Horsham yoga studio starts Buddy Up scheme

What is your job title?

Myself, Elizabeth Leslie, and my daughter, Isabelle Aston, are the co-founders of Hush Yoga. Isabelle is also one of the teachers at the studio.

When did you open your business?

We opened our business in July 2021, just as we were coming out of the Covid crisis, so it was a gamble!

What made you decide to open this business?

Opening a studio was something we had talked about for a couple of years prior. Isabelle wanted to complete her advanced training and gain lots of experience teaching in London first, which she did. However, when the Covid pandemic hit, Isabelle began teaching yoga online and decided she was ready to leave London. This seemed like the right time for us to take the plunge.

What gives you the most satisfaction in this job?

That's easy for us both! It's when people come to the studio and are having a tough day, for whatever reason, and they leave with a smile and an uplifted spirit. It's such immediate feedback - it's really wonderful.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years, we would like to be a thriving studio offering a diverse range of classes all day every day as well as courses, workshops and events.

What successes has your business seen so far?

There have been two big successes – the first was managing to recruit (mostly online due to Covid) such brilliant teachers. The second success was the introduction of our Buddy Up scheme. This allows two people to become Hush Yoga members at a reduced rate, thereby making membership more affordable. We found this was not only good for growing our business but also a good way to introduce people and grow our community.

What is the most challenging part of starting your own business?

Neither of us has business experience so we had to learn as we went along. Everything from building a website, marketing, leasing a building and of course managing cashflow. Isabelle also presented a little extra (but very welcome) challenge in the form of baby Thomas who arrived in January this year.

For a list of upcoming events, visit www.hushyoga.co