I get dozens of emails each month from studio owners , teachers and people involved in some other aspect of yoga (about 5000 people are subscribed to this newsletter). I really do read every one, though unfortunately, I don’t have the time to respond to them all (I wish I did). Instead, topics that come up often are often the basis for what I write here. This month, I had planned to write about who is supposed to do what when it comes to studio operations, but I felt guided in a different direction by the universe. I’ve gotten an unusual number of inquiries from people wanting to open a new studio. Some from partners, others from individuals, but all with the passion and excitement that comes from embarking on the dream of opening a new studio. As an aside, I do love to hear from readers. Email me and let me know what you would find useful to learn about.
Responding to inquiries like this is one of the hard parts of what I do. You see, I like to see people happy, and it is really fun to see them excited about creating a successful studio. So, here’s the hard part. I’ve worked with numerous studios over the years and have a pretty good feel for what it takes to make a studio succeed. Unfortunately, many of the excited happy people who come to me for advice don’t have some pretty critical pieces of what it will take in place AND they don’t believe they need them (In a minute, I’ll tell you what I usually share with them, but first the rest of the story).
“My studio will be different!” they say, then go on to explain why they don’t need anything other than what they have. If they don’t seem open, I usually don’t have the heart to tell them that this is exactly what most of the other studio owners in their position who have ended up closing their doors for good once explained. Like I said, this is a hard part of my work. But on the bright side, a lot of them do listen with an open mind. And while they have to work extra and learn new stuff, they get through it and create a studio that really does grow and flourish. Don’t get me wrong, it is hard work, but it does truly pay off.
So here is an inquiry I recently got. The email was from three teachers who were so passionate about yoga, they decided that they wanted to open their own studio to share their vision with the world in their own unique way. They talked about the styles of yoga they could teach, years of experience, who they each learned from and what classes their studio would offer.
“If you want to bake cookies, go home to your kitchen and bake.” This is what a wise friend and experienced bakery owner told a woman who loved baking so much she wanted to open her own bakery. You see, running a bakery (or yoga studio for that matter) has very little to do with the product or service you are offering. Most studio owners open a studio for the same reasons the three teachers I just mentioned did – To teach and practice yoga. A noble endeavor to be sure, but not nearly enough to open a studio.
A studio is just a business that happens to offer yoga classes as a service. It is not a collection of yoga classes that happens to need some business stuff going on in the background. If I’ve offended you with this remark, my apologies. Like I said, this is the hard part of what I do. It’s so sad for me to pick up the phone and listen to a studio owner tell how she is $40,000 in debt and can’t borrow any more money, and she doesn’t think she can even pay rent this month. She goes on to tell how as she walks from her car to her studio each morning, that with every step her heart sinks and her throat tightens. What was once her dream now feels like a prison. She wants to know if I can help. I hear too many of these stories.
I would rather make someone mad and discouraged now than to see them go through this. And what’s worse is that yoga is never the same for them after that. Their spark and passion is gone. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way. If you know the right things, you are so much further along than if you don’t.
What do I think it takes to run a successful studio? If you are willing to spend a lot of time doing financial management, marketing, sales, internet marketing, hiring (and firing), managing teachers and staff, calculating price structures, creating ongoing promotions, advertising, dealing with happy students and angry students, working long hours, doing janitorial work, filing papers and eventually marveling at the amazing studio you have created, then starting a studio might be for you. You may include “Teaching yoga” in the list, but it is not required – many successful studio owners teach only the classes they really like, and some none at all.
Over three-quarters of new studios will fail in less than three years. What you don’t know can hurt you. It takes more than just passion and a vision to make a studio successful (though these qualities are essential too!) This reminds me of a teenager, who had recently learned to drive, going on a long trip across Nevada . You see, in Nevada , you can easily drive 100 miles without seeing another car, let alone passing a gas station. He’s so excited about his first driving trip with a friend – he has been waiting all month and the day has finally arrived. He thinks he just needs to get in the car and go. His mother ask “How much gas do you have?” He says “a quarter tank.” She asks “How far can you go before you need to fill up again?” He says “I’m not sure…if I need gas, I’ll stop.” She knows that if his car gets 20 miles to the gallon, the quarter tank he has (about 3 gallons) will get him 60 miles. He needs to go over 100 miles before another chance to fill up comes along.
Notice that he has all the passion in the world , but my guess is that his lack of information (how far a quarter tank of gas will go) is going to leave him stranded in the Mojave desert . The same is true in starting a studio. There are some fundamental things you need to do, like having enough money to operate for months or years before making a profit, or knowing a good deal about marketing and advertising.
Back to the three teachers who called me , I told them this. I also suggested they download the free “Top Ten Things to Consider When Starting a Yoga Studio” ( http://www.centeredbusiness.com/freestuff.htm ) guide from my website and read it, asking themselves how they have addressed each issue described. Next, I suggested they read a book called “The E-myth revisited” by Michael Gerber. And finally, I asked them to each write down why they wanted to open a yoga studio. If they just wanted to teach yoga, then they would probably be happier as teachers.
If you really want to open a studio, take one for a test-drive. Go to a studio that you like, AND which seems to be reasonably successful, and tell the owner you want to volunteer to help with the business side of things (no teaching yoga!) Deal with processing class cards, calling people who no longer come to the studio, coordinating and advertising promotional events, marketing, advertising and more marketing, dealing with student records and teacher schedules, and whatever else they let you do. Try this for 8-12 hours a week, for 3 months. Do it more often, if you can. Then decide if you want to start your own studio. If you do, then you have probably quadrupled your chances of success. If you can’t make that kind of time investment, go through my “Home Study Yoga Studio Success Course” ( see right sidebar or http://www.centeredbusiness.com/homestudy.htm ) to get a good idea of what you’ll need to do on the business side of things. (Or at the very least, get a book from the library on running a small business.) Just do something to get an understanding of what you will really be doing day to day if you open a studio.
I was going to give a list of specific items to consider when opening a studio, but I think I’ve gone on for long enough already. Honestly, I’ve covered most of them in the free downloads and the Home Study Studio Success Program. These are great resources regardless of whether you are starting a new studio or already have one open.
I want to see you happy and successful. I am sorry if I disturbed or upset anyone with this somewhat blunt article. However, if running a studio is right for you, then you can probably tell because you are feeling open and interested in learning about the things I’ve discussed. If this is the case for you, then welcome to the world of studio ownership. It’s good to have you aboard. Keep in mind that even if a studio isn’t right for you today, someday it might be. Whatever you do, don’t give up on your dream!
Namast,
Coach Al Lipper
P.S. Please let me know what you think of this newsletter. What other topics would you like to learn more about in the future?
About Coach Al:
Al Lipper is a master business coach, business teacher and writer. For free resources on running a yoga studio as a successful and fun business, visit http://www.CenteredBusiness.com.
In response to the charges in Vegas, Romney at first said he didn’t think he’d ever “hired an illegal” in his life.
Perry repeatedly tried to interrupt. After Romney told Perry, “I’m speaking, I’m speaking,” he stated: “This has been a tough couple of debates for Rick, and so I understand that you’re going to get testy.”
Romney eventually acknowledged that the lawn company used illegal immigrants, and he said he let the contractor go after learning of its continued offense. Later on in the debate, he scolded Perry again for interrupting, saying: “You have a problem with allowing someone to finish speaking.”
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nakai, Oct 19 at 06:43 AM
Obama’s advisers jumped on that comment quickly, with Messina saying: “He didn’t object to having undocumented immigrants working for him because it’s illegal.”
Democrats also cast him as out of touch with middle class Americans after he went to Nevada — the state with the highest foreclosure rate in the nation — and said he wants to allow home foreclosures to “hit the bottom” to help the housing industry recover.
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nakai, Oct 19 at 08:20 PM
Mr. Rubin reiterated on Wednesday that Google’s expected acquisition of Motorola Mobility won’t affect access for handset vendors such as Samsung to Android. Motorola is “going to be run as a separate entity” at an arm’s length, he said. There is “not going to be any special treatment as far as access to Android goes.”
Google executives also acknowledged they were trying to do more to create more emotional appeal in the operating system. “People knew Android was powerful, but people didn’t love Android,” Matias Duarte, the Google executive in charge of Android’s user experience, said at a news conference with Samsung.
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nakai, Oct 19 at 08:33 PM
Cain’s feistiness was on full display later for a receptive crowd at the Western Republican Leadership Conference. He called for “attitude adjustments” for both the Environmental Protection Agency and the United Nations. He even joked about the controversy surrounding his comments over the weekend that suggested a border fence should be electrified.
“You don’t touch the fence” when the subject of immigration came up during the afternoon. He paused and grinned. “I ain’t going to say that,” he added. “You see, that’s what got me in trouble before.”
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Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, made clear that he views Perry as the biggest threat to his quest for the party’s nomination by releasing a video yesterday that mocks his debate performances, including one this week in Las Vegas.
The video features unflattering close-ups of Perry appearing irate, uncomfortable and confused. It pointedly asks whether Perry is “ready to lead.”
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Political analysts and pollsters contend such wringing of hands misses a critical point: The economy and education dwarf immigration as concerns for Hispanic voters.
With their community battered by an unemployment rate of 11.3 percent - more than two percentage points above the national average - moderate Hispanics could be particularly receptive to Romney and his laserlike focus on jobs.
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nakai, Oct 20 at 12:33 AM
It will make it easier for firms to cut payroll costs by reaching company-level wage agreements, which has particularly angered some ruling party lawmakers.
Papandreou will hold a cabinet meeting at around 0900 GMT, before the parliamentary vote.
(Writing by Ingrid Melander and James Mackenzie; editing by Elizabeth Piper)
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(CNN)—Terry Thompson, the Ohio man who authorities say set his exotic animals free just before killing himself, once supplied a lion cub for a photo shoot with supermodel Heidi Klum.
“I wrote a letter to Heidi Klum’s people,” said Larry Hostetler, the executive director of the Animal Shelter Society of Muskingum County. “I strongly voiced my opinion that if they’re going to hire animals for entertainment, they might want to check handlers’ backgrounds—that Terry Thompson had been convicted of animal cruelty.
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Sheriff Matt Lutz defended his officers, saying they had no choice but to kill the roaming animals. “I had deputies that had to shoot animals with sidearms at close range. That’s how volatile this situation was.”
Thompson was known as a flamboyant, volatile man. The sheriff’s department had been to the property on dozens of occasions over the last decade to check into reports of animal cruelty or animals on the loose.
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PHOENIX (AP) — When President George H.W. Bush came to visit her in the hospital, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords could say only “Wow!” and another word she had been uttering frequently at the time, “chicken.”
Months later, when she was shown photos of famous people to see if she recognized faces, Giffords looked at Arnold Schwarzenegger and replied, more or less accurately: “Messin’ around. Babies.”
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Sites such as Facebook and Twitter have become a key resource for following a fast-moving crisis such as the riots that raged across Bangkok in April and May of last year, the center’s deputy director said. The AP agreed not to identify him because he sometimes still works undercover in foreign countries.
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Gunmen then went through the town, blowing up a bank and attacking at least three police stations and five churches, leaving them in rubble, officials said. Gunfire continued through the night and gunmen raided the village of Potiskum near the capital as well, witnesses said, leaving at least two people dead there.
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Nigerian Red Cross statistics showed at least 65 people died in and around Damaturu. Four other people were killed by four bombs in Maiduguri, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east, officials said. One of those blasts detonated around noon outside an Islamic college, another alongside a road, local police commissioner Simeon Midenda said.
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nakai, Nov 5 at 10:27 PM
It’s not clear to what extent the banking industry’s about-face on debit card fees will extinguish the anger driving the movement. But many supporters say their actions are about far more than any single complaint.
“It’s too little, too late,” said Kristen Christian, the 27-year-old Los Angeles small business owner who started “Bank Transfer Day.” She already opened accounts at two credit unions in preparation for cutting ties with Bank of America this weekend.
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"I’m pretty confident they’re going to find some way to get that extra money,” said Blakemore, a 28-year-old who works for a nonprofit fundraiser in New York City. “I’ll just have to see if it offends my sensibility enough to close the account.”
Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. are keeping mum on whether they’ve seen an uptick in account closures in recent weeks. But credit unions and small community banks have been basking in the spotlight and issuing press releases highlighting what they say are superior interest rates and more intimate service, along with tips on how consumers can transfer accounts. They haven’t been shy about the surge in new business they’re enjoying either.
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nakai, Nov 6 at 01:05 AM
Baldizon barely registered in the polls when campaigning began six months ago and has risen dramatically since. The businessman has made many promises that some considered outlandish, including that he would take Guatemala’s soccer team to the World Cup. But other promises are appealing in a country with rampant poverty and crime, including giving workers an extra month’s salary a year, reinstating the death penalty and televising executions.
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Perez and Baldizon are in a runoff after gaining the most votes in the Sept. 11 presidential election, which Perez also won, but not by the required outright majority to for a first-round victory.
But some analysts say there’s a disconnect between polls, believed to favor the establishment candidate Perez, and what is really a tight race.
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Perez narrowly lost four years ago to Colom, a leftist who promised to fight crime with social programs, but whom many considered weak. Guatemalans have a history of electing the runner-up in the next presidential election since democracy was restored in 1986, and many feel that it is now Perez’s turn after his previous defeat.
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"It was like WHAM!” said Reneau, 75, gesturing with swipes of his arms. “I thought in my mind the house would stand, but then again, maybe not.”
The magnitude 5.6 earthquake and its aftershocks still had residents rattled Sunday.
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Richards estimated it lasted for as much as a minute. One of his wife’s cookie jars fell on the floor and shattered, and pictures hanging in their living room were knocked askew.
“We’ve been here 18 years, and it’s getting to be a regular occurrence,” said Richards, 50. But, he added, “I hope I never get used to them.”
Geologists now believe a magnitude 4.7 earthquake Saturday morning was a foreshock to the bigger one that followed that night. They recorded at least 10 aftershocks by midmorning Sunday and expected more. Two of the aftershocks, at 4 a.m. and 9 a.m., were big, magnitude 4.0.
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nakai, Nov 6 at 08:13 PM
Merkel long resisted French pressure to create more of an “economic government” in the euro zone, not least because she did not want Germany to be in a minority on issues such as bailouts, free trade or the EU budget.
She also did not want to alienate German allies and neighbors such as Denmark, Poland and the Czech Republic, which are not in the euro zone.
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KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - CME Group and IntercontinentalExchange Inc moved over the weekend to limit the fallout from the MF Global Holdings Ltd bankruptcy on futures markets by lowering margin requirements on some accounts.
The CME also asked brokers who have taken over customer accounts from MF Global, which filed for bankruptcy protection on October 31, to not disburse any of the money until at least the close of business on Tuesday as it looks to verify the amounts involved.
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nakai, Nov 7 at 06:07 AM
He was running for a third term — his second consecutive one — after the Sandinista majority on the Supreme Court overruled the term limits set by the Nicaraguan constitution.
His opponents feared that if he wins more than 50 percent of the vote, it would allow him to change the constitution to legitimize the Supreme Court ruling and pave the way to becoming president for life.
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Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 0.3 percent to 8,776.25. South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.4 percent to 1,920.34 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was 0.2 percent down at 4,273.40. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.2 percent to 19,813.12. Shares in mainland China were also lower, while Benchmarks in Taiwan, Thailand and New Zealand rose.
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Stocks plunged early last week after Papandreou shocked investors with an announcement that he would put the country’s austerity plan to a public vote. He backed away from the plan, but investors remain unnerved.
In one bright spot Friday, the U.S. Labor Department raised its estimates for job growth. The nation added 80,000 jobs last month, the 13th consecutive month of gains. The government also said a total of 102,000 more jobs were added in August and September than had been previously reported.
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