6 steps to booking private yoga clients

mm
By: Michelle Linane
Michelle Linane is a yoga lover, student and teacher. Over the years, her love for yoga has transformed into a deep passion for helping fellow teachers. She's the author of The Thriving ...
Edited date: October 5, 2022Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

ways to find yoga students

Venturing out into the world of private yoga begins with a shift in your thinking. Up until now, you’ve probably been pretty dependent on a studio or fitness facility to take care of all the business aspects of teaching your classes. But as a private yoga teacher, the first thing you need to do is make a commitment to your career and begin thinking like a business-savvy yogi.

The studios you teach public classes in have gone through a ton of planning and behind the scenes work to get students in the door. And teaching private yoga entails the same. That’s why teaching private yoga isn’t for every teacher, and that’s ok. It takes more time and energy than teaching public classes and requires self-motivation, planning and action. But the rewards are far greater if you’re willing to put in the time.

The benefits of teaching private yoga include but aren’t limited to: Creating a sustainable income, earning more per hour, improving your skills as a teacher, helping students on a personal and deeper level, and building flexibility in your schedule.

Now, I’m not talking about just booking the occasional private client or one-off corporate gig. I’m talking about building a business with consistency and predictability that provides you with a viable income. If you’re ready to get started, continue reading.

How to build a thriving business teaching private yoga?

1. Commit to taking action.

Knowing this information will not book clients alone.Taking one small action at a time will lead to a fully-booked schedule.

2. Identify a niche

If you’re talking to everyone, your helping no one. People don’t like “being sold” or having brands shoved in their face. What they do want, however, is to feel understood and find solutions to their everyday problems. So, how do you do that? Create a niche. Really get to know the people you want to serve and identify the best way to help them through yoga.

3. Conduct market research

This is one of the most important steps, but often the most overlooked. Remember, people want to feel like you get them, understand their struggles, and have a way to help them. The best way to do this is with in-depth research. Read every article you can on your niche demographic.

Find their Facebook groups to learn about their concerns first-hand. Identify other businesses that work with your population to see how they serve this unique group. And most importantly, directly talk to as many people as you can in your demographic. Don’t just assume you know what they want and how to serve them, collect actual data and testimonies.

4. Craft your message based on your market research

A second benefit to conducting market research is that the people you want to serve will actually shape your message for you. What better way to assure people that you really understand them than speaking in their exact language? Use this to write the content on your website or to attract their attention to your flyer, and ultimately ensure your message is being heard by those who need to hear it.

And no, this is not manipulative, so release that fear now. You are simply sharing your message in a way that can be heard over all the other watered-down chatter.

5. Create a marketing plan

It’s not shameless self-promotion. People can’t find you if they don’t know you exist. Drawing on your message and market research, a marketing plan paints the big picture of your niche and/or brand and how you’ll connect with your audience.

It’s a plan of action for in-person outreach and building your online presence. Think about how you will reach people. What lines of communication will you use, and what will you say to them? Consistency is imperative.

6. Write a business plan

A business plan ties everything together into one cohesive plan of action. Do yourself a huge favor, and don’t skip this step. A business plan provides a clear, thought-out map of how you’ll get from A to B.

Your plan will change overtime as you learn and grow, so don’t worry if you veer from your original path, but don’t start this trek without a map at all. You’ll likely get lost and turn back.

If you’re interested in going much deeper into these steps – Grab your copy of this FREE guide now by visiting loveteachingyoga.com.

Read next >> the business of yoga