working capital, you will need to get a suitable place. The place that you choose for your yoga studio should qualify the basic requirements, like: it should be spacious, accessible, airy etc. 

6. Be creative. Believe it or not, creativity is the key to success at least in the world of yoga. You can’t expect to rise by giving what everybody else is already giving. You need to figure out how you are different from your competitors. Once you know this, you know the right ingredient to success! 

7. Market yourself genuinely. Hope you know that the right marketing opens up doors for you. There are many ways to market yourself, like email marketing, digital marketing, buzz marketing, social media marketing etc.

All of them are easier and pocket-friendly marketing mediums. Initially, you can start with a few free sessions. Like this people will know about you and that you exist! 

8. Persistency Matters. You may not be able to achieve success or any business at first, but never give up. Keep giving your best, keep trying until you succeed and get the desired results. Remember, those who persistently keep taking the rights steps, do succeed! 

9.  Have an edge over your Business. If you think that you don’t need to know about yoga, and hiring a great team will do, then you’re mistaken. Only when you know the inside out of your business you are sure to succeed, otherwise better to chuck the idea! 

10. Keep Learning. Learning is a continuous process; never forget this in your life. If you really want to be in the hit list of your clients, keep learning, keep yourself updated!

11. Communication Skills Matter. Yoga training business simply means service industry. And the fundamental rule to stay and succeed in the service industry is – COMMUNICATION SKILLS. If you don’t know how to speak or communicate with people, you have no right to stay in the industry, it’s that simple! 

12. Right People. Having the right team can help you do the right business. So, choose your support team wisely. Make sure they understand the twists and turns of the business world.

13. Don’t Settle for Less, Know Your Worth. You may be starting your business, but it’s not wise to settle for less. Never ever compromise your worth for achieving early success or business.

14. Be Patient. Last but not least, be patient. Remember that everything has its own time and pace! 

II. START AN ONLINE YOGA STORE

Luckily, we are in the era of technology that has enabled us to have access to almost everything and from anywhere. And the same goes to starting an online yoga shop and becoming a yogaprenuer.

You would be able to work from anywhere and operate in a wholly digital environment.

Starting an online yoga store will not only lower your overhead costs, but also will offer you freedom to conduct business on the move. Here is what you need to do for starting an online yoga store:

1. Know your niche. First things first, know your niche. You can sell anything from your knowledge to yoga products like yoga pants, yoga mat etc. However, you still need to know your niche, it will help you have clarity and run your business appropriately. 

2. Build an easy-to-use website. Website is the basic requirement of starting a yoga business online. It is important that you build an easy to use website. Make sure your website is responsive, as according to a research more than 80% people use their phones for online search. 

3. Be an expert of your field. Just starting an online yoga store and selling your products is not enough. You need to be an expert of your field and take steps to drive traffic to your website. For that you can create a blog on your website, write unique content related to yoga, have social media pages to display your offers there, etc.

4. The power of right content. Never ignore the power of right content. Make sure you write a unique and powerful content that sells. Believe it or not, unique content helps you stay ahead in the business and have more traffic on your website.

5. SEO Marketing. Search engine optimization or SEO marketing plays an imperative role in driving the traffic to your site. So, it is important that you make the right use of SEO marketing. 

6. Follow up with your customers. It is important that you keep following up with your customers and subscribers. You can do it effectively via email, etc. 

7. Expand your network. Whether you start a yoga studio or an online yoga store, expanding your network can always help you succeed in your business.

Network with like minded people, join events and clubs where you get to learn more about the starting and expanding a yoga business. All these activities will help you stay abreast!

8. Stay focused. Last but not least, whatever you do in your life, staying focused can help you sustain the competition of any level. Remember, this is the era of competition and to sustain the competition you need to be really very focused and clear! 

So, are you ready to launch a yoga business?

These are the yoga businesses that you can choose to start. Besides these businesses, you can also opt to become a blogger.

All you have to do is start your blog and share your knowledge related to yoga there. But make sure you post your content regularly and consistently as irregularity directly affects your google rating.

With yoga you always have the leeway to opt for the business of your choice and be your own boss!

However, before you go into the business of enlightenment, make sure you cover all the bases of yoga business and do a thorough screening of your environment.