Starting your small business takes dedication and usually comes with some challenges. Sometimes its a financial risk, sometimes a personal one and sometimes you try to open a Yoga Studio in the middle of a forest in small town Ontario. That was the challenge that this week’s customer spotlight took head on, and won. Meet Pura Vida Soul Institute.
Pura Vida Soul Institute is a hot yoga studio and retreat center set right in the middle of a 20-acre forest in the beautiful Muskokas. Their vision is to create a sanctuary for their guests and clients to escape from the daily stress of work, commuting, and families so they can reconnect with their soul, let go of their stress, and really go after their true desires in life. They offer services in yoga, meditation, healing arts, and soul coaching through weekly classes, workshops, and weekend retreats throughout the year (Snow and all this year!!). We spoke with owner Jenn.
What was your first “big win” moment as a business owner? That moment when you said “hey I can do this!”
Before we opened our studio I used to always repeat the phrase “if you build it they will come.” Having a center located in the middle of a forest in a very small community that can almost disappear in the winter was a huge risk! At first I wondered if anyone would find us. My first big moment was when we had a full class in the middle of a big snow storm. Not only did people find us but they came in their winter boots and pick-up trucks to join us. To date, that was our largest class!
What is the best advice you could give to someone just starting out?
In my opinion the best advice is to stay true to who you are and what your business is about. Everyone is going to have an opinion about how to run the business, but I think the most successful ones are those that listen with open minds and always align their decisions to their values and vision at the end of the day.
How has QuickBooks helped you run and grow your business?
We have been using QB for over 6 years. I started using it when it was just me as a travelling teacher to manage my expenses, invoices, and payment. I am currently using the QB Essentials Online version to track expenses, bills, and sales. It’s a great tool for us to see how we are doing as a business with the report functions as well. It has helped us stay organized when we have a lot of other things on our plate, allowing us to pay our bills on time, and manage the cash flow in and out of the business. It has also been very valuable at tax time allowing us to quickly identify the numbers for our tax returns.
Check them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PuraVidaSoulinstitute
If you want to have your business featured in our spotlight reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter and let us know!
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