Do yoga teachers and events really run their businesses like this?

[Springysprang]

Been doing yoga for years, but mainly with the same teacher, and only ever been on weekends away with her and the group, nobody else.

Recently I was going through some stress and wondered if I could go on a yoga retreat with any other group, so I started googling, and as I couldn’t quite find what I was looking for, I looked through a few Facebook groups. There were so many posts which:

• Didn’t have the full address of where the retreat was taking place
• Didn’t have a website - they only use social media
• Only had really basic details and said to PM for more info - why can’t they just put the info on their post in the first place?

Am I old fashioned, or do they really expect me to trust a stranger who I’ve only met on social media? Isn’t that where scams come from?

I was quite surprised by the amount of “hustle” on these groups, and people sounding slightly desperate to fill up the remaining places on their retreat.

I finally managed to find two of interest which sounded suitable, and did have websites, but I had a couple of enquiries so I emailed both of them.

One of them replied a couple of days later, saying it had been cancelled due to a lack of interest. The other one replied over two weeks later, saying she’d been locked out of her email and only just got back in, and that next time I should text or call. She also had a place left on her event that was taking place the next day, and offered me quite a big discount.

Is this really how people run these things now?

I have two aquaintences who both have yoga/wellbeing businesses. Both offer retreats out of the country and neither have to advertise at all as they have a very loyal customer base and trips/retreats are snapped up with waiting lists.

It's likely those who need to advertise aren't great.

Exactly. My usual teacher teaches about five classes per week in different locations, plus she has several private clients, so she just emails everyone with details of her retreats.

I was trying to be spontaneous as I was going through a stressful time and wanted to get away. I never found one in the end but I’m wondering if I should join some sort of mailing lists for future reference, just in case someone gets a last minute cancellation. I just don’t see why I would trust someone who put up Facebook posts with such scant details.

I don't know enough about it, it seems unprofessional to me, but it all depends on supply and demand. If they are sold out, they won't care will they?

It did seem unprofessional yes.

it is possible that not giving a venue is because they will book the venue when they have an idea of numbers.

I know a lot of yoga teachers. Many really good at teaching yoga. Also really bad at running businesses. However they fill places on their holidays through their existing students and word of mouth, so don't need to spend thousands on a "professional" website to show prospective students that they have a fancy website.

Facebook offers a cheap (free) way to have an online presence; there's quite a few businesses I know which are only on Facebook/Instagram.

Personally I wouldn't be committing to a yoga holiday if I don't know I'm going to get something from the teaching! I'd be going to a class with the teacher first to get a feel, a week of shit yoga sounds miserable...

It’s more that they show the venue, saying it’s in a beautiful place in Nottinghamshire or whatever, but they don’t give the address so I can’t look it up on a map and as I don’t drive it’s essential for me to find out if it’s near a station. That’s the sort of thing I don’t even message people about because if they’ve missed out the very basics, they’re probably quite disorganised.

I've always booked through book retreats.com and had nice experiences.

Exactly, I’d already be taking a huge risk by going to a retreat with a teacher I’d never been to before, so the least they can do is provide more details. I’d also like to know about the food, since I’m not up for a raw food weekend and you don’t always know what you’re getting.

I've usually booked through word of mouth/website, though I haven't for a couple of years due to lack of funds.

I quite often tag on extra days for my own thing, so knowing where something is is quite pertinent. But then I came across a museum website yesterday with no opening times...

To be honest I wouldn't expect exact details on a Facebook post. The post is designed to generate interest. If you might be interested you then enquire to get all details.

Maybe we think differently about this but I see this as clickbait. If I’m looking for events then the details should be comprehensive enough that I shouldn’t need to send an enquiry, or if I do, it should be a very brief, basic enquiry and not a whole list of questions.

I know nothing about yoga. I know a bit about business. I have a lot of opinions on facebook groups. Sounds to me your problem is because it's a facebook group and not because it's yogo.

I know from experience that it's very common for small businesses to have ditched a website in favour of a facebook social media page, given that the page is so easy to update, it has a built-in generic style (so no worries about "do the colours look professional?" etc.), and can easily showcase all that needs to bo shown to would-be consumers.

Added to which, it can give you a massive insight into the business owner (some share the most inappropriate material).

However, there's a world of difference between using a facebook page for business, and advertising in a facebook group - I think of it like this; most shops on the high street have the lights on during trading hours, and will have a window display - this is the facebook page.

But if the staff started to charge out the front door and accost people in the street who'd paused to look in the window, that's the facebook group. It's loud and it's crass and I will get flamed for saying I feel this way, but I couldn't care less.

@icelolly12 nailed it by saying It's likely those who need to advertise aren't great. This is exactly how it is in the sector I work in (again nothing to do with yoga). A great many small business sectors do not need to advertise, which makes it a worry when someone from that sector does so.

Thank you. This makes a lot of sense.

Not yoga-specific but I fucking DESPAIR of people who don't put the relevant info on a Facebook post.

"Kids Club, summer fun, at the leisure centre!"

Cue 100 posts all asking what days, what times, how much, is it suitable for 4 year olds, where do I sign up etc etc.

Makes me rage.

Earlier this week I go in touch with someone to do a job in my flat. We arranged it and a message was sent to me late evening saying it was booked and asking for a deposit. Next morning they wanted to know if I still wanted the appt as I hadn’t paid the deposit.

They hadn’t told me how to pay it.

I had this recently with a review - small business did some work for me, asked for a review (I almost never review anything any way, and absolutely never review when I'm not happy, but as I was happy I thought it was just easier to do so, so said yes).

Days later I get a message politely asking me not to forget the review. I said I hadn't - I was waiting to be sent a link or at least instructions on where to do so. I was told it was on Google - I will say their was a feint whiff of "you should know this" in the reply 😄

There not "their" FFS. Oh to be able to edit later on.