How to Start a Private Yoga Business
By Thena Franssen
Wondering how to start a private yoga business?
You’re in luck! You can easily learn how to become a yoga instructor and scale your new skill into a profitable and enjoyable yoga business.
But first things first: If you’re ready to take your love of yoga to a new level and share it with others, there are a few simple tips and steps to keep in mind. Read on to learn more about how to start a private yoga business.
How to Become a Yoga Teacher
As the saying goes: If you love your job, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. While some days might be better than others, this is an excellent mantra to have when you’re deciding whether to become a yoga instructor or not.
If you love yoga, pursue that passion.
Once your mindset is ready, it’s time to get down to business and figure out what you need to do on the certification side to make teaching yoga a reality. First off, to receive a yoga certification, it’s recommended that you enroll in a 200-hour training course. This way you’ll be a certified yoga instructor and you’ll be able to become a private yoga instructor for adults.
But, before you rush off and enroll in a lengthy yoga teacher training program, there’s a loophole to this: You don’t actually have to get certified to teach yoga. While it’s a wise idea, if you are skilled in other areas of fitness and have taken other courses, you may be able to start offering yoga classes privately based upon your own knowledge and training. For example, perhaps you’re a physical therapist who can also teach yoga, or maybe you’re a children’s yoga instructor who is also a preschool teacher. If you want to teach yoga to kids, well then, bingo: You may not need to become a registered 200-hour yoga instructor.
The positive side to this is that you can get started teaching yoga right away, but the downside is that you may have a harder time finding potential adult clients if you haven’t taken a 200-hour training.
Where to Get Yoga Instructor Training
Once you start doing the research on this, you’re going to find out that there is a ton of information for you to process and digest. If you’re wanting to become a professional yoga teacher, you should start by looking into getting certified with one of the many 200-hour course offerings.
However, if you want to teach yoga to children, you have options and I’m happy to tell you more about your choices and point out some of the best kids yoga courses.
For teaching yoga to children, your best bet is enroll directly in a children’s yoga certification program so you don’t have to jump through a ton of hoops. With Pretzel Kids, for example, you can get trained and get all the tools you need to succeed with your own private yoga business!
FAQs About Private Yoga Businesses
If you’re in the beginning stages of starting your own private yoga business, there are some definite questions you should be asking. Here are some that come to mind.
Can You Make a Living as a Yoga Instructor?
You absolutely can. This is the beauty of having your very own yoga business. You are able to work as much or as little as you would like and base your earnings on the effort you put into your company and the classes you teach.
Since you’re the main employee of your very own business, you get to set your schedule and determine how many hours a week you’d like to work.
If there are days that you want off, you schedule your students on different days. If you’re only wanting to teach one to two classes a week and work with a handful of private yoga clients, all those options are totally up to you.
While some people view being a yoga instructor solely as a side hustle, there are many ways that you could make this into a full-time job. It all just depends on YOU.
How Much Do Private Yoga Instructors Make?
There are a lot of variables to consider when it comes to your pay range. Location is one of those factors that can really skew your earnings potential. For instance, there are some parts of the United States where yoga instructors earn $25 per hour and other parts where they earn $100 per hour. It’s a pretty safe bet to say that on the low end, you’ll be earning $30-$35/hour, and on the high end, anywhere from $75-$100 per hour.
Other factors that can have an effect on your earnings is your skillset and your ability to hustle and market your services and talents.
How Much Should You Charge for a Private Yoga Session?
When you’re running your own yoga business, a big pain-point can be trying to figure out what to charge. It’s a common struggle and you’re definitely not alone in that.
Perhaps the best way to learn how to get the most accurate pricing is to find out what other private yoga instructors are charging in your area. This will take just a tad bit of research on your part but it can really help point you in the right direction.
Keep this in mind, too: You don’t want to set your prices too high or you won’t attract many clients, but you also don’t want to price yourself too low. Market research and finding the middle ground is a good rule of thumb.
How Can I Get More Yoga Clients?
Building your book of clients is going to be a big push when you’re first starting out. The easiest way to get more clients is to talk to your current clients about helping out with word-of-mouth advertising. Ask if they’d be willing to give you a positive review or pass on your number and contact information to family and friends.
You can also advertise online via social media and other online platforms to try to draw in more clients as well.
Lastly, if you have a support system or you’re part of a branded yoga community and platform like Pretzel Kids, this can really help you market your classes and fill your classes. If you don’t have to recreate the wheel, why do it?
Are Private Yoga Instructors in Demand?
Absolutely.
People love to have yoga lessons because of the peace and tranquility. And since the pandemic, people are more likely to want to have a solo session for social distancing reasons as well. Another thing you should consider: Teaching yoga to small groups or pods. You can gather a small group of friends, pick an outdoor location, and get to it!
Can I Teach Yoga Without Being Certified?
The simple answer here is: Yes you can. There is no rule saying that you have to be certified in order to teach yoga or start a private yoga business. However, being a certified yoga instructor does make you look more professional to clients and businesses. Oftentimes this will allow you to charge higher rates based as well.
Something else to consider: If you have a niche, consider diving in and taking certification courses in that particular specialty. A niche will set you apart from other yoga teachers and help you build your business.
How to Teach Private Yoga Lessons
The great part about teaching yoga is that you don’t actually have to rent or own physical space to do so. You can easily set up a class with someone in the park, on the beach, or in the comfort of your home or their home. You can even teach online yoga as well!
Since you have the freedom to do as you please, you don’t have to worry about paying a high studio rental fee, either.
Start Growing Your Yoga Business Now
If you’re ready to take charge of your passion for yoga and start teaching, it’s time to get started by taking a teacher training course (and it doesn’t have to be a 200-hour course!)
Then, sit down and lay out a simple business plan that will show you financials and numbers. This will help you figure out the best direction for your venture.
You may find that after you start your own company, you can then grow it by adding clients and classes – in a very short amount of time.
What are you waiting for?
Are you waiting for the perfect time to start your wellness company or are you stressed out wondering if you can make a living as a yoga instructor? We hear you BUT, the longer that you wait to start your own business, the more nervous you’re going to be!
It’s time for you to jump in with both feet! It’s your time to be your own boss and fill each day doing something that you truly love doing.
Are you ready to start a yoga business? We thought so!
