12 Pros and Cons Of Owning A Yoga Studio

As you start down your journey to owning your own yoga studio, it’s important to be realistic about what you’re doing. There are many benefits to owning your own studio, but what are the disadvantages? What can go wrong, and what can go right?

There are many cons of owning your own yoga studio, including that it can be hard to make a profit, it can be difficult to get students, you might be doing all the work, you make all the major decisions, you can struggle with student and employee turnover, and if you’re not organized, you fail. Still, the benefits include that it is very easy to set up a yoga studio, you can build lasting relationships, it’s a great way to keep moving, you’re your own boss, and making local connections can be helpful, and creating your own business can be extremely rewarding.

While some of these items could make or break your experience, it’s important to be realistic when you’re starting your yoga studio. Read on to find out more about what issues you might face—and some of the benefits that you could reap when you open your doors. 

1. Con: It’s hard to make a profit in your first few years. 

Like any small business, it can be very hard to make a profit, especially when you start, and creating your own yoga studio is no exception. With all the purchases you will need to make and the difficulty of bringing in your own students to even pay for those purchases, it’ll be pretty hard to break even or even make a profit. Building that audience is key, and if you don’t have those people taking your classes, you might find it even harder to start your yoga studio. 

2. Pro: It’s fairly easy to set up your own yoga studio. 

Unlike a coffee shop or a retail store, it’s very easy to set up your own yoga studio. All you need is a space, some equipment, and a way to stay in contact and schedule your classes. From there, you can always grow into other aspects of the business, but for the most part, as long as you have a space and a teacher, you can bring in the students. 

3. Con: It can be hard to get students. 

You can only have a yoga studio if you have enough yoga students, and that can be extremely difficult, especially if you’re just starting out. Making sure you have enough students to start a class can be extremely stressful—which means you have to lean into all sorts of advertising to make sure you have the people to teach those classes. 

4. Pro: Once you build your student base, you can build lasting relationships. 

Even though it can be difficult to build that student base, once you do, you have the opportunity to create lasting relationships with your students. Make sure you talk to each one individually, as you can figure out exactly what they might need in their yoga journey. Not all yoga studios can do that, especially if they are larger or have many employees, classes, or students. That personal touch is what will make people keep coming back—and it’s one of the many reasons that students stay loyal to their chosen yoga studio. 

5. Con: You might be doing all the work for a while. 

Just like any other small business, you may find yourself as the only employee for a period of time. That means managing your business, taking care of sales, of marketing, working on your social media presence, and teaching classes—all at the same time. The only way to fix this is to hire on more teachers, but how can you do that if you’re not making a profit? This issue is one of the many reasons why yoga studios fail, so make sure you’re working with the right people to ensure your success. 

6. Pro: It’s a great way to stay active and moving. 

For many yogis who are looking to start their own studio, one of the main benefits is simply keeping moving. Yoga is a physical sport, whether you’re doing power yoga or beginners basics, and owning your own studio means regular access to all the equipment you need to stay active. If you’re teaching your own classes, especially to start, that means you’re getting double duty—staying physical and getting a profit from your students. 

7. Con: You’re in charge, and you need to make all the major decisions. 

This can sometimes make people happy, being in charge and making decisions, but for many cases, it can be difficult and stressful. You need to be on top of your business and make sure your employees match your mission statement and your goals, and not only that—you have to make sure you have the funding to do so. 

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8. Pro: You’re your own boss.

While you might be making all those decisions, that also means that only you are in charge. For many, that’s a massive benefit to owning their own business—whether it’s your own yoga studio or something completely different. You get all the perks of your business, too, without having to pay for them, so make sure you utilize the business model you set up for yourself. 

9. Con: You could struggle with high employee and student turnover. 

In an industry like yoga with a class structure and even drop-in classes, you may find yourself getting and losing students by droves. There are many options for people who are interested in yoga, and some of that can be shifting to free online classes. You also may see a high turnover rate for your yoga teachers. Because it is such a fluid job and skill set, teachers can come and go just as much as your students. So how can you stop this? By providing not just a great yoga experience, but by focusing on customer service or focusing on the needs of your teachers. The right prices can also help—keep your prices low enough to keep your students, but high enough to make sure your employees are paid well. That’s one easy way to make sure this churn doesn’t happen to you. 

10. Pro: You can make great connections with local businesses that can lead to partnerships and better marketing. 

When you’re opening a small business, there are many ways and resources that you can use to get a leg up, especially in smaller communities. One of the best ways to do that is by getting in touch with some of your other local small businesses. It doesn’t matter what they do—whether it’s a coffee shop or another retailer, you can work with them to bring in your students. Consider cross marketing between your locations so anyone who goes into either of your businesses is aware of the other. The more friendships and professional connections you can make, the more free advertising you can achieve, which means more students—and more profit. 

11. Con: If you’re not organized, you can fail. 

This is an easy one—if you don’t come in with a budget and business plan, it’s very easy to lose track of your money and your planning and end up leading yourself into failure. Even if you don’t have any business background, you can plan ahead using a business plan template and by making sure you’ve created a budget that includes all the things you might need and the pricing for your classes. Want to make a profit? Make sure you determine exactly how may students you need per class at each price point to break even—and then start recruiting. 

12. Pro: The work can be incredibly rewarding, even when it’s difficult. 

Of course, if you’re starting and owning your own yoga studio, you know the reasons why you’re going into it. You want to share yoga with the members of your community and help your students learn how to manage their breathing, get active, and live that yoga lifestyle. So when it comes down to owning your own yoga studio, this should be the main focus for you and the main driver for your success. Even though it can be hard and downright impossible, what are you doing it for? If you can keep that inspiration and that fire, you can do anything and you can find success in your yoga studio. 

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To learn more about starting your own Yoga Business check out my startup documents here.

Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.