Studio Owners! How To Keep Your Yoga Teachers Happy

Teachers are the life blood of your yoga business. But they’re also one of your biggest expenses. So how do you keep yoga teachers happy? Check out these five strategies for keep the face of your business happy.

1. Be transparent about your costs

Look, the yoga business is not wildly profitable. Competition and costs make running a studio challenging. However, do your teachers know this? Chances are, if your teachers think you are raking in $25 per student head in their class, they’re going to get a little bent out of joint if you can’t give them a raise. A little information about real studio costs and teacher pay rates can go a long way. Let teachers in on the realities of running a studio (for instance, that you’re not earning $25 a head for a drop in, but more like $11). Honesty helps get everyone on the same team.

2. Be transparent about their prospects

In most careers, employees (or contractors) have a sense of their career path. Because of the nature of the business, yoga studios tend to be much more shady. Usually there is no clear pathway forward teachers earning a raise, but nebulous ideas about “generating community” and “abundance.” Be straight with your teachers about their prospects and give them tangible that they can strive for. “When you hit at least 18 people per class, Sharon, that’s our sweet spot.” Or, “We only have a few workshop spots this season, but we can talk about next year.” Find out what their goals are, and let them know what needs to happen in order for them to move forward.

3. Give them perks

Most yoga teachers love continuing education. Even if you can’t give them a high hourly rate, an easy way to create some love is to give your teachers discounts on visiting teachers and trainings. Your teachers get more training, your workshops have more people, your visitors feel popular, and you create some good vibes at your studio. Now, I know that your margins are tight, but do what you can. Give your teachers heavily discounted or (preferably) free classes at your studio. Nothing raises studio morale and community like when having teachers practice in class with their students.

4. Listen

It’s easy to get frustrated when teachers seem to complain. But listen carefully. Teachers are on the front lines of your business and interact very closely with your students and your studio space. They are your best eyes and ears. Studio not clean? Walls look dirty? Mats starting to smell? If you make it clear that you love an open dialogue, your teachers can give you valuable information that you might otherwise miss. Rather than taking feedback personally, treat your teachers like your own team of secret shoppers who can give you valuable intelligence on your business. Giving them a voice and helping them to feel valued will also go a long way to create good lines of communication and positive feelings.

5. Treat them like people, not commodities

A cornerstone of teacher happiness (indeed, any employee’s happiness) is feeling valued. Take a little time to connect with teachers one on one. Attend their classes – not to give feedback, but to simply show them that you value them as a teacher. When you do give feedback, make sure to lead with the positive and emphasize what you think they are doing well. Be proactive about acknowledging key teachers for their contributions. It’s very easy as a studio owner or manager to be focused on the business or – when you’re interacting with teachers – to focus on what needs to fixed and improved; make a special and proactive effort to share the positive stuff, too. A little personalized acknowledgment can go a very long way.