A little over a year ago in a small Southern town, a woman without any business experience, but with a mission to help others through yoga, started a business. But, "Wait," you say, "that was in the midst of one of the most difficult economic periods that the United States has ever experienced". Correct! "There were established businesses," you say, "that folded under the pressure of people spending less than they had in decades and lending institutions not lending and…" Correct again! "Wait a minute", you say, "this I’ve got to hear!"
Debbie Harvley, a resident of Donalds, South Carolina, travels to nearby Greenwood, South Carolina, six days a week to teach yoga and to continue building her yoga studio business (The Mat Works Yoga Studio), which is now just barely one year old. Debbie has been on a mission to help others through yoga as she was helped many years ago, and she won’t stop until she’s reached as many people as she can.
Debbie, a certified and registered yoga teacher, advises people to enter into a yoga practice with a sense of commitment--the same kind of commitment that’s brought her yoga studio to a successful first year threshold and beyond.
“I could have stayed at home and kept up my own yoga practice,” Debbie says, “or I could have taken on a few students, but it’s important to me to share this knowledge with others,” she adds. This strong desire, it seems, is a key factor in the success of Debbie’s yoga business. She cares deeply—and her students notice.
A professional man in his early fifties and regular student at The Mat Works Yoga Studio sees it this way. “I’ve had maybe a double handful of teachers over the years, and they each bring something a little different to their students, but without doubt, Debbie is the most committed teacher I've had,” he says. “… her students get exposed to the various formats and can tailor-fit their private practice. Debbie is a very caring person and makes everyone comfortable and feel included.”
Another key to the success of the business is that yoga really works—that’s what Debbie’s students believe. It has been one of the things that Debbie’s growing customer base seem to find important enough to spend money on, even while they cut back spending in other areas. “It’s like medicine,” one of her students said, “you don’t cut back on medicine—it’s just too important.” Another yoga student put it this way, “Yes, it's like medicine, insurance and also fishing. Once ya get hooked on it, you'll just keep doing it,” he said.Bill Jenkins, marketing director for an area financial institution, agrees. While he has a yoga routine that he does at home, he’s at Mat Works because he “…missed the guided practice,” he said. “I needed more stress relief and to offset the natural stiffening up that comes with middle age.” He praises Debbie’s work as a yoga instructor. “She is highly sensitive to the individual needs of her clients, and that they reap the most benefit from their practice,” he said “… she is a normal human being both physically and emotionally and always uplifting to work with,” he said.
Being cautious with spending and connecting with other professionals to barter services has also benefited Debbie Harvley’s business in its growth stage. “I’ve been very, very careful with spending for the business,” Debbie said, “and I’ve had to let go of perfection with many things in order to just get things done as a one-person business,” she said.
One example of the bartering has given her a marketing professional to work with. This relationship has provided her business with a blog and a facebook page for Debbie’s business, allowing her the most up-to-date type of marketing communications between the business and her market.
The reasons for Debbie Harvley’s success with starting and growing a new business in the midst of a dire economy appear to be simple, easy to do and yet surprising. Watching spending closely, bartering services with other professionals, letting go of the need for perfection in everything so that you actually get things done, a committed and compassionate approach to working with her students and a deep commitment to the success of her business. The final (and surprising) piece is that yoga works—it delivers to Debbie’s clients what she promises. Now, what kind of word-of-mouth marketing do you think that gives a business?
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IF you live in the Greenwood area or nearby, you can drop in to any of Debbie's classes for only $10. Visit her site for the current schedule at http://www.matworksyoga.com/
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