Help Hot Yoga Tysons
Donation protected
Keeping Our Small Business Alive during the Pandemic:
A Fundraising Appeal #smallbusinessrelief
Hot Yoga Tysons opened its doors on August 7th, 2010. We believed, like Kevin Costner’s character in Field of Dreams, that if we built it, people would come. And we were sure that as people came to our yoga classes, they would start feeling better. We also expected that as they felt better and lived more mindful lives, they would make the world a better place.
We were right. Ten years later, 750,000 visits to our classes. Until recently, we counted hundreds of members who practiced regularly, ranging in age from teenagers to senior citizens. Over the years, we employed dozens of teachers and many part-time front-desk team members—and we paid teachers more than $2 million since we opened. We also have served our community by making available over 5,000 free classes, donating to schools, and widely sharing the benefits of yoga through social media and special events.
Despite working 7 days a week and having the studio open every day of the year, we have found that (aside from parenting) this is the most fulfilling work we have ever done. We love our studio’s teachers and students as family. Since we opened, many of our students have told us they’ve reduced or completely stopped needing medication for chronic pain, blood pressure, anxiety, depression, thyroid conditions, diabetes, and more. We have instructed them in the healing practice of yoga and provided a brave space for them to take charge of their bodies and minds after trauma, surgery, grief, and addiction. We have seen women through their pregnancies and postpartum periods, helping them keep their bodies strong and healthy in preparation for parenthood. Many of our students have told us that Hot Yoga Tysons has been the main place where they have felt part of a community—often saying that they come for the community as much as for the yoga. Countless friendships have been forged in our studio. Almost weekly, someone has told us that doing yoga with us has saved their life. We have witnessed miracles at our school!
Then everything changed this year. In early March, when worry of the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading, we started adjusting our operating procedures by eliminating the use of studio gear and props and limiting class sizes, first to 20 clients per class, then to 10. In effect, we cut capacity of our studio by about 70%. On March 17, we closed our doors temporarily in order to do our part to try to “flatten the curve” of the pandemic That was a week before the Virginia governor issued an executive order closing all gyms and fitness studios in the state. We had been closed just a few days when our team pivoted and launched online classes to support our community. In fact, we downloaded Zoom on a Wednesday morning and within 3 days transitioned our entire business to this new platform. It was not easy!
We are extraordinarily grateful to our students who are still with us during this unprecedented crisis and are lending their financial support to help keep Hot Yoga Tysons viable. Despite the abundance of beautifully produced, curated, and cataloged yoga and fitness content available online, many members of our community continue to financially support the teachers at Hot Yoga Tysons and participate in the live-streamed classes we are providing.
Our studio has always relied on sales of memberships and class packages to generate revenues. As of today, memberships have fallen from 185 to 70 due to cancellations, and package sales are at zero. Our payment processor has put an indefinite hold of 20% on funds to cover the anticipated onslaught of charge-backs that are coming, further squeezing the flow of funds. Currently, revenues will cover the cost of our payroll for only a few months. We have covered two payrolls since the disruption of our business and one rent payment (for March). We currently have 17 classes streaming per week. We have prioritized covering the cost of employees’ payroll over everything else. The other massive expense we have is for rent and common-area maintenance for the building in which the studio is located (regardless of the fact that we cannot use it because of the shut-down order from the governor). Other expenses we have include POS software subscription, utilities, insurance, music licensing, and taxes.
In the short term, with no revenue, Hot Yoga Tysons can cover some of our expenses. But we cannot do so for long while our business is shut down. While some expenses can be eliminated to cope with less revenue, our commercial lease is an exception. When we signed it in March 2009, we never imagined that, even when the government needed to shut down our business, we’d still be expected to pay base rent and CAMS covering garbage removal, landscaping, security, and taxes for the building.
We, like many other small business owners, have applied for EIDL Grants and loans through the federal paycheck protection program. But we have received nothing from those programs to date, and we know now that we may not receive such funds due to having employees who are categorized as 1099 independent contractors, including myself.
We know Hot Yoga Tysons is not alone in this time of economic hardship: most small businesses cannot withstand a long period in which the owner does not have the resources needed to keep the business alive. Without an emergency fund, most small businesses are 60 to 90 days away from having to close their doors due to insufficient cash flow. Unless they provide a service, they do not get paid and cannot pay their bills. Our small business’s service is Hot Yoga, and to provide it, we built a clean, hot, oxygenated studio, pouring heart and soul into it. It is impossible to deliver the same experience to our clients via Zoom.
We are eager to open again, God willing. Even as we worry we cannot open fast enough to survive, we know we must wait to reopen until it is safe. We have always known there were much easier ways to make money than running a hot yoga studio. But we have believed in doing something meaningful for ourselves and others. So, for as long as we can hang on financially, we are dedicated to being here for our community during this crisis AND when the crisis subsides. People need yoga now, and they will need yoga when this is over!
This fundraiser is part of our effort to meet our expenses over the coming months. We understand that the whole world is struggling right now, and we are deeply thankful for any and all donations. Even if you are not able to donate to our studio yourself, we would appreciate your sharing this with your friends, for that could make a difference, too!
No donation is too small, and every little bit will allow us to keep serving our community and helping people greatly improve their wellness—and perhaps even save their lives.
Namaste.
#smallbusinessrelief
A Fundraising Appeal #smallbusinessrelief
Hot Yoga Tysons opened its doors on August 7th, 2010. We believed, like Kevin Costner’s character in Field of Dreams, that if we built it, people would come. And we were sure that as people came to our yoga classes, they would start feeling better. We also expected that as they felt better and lived more mindful lives, they would make the world a better place.
We were right. Ten years later, 750,000 visits to our classes. Until recently, we counted hundreds of members who practiced regularly, ranging in age from teenagers to senior citizens. Over the years, we employed dozens of teachers and many part-time front-desk team members—and we paid teachers more than $2 million since we opened. We also have served our community by making available over 5,000 free classes, donating to schools, and widely sharing the benefits of yoga through social media and special events.
Despite working 7 days a week and having the studio open every day of the year, we have found that (aside from parenting) this is the most fulfilling work we have ever done. We love our studio’s teachers and students as family. Since we opened, many of our students have told us they’ve reduced or completely stopped needing medication for chronic pain, blood pressure, anxiety, depression, thyroid conditions, diabetes, and more. We have instructed them in the healing practice of yoga and provided a brave space for them to take charge of their bodies and minds after trauma, surgery, grief, and addiction. We have seen women through their pregnancies and postpartum periods, helping them keep their bodies strong and healthy in preparation for parenthood. Many of our students have told us that Hot Yoga Tysons has been the main place where they have felt part of a community—often saying that they come for the community as much as for the yoga. Countless friendships have been forged in our studio. Almost weekly, someone has told us that doing yoga with us has saved their life. We have witnessed miracles at our school!
Then everything changed this year. In early March, when worry of the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading, we started adjusting our operating procedures by eliminating the use of studio gear and props and limiting class sizes, first to 20 clients per class, then to 10. In effect, we cut capacity of our studio by about 70%. On March 17, we closed our doors temporarily in order to do our part to try to “flatten the curve” of the pandemic That was a week before the Virginia governor issued an executive order closing all gyms and fitness studios in the state. We had been closed just a few days when our team pivoted and launched online classes to support our community. In fact, we downloaded Zoom on a Wednesday morning and within 3 days transitioned our entire business to this new platform. It was not easy!
We are extraordinarily grateful to our students who are still with us during this unprecedented crisis and are lending their financial support to help keep Hot Yoga Tysons viable. Despite the abundance of beautifully produced, curated, and cataloged yoga and fitness content available online, many members of our community continue to financially support the teachers at Hot Yoga Tysons and participate in the live-streamed classes we are providing.
Our studio has always relied on sales of memberships and class packages to generate revenues. As of today, memberships have fallen from 185 to 70 due to cancellations, and package sales are at zero. Our payment processor has put an indefinite hold of 20% on funds to cover the anticipated onslaught of charge-backs that are coming, further squeezing the flow of funds. Currently, revenues will cover the cost of our payroll for only a few months. We have covered two payrolls since the disruption of our business and one rent payment (for March). We currently have 17 classes streaming per week. We have prioritized covering the cost of employees’ payroll over everything else. The other massive expense we have is for rent and common-area maintenance for the building in which the studio is located (regardless of the fact that we cannot use it because of the shut-down order from the governor). Other expenses we have include POS software subscription, utilities, insurance, music licensing, and taxes.
In the short term, with no revenue, Hot Yoga Tysons can cover some of our expenses. But we cannot do so for long while our business is shut down. While some expenses can be eliminated to cope with less revenue, our commercial lease is an exception. When we signed it in March 2009, we never imagined that, even when the government needed to shut down our business, we’d still be expected to pay base rent and CAMS covering garbage removal, landscaping, security, and taxes for the building.
We, like many other small business owners, have applied for EIDL Grants and loans through the federal paycheck protection program. But we have received nothing from those programs to date, and we know now that we may not receive such funds due to having employees who are categorized as 1099 independent contractors, including myself.
We know Hot Yoga Tysons is not alone in this time of economic hardship: most small businesses cannot withstand a long period in which the owner does not have the resources needed to keep the business alive. Without an emergency fund, most small businesses are 60 to 90 days away from having to close their doors due to insufficient cash flow. Unless they provide a service, they do not get paid and cannot pay their bills. Our small business’s service is Hot Yoga, and to provide it, we built a clean, hot, oxygenated studio, pouring heart and soul into it. It is impossible to deliver the same experience to our clients via Zoom.
We are eager to open again, God willing. Even as we worry we cannot open fast enough to survive, we know we must wait to reopen until it is safe. We have always known there were much easier ways to make money than running a hot yoga studio. But we have believed in doing something meaningful for ourselves and others. So, for as long as we can hang on financially, we are dedicated to being here for our community during this crisis AND when the crisis subsides. People need yoga now, and they will need yoga when this is over!
This fundraiser is part of our effort to meet our expenses over the coming months. We understand that the whole world is struggling right now, and we are deeply thankful for any and all donations. Even if you are not able to donate to our studio yourself, we would appreciate your sharing this with your friends, for that could make a difference, too!
No donation is too small, and every little bit will allow us to keep serving our community and helping people greatly improve their wellness—and perhaps even save their lives.
Namaste.
#smallbusinessrelief
Fundraising team: Hot Yoga Tysons (2)
Insel Metin
Organizer
Belleview, VA
Shellie Metin
Team member
