A New Yoga Business Model

Imagine a young person applying for a job at a small business and the business owner tells them they have to pay $12,000 for training first. After training you may or may not get a job.

That's crazy!

But that is exactly what happens now in the yoga business. The most popular styles of yoga - the styles that can support independent studios - charge a lot of money to become certified in that particular style.

At Modern Hot Yoga we intend to turn that model on it's head. We are in the process of training hot yoga teachers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. By January 2016 our first studio will open. We selected the current trainees based on their entrepreneurial drive and willingness to work hard. Our training method uses a senior teacher  who leads while practicing to an audio/visual presentation.  As the trainees progressed it became clear how backwards the old model of training can be. 

While many proficient teachers have come out of the guru led paradigm, many less than capable teachers emerge as well, weakening the system. And there is no follow through. Basically one pays a lot of money for a certification and then you are on your own.

As Modern Hot Yoga grows we intend to select teacher trainees based on ability and drive. We will pay them a stipend during training and when they are proficient we will employ them. As the system grows, Modern Hot Yoga will identify prospective small business leaders and invest in setting them up in partner studios. This model will create teacher loyalty to the style and promote quality services delivered in small boutique studios.