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Advice on starting a yoga/gymnastics type class
#1

Advice on starting a yoga/gymnastics type class

I won't actually do yoga or gymnastics, but the plan is to do something similar. It's a niche activity in which most people don't know about it, but people all over the world do it. I've been doing it for about a year and I'm moderately good at it. It really wouldn't feel like work to me to try and help other people out, but I do want to make money from it especially as there are stuff the business can buy to really make stuff better.

I'm sort of involved in a related(but not really) circus group that actually was trying to do a class in this, because I expressed interest in trying it. They just did a one off class recently for $30 to see how many people would turn up. Personally I felt a bit disappointed for the cost because although they had done it for 4-5 years they weren't "professionals" in that sense and they weren't above average teachers either(I feel I could teach better than them, although maybe my social skills are more retarded).

There were about 10 people turning up to that class, all beginners(from the circus group). They seemed to enjoy it. I was talking to the lady who was in charge and she talked positively about wanting to try to do it more but was lukewarm in the end. So I was doing a little rant to my mom about this and she said "If you can do it better, why not try and start your own class?" and I thought why not?

I feel the main disadvantages are equipment and starting up costs, which can be moderately high. At the moment, I can just do it without equipment(or the equipment I already have for my own use). But I would have to shell out to buy or long term rent crash pads, which are like gymnastics or bouldering mats. Also, it's summer here at the moment, which means I can do this outside. But when it's winter, it rains a lot and it's actually annoying to do outside, so you'd have to hire an indoor spot, but you need one which can support all the other equipment and be big enough(so you need a warehouse space or similar). The circus group was actually quite far from the city centre though- about 10 km. It may not be possible to find a decent space significantly closer.

The other big thing is sales/marketing which I'm not that good at, and I'm 19 without any business or work experience so people may not take me as seriously. I actually was second guessing myself in terms of quality, but the class I went to actually wasn't anywhere near as good as what I could do with that amount of money. I could actually charge quite a bit lower and still come out ahead. Other than this there are virtually no one else doing classes in this exact activity in this city I'm in, so it does mean no competitors but it also means I have to market it really hard. It's not exactly popular here but it is decently big internationally, and it is quite fun, so the only problem is if people here just don't like it for whatever reason.

So here's my plan:

Try to feel out interest for this *somehow*. When uni starts, interest peaks because it's still a summer activity and everyone gathers outside in almost the same spot so I can generate interest that way. I can talk about it in various facebook groups, maybe one with that activity and other groups with different activities.

Free trials for 3 or so sessions. I literally don't feel like this is work so I don't mind giving it for free. I've also felt a bit had when I went to other classes and it was completely disappointing, so I figure if other people think like me this would lure them in.

Pricing- The circus group charged $30 for it, which I feel is ridiculously overpriced(If it isn't- oooh. I have moneymaking potential here). There's also another guy who sort of teaches it at festivals and stuff and he charges $5/session. Now- I could actually charge low, even as low as $2/session. But I don't want to attract the scum who want to nickel and dime me, nor turn off the people who are looking for "quality". I also feel $25/session, say, is way too much. I wonder what I should do.

Theme- Should I be a bit "alpha"/non PC like Donald Trump etc or should I just keep my opinions to myself and figuratively suck the mainstreams dick?
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#2

Advice on starting a yoga/gymnastics type class

Quote: (01-27-2016 02:41 PM)Centurion Wrote:  

...

Hi there, the idea sounds good.
I meet a few people who did something similar.
When doing this, think about the following: What do you want as a result?
Ideally you want to build a reputation as a teacher and charge for private hours or something, in my opinion.
People do this all the time, not necessarily only with yoga (think language courses, arts classes, etc)

I would do the following:
- open a meetup at meetup.com , don't charge for anything.
- gather people (use facebook as marketing tool, posting in local groups)
- organise rgular (weekly) events.
- greet everyone there, openly introduce yourself, short smalltalk
- Try several days (week vs weekend), times, and have different plans / programms.
- After 4,5 meetups, decide whether you want to do it really.
If so, open a website and try more local promotions (newspapers maybe)
After a while, you have a steady stream of potential client leads.

This worked for some colombian chick I knew, she came to Munich, organised some Spanish language meetups - horribly overcrowded events, 80% germans (mostly ugly females), she distributed business cards for her private lectures.
For her, it defintevly worked- for others, too, but not for everyone. A friend tried it with dancing classes and it didn't work (getting rooms was difficult and expensive, way too many men).
Bonus: organiszing events in restaurants, talk to the owner beforehands and agree on a nice bonus if you bring more than ... persons.

As for your political opinion, don't talk about it obviously. You sell women emotions, not facts. Best not talking about any hard things (politics, religion, money)
Instead talk about feelings / spirituality.
You can try being a little like Grigori Rasputin, he sold emotions quite well (to a point where he boned women in front of their husbands, and both were happy with it).

Best
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#3

Advice on starting a yoga/gymnastics type class

Thanks for the reply.

I already have a uni group on facebook with about 70 members, who have been inactive for the most part. I really have to rely on uni starting again to either get the same people involved or get new people in. Perhaps it may be difficult to do classes if I can't even get a meetup going, haha.
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#4

Advice on starting a yoga/gymnastics type class

In my past I've been on the fringe of some weird shit like acro-yoga classes and similar. Rock climbing groups too.

I will tell you this: I have never ever seen anyone make a successful go at organizing it unless they are die hard acro-yoga fanatics and couldn't go a day without doing it themselves. They certainly don't do it for the money (there is none). They do it cause they fucking love acroyoga (or whatever).

If you don't have a passion for it I would heavily advice against starting such a thing.
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