3 Benefits to Using Cloud Yoga Business Software for Your Yoga Studio

Wendy and John are each starting a yoga studio. They have their space, a website, and recently opened for business.

They also chose to administer as much of their business on computers (who doesn’t get these days). They each have a laptop, to be mobile, or so they think. They also have a desktop in their studio.

Students are coming to their classes, and they’re delighted by this. Yet, they both desire more students. Their business is in a growth stage.

When not teaching classes and chatting with students, they’re on their computers taking care of the financial aspects, marketing, curriculum/class planning, and overall administration of their business.

When they started, they weren’t sure about their business’s direction, so they held off buying any specific business management software. Instead, they used Word and Excel to handle their software needs. So far, their software setup is working okay, but they see the writing on the wall on how something more sophisticated could save them time.

Wendy and John go online to start looking at yoga business software options. They’re pleased that there’s a lot of options. Of course, options mean making a decision.

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Wendy chooses a cloud computing platform, while John opts for an installation software option.

Wendy’s option requires that she pay a monthly cost to use her software. John likes the fact he only spends one time on the software.

Wendy logs into her software account through the Internet and sets up your software for your business. It takes a few days to get familiar with it, but she has her software working for her within a week with a class schedule set up, and she’s put her student contact information into the database. She also set up her autoresponder email account and integrated it with your student contacts, Sky Birds.

John installed his software on both his laptop and desktop computer. He opted for no server and instead figured out how to network the two computers together so that it’s reflected in the other computer when a change is made in one computer. He spent about a day getting his software installed and networked.

Like Wendy, he takes a few days to input his student contact information and format his class schedule in the scheduling software. His email software is separate, but he’s integrated it using an APP with his installation-based yoga business software.

Fast forward two years. Both their yoga businesses are doing better than ever. Each of them hires two teachers to teach designated classes and a receptionist. This growth required more computers for their staff. Wendy upgrades her software to add another user. Her staff merely logs into the software through the Internet.

John buys another license and then goes through the installation process. Now he must network another computer. He’s read that using a server is a good idea but has no idea how to set up a server. Given his business is growing, he decides to hire a networking consultant. After buying a dedicated server and paying networking consultant fees, John spent $1,500. His software was upgraded six months ago, so he paid $300 in upgrade fees.

Wendy and John started selling retail items in their studio and on their website as their businesses grew. They also discovered how effective email marketing is for student retention and business growth. Wendy’s online software platform offered e-commerce, credit card processing, and integrated email marketing software. She could set up her stores and beef up her email marketing quickly.

John leased credit card processing hardware, bought a license for e-commerce software, and used his original email marketing software integrated with his student contact database.

At this point, Wendy’s entire yoga business software is centralized and accessible over the Internet. John uses several software services that are installed and networked among his computers. As John’s business grows, his computing needs become more complex, and he now has his networking consultant on speed dial.

He now budgets annually for computer consultant fees – something he never anticipated. He has heard about cloud software and is now interested in making the switch but is reluctant, given the amount he’s invested in his desktop installation software. He’s going to wait and see.

Wendy pays a monthly fee for her service. Still, she is pleased with how easy it is to add new users and grow her business without interruption in her core activities – teaching yoga and marketing her business. Wendy is considering opening another yoga studio, knowing aside from finding and designing space, her business is easily duplicated at another location.

John would love to expand to another location but is concerned about the expense of developing and managing his business so that all his business information integrates seamlessly between his multiple locations. He puts expansion on hold.