What will happen if you are a competent, talented, and
compassionate Yoga teacher, without enough dedicated students?
Here is a simple answer: Don't quit your "day job" and don't
open a Yoga studio of your own. Sorry to be so blunt, but you
need time to grow your following.
When, or if, you develop a following as an independent
contractor, then and only then, think about opening a Yoga
center. This is not meant to be harsh, but there are enough Yoga
centers with poor business skills to go around, and you don't
need to lose every penny you saved without developing sound
business plans.
Therefore, please take time to develop a Yoga business plan with
goals and estimated time frames. Unfortunately, I have seen too
many Yoga studios open with a "one month plan." Can you imagine
opening an ashram without a telephone, getting caught up in
zoning board complications, or just hoping for the best? One
poorly organized Yoga studio makes all Yoga teachers look bad,
and leaves the public thinking every Yoga studio is like that.
How do you feel when you go to a deli for the 20th time and the
counter help tries to avoid you? Do you feel like going back
again, when, half the time, they get your order wrong? Where am
I going with this?
Every Yoga studio should have an appointed person for customer
service and public relations. Yoga teachers should know all of
their students' names "by heart." If you ignore your Yoga
students, there is no reason for them to stay. They will feel
unwelcome and unworthy. One of the worst ways to handle a
student / teacher relationship is to ignore a Yoga student.
Be careful of perceptions that make you feel like you are better
than your Yoga students. Remember that your students pay you to
teach Yoga. You should treat them like your best friends. How
many of your friends are paying for your meals, car, mortgage,
or your vacations? Your Yoga students are "number one."
Doing the "little extras," keeps Yoga students. When a student
has a question, it is your job to give an informed answer; and
if you do not have one, consult with a senior or master Yoga
teacher. If you are not a "people person," do not become a Yoga
teacher.
Make sure that the person who answers your phone loves people.
You can't keep a Yoga studio open with a grumpy receptionist.
The receptionist is their initial "gate keeper" of a Yoga
studio, and for Yoga students, that gate should be held open
with a wide smile.
Each Yoga studio should be a haven for students to find what
they seek, without putting up with inferior service. They face
far too much of it, outside the Yoga class. You should know the
needs of your students and promise only what you can deliver.
Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in
RI. He's a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He
teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote: Is Running a
Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students wanting to be a
Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org
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