Bikram Yoga Brighton MBU Success Story

Bikram Yoga Brighton started using the MINDBODY System in January 2009 and after attending MINDBODY University (MBU) in November 2009 they have seen revenue increase by 40% per quarter, year over year. They offer Bikram yoga classes, workshops, private, and semi-private appointments, and retail.

MINDBODY University helped me cut the chains that were drowning my business. After attending MBU, we found our target audience and started offering a compelling introductory offer. Bikram Yoga Brighton is now officially afloat! Online selling, in combination with a great Merchant Banking partner, is making me money while I sleep. Awesome. MINDBODY, I LOVE YOU." - Carolyn Jikiemi-Roberts

MBU: Why did you originally attend MINDBODY University? What were your hoping to gain by attending the intensive?

Bikram Yoga Brighton: To save time by actually working the system more efficiently. We were hoping to fully absorb every facet of MINDBODY University including:

• Hands-on training and better understanding of the software
• Business theory and “best practices to increase my profitability
• Networking with my peers
• One-on-One time with MINDBODY Staff to address areas specific to my company

MBU: How did MBU help you change your business?

Bikram Yoga Brighton: We implemented the following changes and strategies after attending MBU, which all contributed to the growth we’ve seen in our business.

• Revenue increased 41% in the second quarter of 2010 as compared to 2009 and we have seen similar growth in the 1st quarter.
• Total visits increased 95% in the first quarter of 2010 as compared to the same quarter 2009.
• Auto pay sales account for 60% of our total revenue in the second quarter of 2010 as compared to 10% in 2009.
• The number of people participating in auto pays has increased thirteen times over the last year. This increase was thanks to the ease and low cost of the MINDBODY Auto-Pay system.
• The number of new clients has actually decreased 10% while our revenue has increased 40% in the second quarter of 2010 compared to 2009, implying we are earning more revenue per client. We are operating more efficiently and effectively with the help of the MINDBODY system.
• We started a 30-day introductory offer which has increased our retention to 25%.

• We use the online booking feature of MINDBODY to have new clients register for our intro offer, classes, and other workshops that we host. We also use the prospect widget from HealCode to catch all clients who look at our website and are interested, but do not want to sign up right away.
• We primarily use the auto email functionality to send birthday emails as well as booking confirmations, purchase receipts, and notification of failed Auto-Pay's.
• We use client indexes to track the primary reason people are visiting our studio and found that people are visiting us to get fit, increase flexibility, and relieve stress.
• We use client alerts to let staff and clients know about Auto-Pays failing, Auto-Pay contracts that need confirmation, and client statuses.
• We also began using the Constant Contact Integration and send monthly newsletters highlighting news and events for the month.
• We improved our website by implementing HealCode Widgets to neatly display our live, MINDBODY schedule and we included calls to action everywhere possible, encouraging clients to book and purchase online.

MBU: What do you find are the major challenges of running a business?

Bikram Yoga Brighton: All of the following are major challenges:

• Increasing net profit
• Increasing client base/class sizes
• Time management
• Staff/teacher management
• Client Retention
• Increasing new clients

MBU: Do you feel like MINDBODY University has helped you surpass some of these challenges?

Bikram Yoga Brighton: Wow, what a question. MINDBODY set me on the winning path! Auto-Pay's and Integrated Merchant Account Processing have allowed me to have a regular monthly income. The income arrives steadily through the month, which makes you better with your budget, whether you want to or not. With the right irresistible pricing people fall over themselves to join so you can get large numbers and have an assured income each month. You must consistently increase the people on Auto-Pay, so as some stop the reduced revenue does not affect you too much.

I have new leaflets which state my introductory offer, which by the way has changed from £20 for 10 days to to £30 for 30 days, occasionally we offer £10 for 10 days as a special offer. This gives me plenty of time to get my customers hooked and they are more likely to buy the monthly package.

I have also been working on staff training. All my teachers and desk staff now have a job description. This incorporates using the MINDBODY Help Suite Training Videos to improve their knowledge of the system. They will then have a quarterly assessment to ensure that they have seen and signed the desk manual and have all the knowledge they need to be successful in their jobs. All my receptionists have a sales job and call all new clients after their first class and then again a week before their package runs out with the job of selling then the next package. They have already formed a relationship with that client both on and off the phone when they visit the studio. The teachers must focus on 5 new clients a month, with the job of transferring at least 3 of them to Auto-Pay. The receptionists have their own individual targets for which they earn a bonus.

I have employed a company to do Search Engine Optimization on my website which I am currently upgrading. I now need to get to grips with Google Adwords.

The studio has its own Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin accounts, we have recently joined Hootsuite, which allows you to connect all the networking sites with one message that can go out to all the other sites. I also belong to a networking group call Athena and I am on their Networking site also.

MBU: Is there any advice that you learned from MBU that you would recommend to other business owners?

Bikram Yoga Brighton: Be consistent, customers are always looking to change the rules in one way or another, be firm about your terms and conditions and do not waiver. Make sure you have a freeze or cancellation form that they need to sign at the right time or they must pay. Your customer is King -- always smile and bend over backwards to help. Train you staff to do this too. Go that extra mile. Keep the standards of cleanliness high. Help you customers to network among themselves, build a community and encourage dialog between them. You will be surprised what snippets you will hear about the service that you offer. Always give good value for money.

Interviewed: Carolyn Jikiemi-Roberts Director, Bikram Yoga Brighton

Thank you Bikram Yoga Brighton for being part of the MINDBODY University family and for working so hard to do your part to improve the health and wellness of the world! Join us at our next MBU event to increase revenue by 40% and utilize your MINDBODY System to its fullest potential.