Three Things I Wish I Knew Sooner

Last month marked my 16th year of yoga studio ownership, and just like your studio, I'd bet, it has not been all unicorns and rainbows. Thinking back, there are a handful of things I wish I had known and implemented sooner, instead of staying on the "I am a poor, over-worked studio owner" struggle bus for as long as I did. I wish I had known these things at the beginning of starting my studio owner journey and want to share them with you:

Get crystal clear on your BOUNDARIES and stick to them.

Protect your time, your money, and your sanity. The beauty of owning your own business is that YOU get to make the CHOICES that are best for your business. Take weekends off. Outsource the tasks you don't like. Fire the pain-in-the-ass teacher.

Not having clear boundaries or not having the CONFIDENCE to stick to them is one of the BIGGEST reasons yoga studio owners are under so much stress. And really, we know better. Am I right?

Know your NUMBERS.

If you are like many studio owners, reviewing your numbers each month is not the most exciting thing on your to-do list. I will be honest, I am a MATH NERD and it is not the most fun thing that I do, either! But you have to know from month to month where your studio is with profits, attendance, membership, sales...so that you can make the very best decisions for your business.

Side note, when you know your NUMBERS, sticking to the BOUNDARIES becomes much easier, too.

Drop the SCARCITY stories, and hire some help.

The sooner you stop doing the things that don't spark joy, like a Marie Kondo closet cleaning, you will start to see your studio metrics improve. Hire desk staff. Get a cleaning crew. Have supplies delivered. Work with a coach.

If you constantly think that you don't have enough time or money or whatever to get help, you never will. #truthbomb

I hope you are inspired to give any or all of these things a try as you steer your studio forward!

Kristin Abel, VP Finance