So you’re ready to take your yoga studio business to the next level. First of all, way to go! Shopping for studio management software is the first step to making your business better and/or bigger. You need tools that will help you thrive while also making the experience for your customers as easy as possible.
That being said, every studio is different and each studio owner has different goals in mind. So choosing a software solution is an important decision that takes careful consideration.
Here’s how to determine which studio management software is best for your studio.
Let’s start with the basics. If a software solution is lacking any of the following features, you can immediately rule it out as an option for your studio:
Remember, these are basic features that should come with every quality studio software. These fundamentals will allow you to run your business online easier than running it offline only.
The following are questions and considerations to guide you through choosing your ideal studio software.
This will help you understand how experienced and trustworthy the company is. Typically, the older a software company is the more reviews that are available.
PCI compliance protects cardholder information and ensures that it’s stored, processed, and transmitted securely. Your software needs to meet these standards if you plan to accept payments via credit or debit cards (and you should plan to accept these forms of payment for the convenience of your customers).
There’s a cornucopia of features included in each software solution, and they vary from package to package. Sometimes these features are super useful, and sometimes they aren’t– yet they’re included in the total cost, so you could end up paying for features you don’t want or need.
So what’s important to your business?
If there are additional features that you don’t want but are included in the total cost of the software, you need to weigh whether the features the software has that you do want are worth paying for more or if finding another solution would be more prudent?
Not every software company is totally transparent about their costs. Sometimes there are hidden fees or loosely explained sliding scales that may make the cost greater than anticipated. Make sure you are aware of these additional costs– ask if you don’t know about the cost of:
Onboarding and learning any new software is an undertaking of its own. You need to be confident that the software company you choose to work with will provide close and custom guidance to make the onboarding as easy as possible. Will you work with just one customer service agent or multiple? Will they be accessible 24/7 or only doing certain business hours? If only during business hours, what time zone does customer support operate from?
When it comes to choosing the right studio software solution for your business, you should view each software through this critical lens. You deserve software that puts you and your unique needs first– a solution that’s affordable and considerate of you as a customer.
It seems like every day, there is a new tool or app that makes social media easier for small businesses and entrepreneurs to take advantage of. These apps make it possible for almost anyone—with a bit of vision and dedication—to put together a brand's social media plan and execute it like a pro.
If you are serious about growing your yoga business, you need to be ready to harness the power of referral marketing. So how exactly do you do that? It’s not always as simple as just asking your customers to spread the word about your studio–– you need to motivate and incentivize people to help you grow your studio.
In the fast-paced and busy lives we live, it can be easy to slip into a routine and lose sight of the things we're grateful for in life. Studies have shown that being able to consciously note what you’re grateful for and actively practicing the habit of thanking the people in your life can improve your mental and physical health. As a yogi, you’re aware that yoga isn’t just a practice of the physical body–– it’s a practice of the mind, body, and spirit. Every time you step onto the mat, you’re engaging in an energetic lesson that goes beyond just your muscles and breathing–– it’s a practice that can spark gratitude. And as many experienced yogis can attest, when you put out love and gratitude into the universe, it comes back to you.