You know those teachers you see on social media who are making it work?
The ones with busy retreat schedules, full group classes and a waiting list of private clients? We’ve all seen them.
You know how they got there?
Hard work, for sure. Let’s be clear about that.
💸 But a big part of their effort was doing the inner work of establishing how they like to be paid. 💸
They may have started out as a donation-based teacher (bunch of crystals, anyone? Sure, that’ll pay my rent!) but along the way, they got serious about setting their rates.
In order to have a successful yoga business, you HAVE to do the same.
Don’t be living in cloud-cuckoo land. 🐦
Here’s my 3-step process for setting your rates with confidence:
1. Know your worth and trade it wisely. ✨
Knowing what you bring is key to your success. You have to make a stand for the space you hold, the wisdom you share, the care, attention and compassion you bring to your clients. Most people don’t have access to this kind of caregiving in their daily lives and you, my friend, are providing it.
You’ve put thousands of hours into your training, your practice and this way of life. Understanding - and really owning - the commitment you’ve made to honing your craft is essential if you want to take teaching beyond the hobby or side hustle realm and into the bigger world.
Part of this is also about knowing what to say yes to, and what to say no to.
It can be dispiriting, I know, to see other teachers charging half what you’d like to be making. But you know what? They’re not you. YOU get to choose what you charge and how you feel about being paid for your expertise.
2. Set your rate and then add tax. ✨
Yup. We all have to pay them.
Doing people a favour by keeping your rates low isn’t going to sustain you. When the tax man comes - and the electricity and gas guys, for that matter - you HAVE to account for them.
If you’re not including travel time, insurance, the cost of your training, the food you need to eat in order to hold the class and any other expenses associated with teaching, you’re likely under-charging. What you’re doing is operating a charity. And that’s fine and good with me if that’s where you want to keep things.
But to make a sustainable living teaching what you love?
You’re going to have to factor in the real life costs.
3. See your time as your greatest asset and charge accordingly. ✨
Your time here is limited and you get to choose how you spend these precious minutes on Earth. If you’ve chosen to spend them teaching yoga, you have to value that time. There’s no getting it back.
The time you spend teaching deserves to be compensated just like other professionals. You wouldn’t set up a plumbing business and then offer to unblock U-bends for free, would you now?
It’s the same whether you’re offering a 10-pack of private yoga classes or curating a beautiful weekend retreat.
It’s the same whether you want to make £50/year or £500,000/year.
(Because that’s a decision too.)
What’s your biggest take-away? Let me know in the comments! 👇
For more free tips and training on how to grow your yoga business, join my Facebook Group, Be The Change