Ah yes, the high of YTT graduation. I remember it well. The ceremony was followed, pretty much in this order, by tears, tequila, a headache, a declaration that I was going to change the world, a threat to quit my job and pursue my dream and, finally, crashing and burning when I realised how much more work lay ahead of me.

This blog post contains affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase through some of the links I provide I can earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Before we dive in here I want to take a moment to rave about one of my favourite yoga brands, Manduka, who make the most beautiful, high quality yoga equipment and activewear. They produce high quality, toxic-free products and are committed to transparency and sustainability. I especially love their Almost-Perfect Mats. These are mats with a bit of character that are available at a discount price, which means that not only do you save money, but you’re also saving a mat from landfill!

You can shop the full Manduka range and use my code WILDKATYOGA on checkout for a 10% discount.

The truth is that being a yoga teacher in this day and age is hard, not because it’s an over-saturated market, but because yoga studios just don’t hire like they used to and if they do they usually don’t pay very well so it’s not a viable financial option. The truth is that being a yoga teacher is this day and age means being an entrepreneur.

If that doesn’t scare you, then congratulations, you’re about to embark on the biggest adventure of your life - you will learn SO MUCH, you will have the highest highs and experience the lowest lows. Your resilience will be tested, your faith in yourself and the world will be tested and you will realise, more than once, that you are strong, smart and powerful!

Okay okay, I’ve bigged it up but let’s get into the nitty gritty…

Business tips & resources for new yoga teachers

1. Get yourself a website.

   Obviously. And you don’t have to be a website designer to have a beautiful and informative space - you can create one using a CMS (content management system) website builder like Squarespace and use one of their pre-built, beautiful templates. This is your online business card so make sure you have an About Me section, an easily accessible Contact Me section, and a list of all of your offerings including, for example, any public classes you teach (or plan to teach), Private Yoga classes, Corporate Yoga classes, Retreats (or retreats in the making) and a blog! More on the blog further down.

   Make sure your website looks swish and captures your unique offering and teaching style so that people can feel connected with you the moment they open your home page. It’s very very worth hiring a photographer to get these shots for you.

   When it comes to your website name please, for the love of God, don’t go with yogabysusan.com, or something. You are SO much more than your name and yoga, and your domain won’t have good resale value should you ever decide to sell your business in the future. I didn’t think hard enough about my own website name so don’t take a page out of my book - think better!

2. Build an email list.

   I can’t explain how valuable this will be for you - your email list is a contact sheet for people who love what you do and want to know more about what you offer. They are practically standing in front of you with their hands out, waiting. MailChimp is easy and free upto 1,000 subscribers so you can start there. Most CMS website builders will offer a Mailchimp plug in directly into their website.

3. Get online.

   Teaching in-person classes is vital for you as a new teacher, don’t get me wrong, but the world we live in is an online world. This is one of my top business tips for new yoga teachers! So start teaching on a space like YouTube; you can offer weekly or monthly videos, whatever suits your schedule, and share your videos with your audience and on social media. Online videos are a great way for you to connect with new students who want to get an idea of your teaching style before they commit. It will also keep you connected to your existing student base. You can do this as a free enterprise, or use a service like Patreon where students who want to support you as you reach for your dreams can make a monthly donation.

4. Create Passive Income Streams.

   There are so many ways to do this, but the easiest way by far is to start blogging and monetise your blog - to start, you can use google ads and sign up to affiliate programs like Awin and Share A Sale. Blogging can be a fun hobby and a great way to share your knowledge, but when it’s so easy to monetise, do it and start making your blog work for you!

   I wrote all about why your business needs a blog and how to start one here. I highly recommend you give that post a proper nosy. Passive revenue streams will be one of your greatest resources going forward! You might find that blogging and creating passive income is hard work to start with but the benefits are long-lasting and far-reaching. And the more passive income you can generate, the more you can focus on doing fun stuff like teaching workshops and leading yoga retreats!

5. Stay grounded, but Dream Big!

   I sold out my first yoga retreat before I had even graduated as a yoga teacher. You read that right: we went to Iceland and it was amazing! Start dreaming big, and start implementing your dreams today. Remember that anything is possible, the only thing you need to reach your dreams is some good, old-fashioned hard work. Planning your first yoga retreat is within your grasp and you can do it today with my Yoga Retreat Planner.

Get messy! Fail often, fail cheap, keep adapting and keep learning.

Entrepreneurship is HARD, but it’s also the most rewarding career I’ve ever chased. Even in my bad months I know that there is nothing else I’d rather be doing!

I hope you find this helpful. And if you’ve made this far then I’m guessing you’re eager for more, so more you shall have! I’ve linked a handful of related articles below that will help you get from fresh-off-the-beach yoga teacher to big time, successful teacher and educator!

Also, be sure to follow my Business Tips Board on Pinterest where I share my own and other helpful tips and resources for new yoga teachers and entrepreneurs.

Good luck and God speed.

PS. You’ve got this!!