Ten years ago, mention the word “yoga” and the first thing that comes to most peoples’ minds is that yoga is all about “weird poses” that is part of Eastern mysticism. Now, people have greater awareness of what yoga is and yoga classes are now being taught in gyms, health clubs, county recreation centers, aside from yoga studies or centers.
In fact, yoga is now big business. A survey conducted by the premier yoga magazine called Yoga Journal found that:
- Annual spending of Americans alone on yoga classes, equipment, clothing, media (DVDs, videos, books and magazines), and other products reach $2.95 billion a year.
- In 2005, about 7.5% of U.S. adults, or 16.5 million people, now practice yoga. This is an increase from 5.6% in 2004 and and 43% from 2002.
If you want to join the yoga bandwagon, you can start your own yoga center or become a franchise. Note that this is a business that requires substantial capitalization. Depending on the size of your center, you will need:
- great and relaxing ambiance
- plenty of floor space
- changing rooms separate for men and women
- possibly workshop rooms
- quality instructors (this can make or break your center)
- boutique to sell yoga outfits and equipment (if so desired)
One option could be to franchise. An example of a yoga franchise is the Sunstone Yoga, the cost of which ranges from $147,000 up to $327,000. They offer a cheaper alternative if you simply want to convert your existing yoga center into their system.
For more information on starting a yoga center, check out the following books and articles:
- So You Want to Open a Yoga Center
- The Business of Yoga: How to Start and Grow Your Yoga Business
- USA Today article on the business of yoga
- Yoga Center Business Plan
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Great ideas in starting a yoga business. A lot of yoga teachers could use the information you gave who wants to start their own business.
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Hello everyone,
I’m April and i just opened a yoga studio in LA. Getting opened was a challenge, and keeping track of business was even more of a challenge. I was looking online for a good reliable, user friendly software that would help me with all needs(I’m not very computer savvy). First I looked at a lot of the online softwares, because I’m sometimes away from the studio and need to keep track of the place. A lot of them were expensive of and felt like the people on the other end were machines. Then I found a hosted software called Dharmatribe. They not only let me keep track of things while I’m away, but also the staff of Dharmatribe are super helpful. They are there if I have any questions and helped me run a more efficient business. I was able to get started immediately with only $59/month. There wasn’t even a set up fee! Dharmatribe also makes it so easy for me to keep an updated web schedule that is automatically updated from any changes made on the software and students can sign up for workshops and classes online too. If you are a yoga studio owner like me that can use all the help we can get, you should check out Dharmatribe.
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