Excitement is building; you are in the final stages of preparation to open your yoga studio. Celebrate all your hard work that brings you to this moment. It is time to generate enthusiasm that will transfer into ongoing clients for your studio.
Yoga studio grand opening ideas include setting goals for the event, showcasing the offerings of your studio, developing community relationships, supporting non-profits and charities, and building your client-base.
People will need to be aware of you and your studio, so they can consider trying your classes. Planning events that will create a comfortable setting for potential clients to try something new is a great way to introduce yourself to the community. Continue reading for ideas on celebrating your yoga studio’s grand opening.
Goals of Grand Opening Celebrations
Before detailing the events that will transpire during the grand opening, you will want to set goals for the celebration. While it is tempting to focus on the gala itself, your yoga studio is a business. The grand opening needs to further your business and its goals.
As one of the initial components of your marketing plan, your grand opening celebration is the first time most of your potential clients will meet you, your staff, and see your facility. With your celebratory events, you are seeking to attract the attention of community members who might need a nudge to take a yoga class and join a studio.
Think through what you hope will happen by having a grand opening celebration. Some ideas to set targets or goals to achieve are listed below. The numbers to attach to each depend on the scale of your business.
- Attendees at the grand opening events. If you have varying activities at different times on separate days, set goals for participation for each activity. This will help you target your advertising for each event.
- Phone numbers and/or email addresses. You want people who attend your events to provide that information as part of entering the studio. You can use this list as the start of your contact base. When you host future events or class sign ups or promotional offers, emailing or texting people on this list will help you advertise.
- Membership commitments. When preparing for your grand opening, consider the steps or paperwork you need for membership. Have this readily available during your grand opening.
- Participation from other businesses. When small businesses work together and complement each other, there is a greater opportunity for success. Be sure to set goals for the number of other organizations that you want to join with you to celebrate your opening.
Your overall goal is to obtain name recognition for your yoga studio. Before your grand opening, your brand’s logo and website need to be fully developed and functional. These will assist you in ensuring that the name of your studio remains fresh in potential customers’ minds.
Showcase Offerings of your Yoga Studio
Activities that you offer as part of your grand opening should focus on your studio. Therefore, one of the key events should be about your classes.
- Sample Classes
If you are offering a variety of different types of classes, you can provide a sampling of each class. Along with modeling what the classes would include, provide information on the target audience or group that would benefit most from the class.
For participating in the model class, you can offer a free class with the purchase of another class. Or at the opening event, you can offer free classes of each type of yoga. Then offer a discount for signing up for a membership or one more class.
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- Themed Classes
Still focusing on your yoga classes, you can offer a themed yoga class. There are many options for you to consider. Other yoga teachers have taught classes with goats, or in the pumpkin patch, or dress like the 80s with leg warmers. Depending on the time of year during which you are holding your grand opening, other themes can certainly be explored.
- Partnered Classes
To further develop your connections with your community, you can partner with another business for classes offered. During your grand opening events, you can offer coupons to a local coffee shop for anyone who participates in an early morning session. For weekend evening classes, you can connect with a local winery or brewery. Anyone who attends a Friday evening yoga practice, can have a coupon for a glass of wine or mug of beer.
- Competitions
Another way to celebrate your grand opening is to offer prizes for competitions. Any prizes awarded should be connected to your studio. If you will be selling merchandise with your logo on it, these can be great to give away for participating in your grand opening. Having your logo appear around town is fabulous for ongoing advertising.
Competitions to consider include –
- The first person at the grand opening
- Your first full time member
- The fiftieth member
- Longest plank or tree pose
These activities can be done throughout the year as well.
Develop Community Connections
In addition to connecting with other businesses in partnered classes, you can have grand opening events that showcase how your studio complements others. For your grand opening celebration, invite a local musical group. Consider selecting music that will enhance the offerings of your studio. Have a class with live music for an event.
Other businesses to consider connecting with are others in the health and wellness field. This can include a local health food store. You can offer sessions on nutrition in your yoga studio. Perhaps the health food store has space in which you can provide a yoga practice session.
Local massage therapists, gyms that do not offer yoga classes, outdoor sessions that can include SUP yoga, and more. Drive around town with the lens of seeking partners for your yoga studio. Consider connecting with your local farmers’ market. There may be opportunities for an informational booth or to offer yoga practices at the market to extend your grand opening.
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Support Nonprofits and Charities
Another way to celebrate your grand opening and connect with members of your community is to support local non-profit organizations and charities. It is a great means to connect with people who share similar interests with you. Use your yoga studio’s mission and vision statement to guide your selection of a charity or charities to support.
You can join with a local food bank for example. Anyone who attends your grand opening with food to help fill the shelves of the food bank can have a discount on a yoga class or a water bottle with your logo. You have made a connection with a community member, helped people in need, and worked to foster membership in your yoga studio.
Another event that tends to draw many people is pet adoption. You can approach this idea two different ways. One way is to have the pets that need adopting join your yoga class, similar to goat yoga. Or you can have the adoption van in your studio’s parking lot. Anyone who adopts gets a wonderful pet and a free yoga class!
Build your Client Base
Your yoga studio’s grand opening should be a positive event for you and your community. For you to continue to perform good deeds for your town, you need to stay in business. From your wonderful series of grand opening activities, you need to build your client base.
Focus on the following –
- Sign up clients to be members of your studio.
- Sell yoga related items with your logo.
- Offer several different types of memberships that meet varying economic conditions.
- Gather data – emails, phone numbers, interests
- Develop incentives for people to try classes.
- Create and nurture partnerships with other businesses and nonprofits.
- Design a loyalty program, so clients continue to return.
Congratulations on your grand opening!
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Frequently Asked Questions
A soft opening is like a dress rehearsal for your yoga studio. It is a way for you and your staff to try out all the steps of your planned operation. You invite friends and family who will offer suggestions on how you can improve your business practices.
A soft opening of your yoga studio would include trialing components of your business. For example, you evaluate registration for classes, pilot classes, the overlap of people in your changing rooms, trial your billing system, and any other components of your yoga studio’s business. Then, make any necessary adjustments.
A grand opening is a great way to introduce yourself, your studio, your staff, and the benefits of your studio to potential clients. Include this event in all the steps you followed to create your business plan. It will personalize your yoga studio and showcase why people should become members.
The best day for a grand opening depends on you and your business model. Often grand openings are held on weekends, however, if you are seeking clients for each day of the week, consider holding mini celebrations every day. Your grand opening can be a week-long event.
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.
Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Yoga Fan
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online yoga business resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a yoga business owner in public at a studio or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Yoga Business Boss: I want to help future yoga business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.