» Profile


amazing healthy lifestyle experience for local residents. The vision for the organization gave


YYoga a strong start. But sharing the vision, and committing to creating a community experience, was a critical point of differentiation in the yoga stu- dio market. It’s obvious that Luce believes in


building community through yoga. She is extremely passionate about it. But is it just building community with- in the walls of YYoga that has led to its success, or is there more to it? Is it the teachers? The classes? Or the beautiful space to practice in?


Living the yoga life Luce believes that because she lives,


works and plays in the same com- munity, people get to know her. They often refer to her as the “yoga lady.” She is able to connect with the com- munity inside and outside the studio which helps to build relationships and word-of-mouth referrals and grow the business.


Stay connected with regulars It’s obviously working well at YYoga.


While there is a danger of becoming too successful and losing the person- alized experience, Luce is quite aware of the needs of regulars who practice daily. “We have to limit the number of passes we sell when we have our promotions because we get so many people signing up,” she says. “I’m very sensitive to the needs of my customers, especially the regulars.” For Luce it’s important not to upset


her loyal customers with class sizes that are too large. This seems to be another secret ingredient. YYoga so- licits a great deal of feedback from its members and teachers when it comes to scheduling classes and the types of classes offered. The members feel like they have ownership of the program and are valued for their input. Luce sorts through the feedback, listens to everyone’s requests and then sets a schedule accordingly. She does this ev- ery three months, which is a tremen- dous amount of work. But it really adds value for the members who appreciate the variety in the schedule.


Focus on quality Building community among the


teachers is also an important factor in the success of the business. Luce


Studio director and partner Chloe Luce


stresses that education and continu- ing education for teachers is really important. “We provide free weekly continuing education to all our teach- ers which brings them together and supports their growth as instructors.” As the director, Luce goes to all


the classes at least once to provide feedback and support to the teach- ers. She encourages teachers to go to each other’s classes to learn but also to show members that they practice too. Luce believes that when teachers attend one another’s classes it has a tremendous benefit to the members. They can watch their favourite teach- er practice and pick up tips while they work out beside them, strength- ening the bond between teacher and student.


Remember the personal touch Luce also places importance on


teachers arriving fifteen minutes be- fore class and staying fifteen minutes afterward to talk to class participants. “I want all my instructors to know the names of all their students,” she says. She says that students often come to her after class and thank her for re- membering not only their names but details of their lives. They feel impor- tant, valued and supported.


Don’t forget the basics The last success factor Luce


mentions is something that really


surprises me. “This may sound crazy, but I believe that location, accessibil- ity and parking are other reasons that we’re so successful here,” says Luce. “There was nothing in this area for fit- ness before we came along. The studio is located in the hub of a little town centre with lots of walk-by and drive- by traffic. It’s not far from the highway, making it accessible from other parts of town, and there’s free and abundant parking. People don’t have to circle the parking lot or worry about getting a ticket or being towed. “While we do have great teachers


who teach amazing classes, location, accessibility and parking seem to be important factors in studio success,” Luce adds. Even in a “green” city like Vancouver! The message Luce shares is clear:


YYoga is successful because it goes beyond just offering services. The YYoga team has created a commu- nity, a loyal client following and a strong business model. Consider how you can strengthen your business by building community, just like YYoga. FBC


Donna Hutchinson is the author of The How-To Guide To Starting A Personal Training Business. She is a fitness business marketing coach and works exclusively with fitness industry profes- sionals looking to start, grow and operate prof- itable personal training businesses. Contact her at www.edgefit.ca.


September/October 2011 Fitness Business Canada 23


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64