Last week I got an email from a new program coordinator looking for a kids yoga teacher for their March Break camps.

She wanted a teacher to come in for half an hour every day of March Break, thinking a half hour class would be cheaper than booking a full afternoon.

We couldn’t find a teacher who wanted to take the gig.

What Makes a Gig….Stink

A half hour class is one of the worst case scenario. I explained to her, and gave her a few reasons why. Here are the main ones:

• March Break is a premium week for bookings because everyone is looking for special activities to do. Booking a 30 minute gig every day of March break limits your ability to take other better paying job. A teacher usually only goes to 2 locations a day, so each location has to be worth it.

• Teachers factor travel time into their hourly rate, but that doesn’t translate well for a 30 minute invoice. A lot of time traveling and a little time teaching doesn’t balance out when it comes to the payment.

• Then there are the teachers who have children at home during March Break and need to get childcare while they are out teaching. They have that expense to cover through what they invoice as well.

Sometimes as a kids yoga teacher, you have to educate your customer about your pricing. Some customers don’t realize that the length of time of the class is not the issue, it is showing up that costs the most.

If you are going to a location, you want it to be worth your while.

When I was teaching kids yoga full time in schools, daycare centres, and community centers I built my ideal schedule over a few years. As I found better gigs, the first classes that I dropped were the single classes at a location.

The first class I quit was a one hour class in an after school program. The class was filled with 20+ children and paid the union wage for teachers working for the school board (about $25 back in 1999). That was my number one Bu-BYE!

What I really liked were the two to three hour bookings at one location so that I could invoice a larger amount and cut down on my travel time.

Think about it! Would you rather bill for 5 days at 30 minutes a day, or for 5 x 30 minute classes in one afternoon? It’s obvious when you look at it that way. Sometimes you need to educate your customers so they understand what they are asking.

What to Charge for a Kids Movement Class

Here is an article I wrote about what to charge for a kids yoga class that you may find helpful.

Now that classes are starting to open up again, remember that the more you teach and the more classes you have, the more picky you can be about the classes you accept.

Just because someone offers you a class doesn’t mean you have to accept it.

In fact, it’s a sign that your business is healthy when you can start turning down classes that don’t work for your schedule and your income goals.

A 30 minute class at one location might be appealing for a new teacher starting their teaching journey, but over the years you will probably find, as I did, it just isn’t sustainable to run a business.