How to Choose the Best Yoga Studio Software

How do you handle the administrative tasks, like billing, attendance tracking, retail sales and student communication that go along with managing a yoga studio? We find that many studio owners are doing these tasks manually, whether it’s through the use of Excel or simply mental notes.

For 14 years Theresa Shay, owner of TriYoga of Central Pennsylvania, had been manually tracking attendance, payments and revenue trends in her head. “Every waking hour that wasn’t spent teaching, eating or driving to the studio was spent on administrative work,” says Theresa. It wasn’t until a student recommended the studio should offer more classes and events that Theresa realized there had to be a better solution. “I knew I had to get the organization in a place where it was able to grow; I was at my capacity with tracking everything on my own. I knew if we had a good system in place, our teachers could focus solely on teaching.”

Selecting the right yoga studio software can be a daunting task. You need to find something that will take work off of your plate, however, it still needs to be easy-to-use for you, your students and your teachers. If you’re thinking about implementing software at your studio, here are three things it must have:

1). Straightforward Pricing

It’s important to find a provider that offers software at a price that fits within your budget. Many providers offer software packages where certain features are only available if you’re willing to pay more. When you’re looking at pricing, make sure to ask:

• How does the monthly pricing structure work?
• Do they charge per student? If so, how much do they charge and is there a cap for when you expand?
• Do they require a contract?
• Do they charge additional fees to use certain features like embeds? If so, how much and which features come at an additional price?

2). Intuitive Features

As mentioned above, it’s important to select a software that’s easy-to-use, while still offering the features you need to run a successful studio. Software should give you more time back, not take up your time. Specific questions to ask include:

• Do they offer time-saving automations, reducing manual work on your end?
• Can students quickly check-in for class from any device on their own?
• Do they provide simple reports and custom dashboards that are aimed at helping your studio grow?

3). Responsive, In-House Customer Support

At some point, you’re going to have questions about how to use a certain feature or run a specific report. It’s important that you select a provider that offers incredible customer support, from a team of experts that understand your industry. Be sure to ask:

• Do they offer phone and email support from an in-house team?
• What’s the average response time for this team?
• Does the customer support team have a positive satisfaction rating?

The right software can truly be life changing. Just ask Theresa, who states, “Zen Planner saved my sanity and brain capacity. We can now take on more teachers, students and events since it’s not reliant on my brain. Every aspect of the organization has grown since implementing Zen Planner.”

If you’re thinking about implementing software at your studio, get your free copy of our helpful checklist, 9 Things Your Yoga Studio Software Must Have. It provides a list of key features you can’t live without, as well as key questions you should ask when evaluating providers.