In recent decades yoga has become one of New Zealand’s most popular forms of exercise, with figures showing its practice grew by more than 500 per cent from 2007 to 2017.
While it is far from an action sport for adrenalin junkies, yoga can still lead to potentially serious injuries for those who practice it. As such, as a yoga teacher in New Zealand you may face dire financial consequences and large out-of-pocket expenses should an injury happen to one of your students in your yoga studio.
Because of this, there are certain risks that owners and operators of yoga studios would benefit from protecting themselves and their business from. One such popular form of protection for yoga instructors in New Zealand is insurance for yoga teachers.
Let’s take a closer look at two hypothetical examples where yoga instructors operating their own yoga studio in New Zealand may be exposed to risk.
Two examples of risk for yoga studio operators
While yoga is generally a low impact form of exercise, it can lead to injuries when not properly performed. As the qualified yoga practitioner instructing your class of yoga students, you may also be held accountable for any injuries your students may incur while under your guidance and instruction.
Yoga is a very focused and involved health practice, and those who teach it work tirelessly to lead, correct and guide their yoga students through at times tricky and physically demanding yoga positions. It’s all in the name of increasing the wellbeing and wellness of their students.
That notwithstanding, there can be many and varied unforeseen injuries and accidents that can occur while practicing yoga – even in the presence of a qualified yoga instructor. Let’s look at two hypothetical scenarios that could expose yoga studio operators to risk and where business insurance could help protect against the risks involved in being a yoga teacher who runs their own yoga studio as a small business owner.
Public liability incidents
Public liability incidents can unfortunately happen to all business owners without a moment’s notice, including yoga studio operators. The cause can be mundane – such as:
- Spilt water or sweat on the floor that causes a customer to slip and injure themselves;
- A loose piece of carpet or floorboard results in a customer tripping over and hurting themselves; or
- any number of other unexpected occurrences.
In instances such as these, you as the yoga studio owner/operator may be liable.
Professional indemnity incidents
Professional indemnity incidents are incidents directly related to the professional services or advice that you provide to your clients. Professional Indemnity insurance for Yoga Instructors, covers things such as defence costs and/or compensation payable by the insured which may be as a result of an injury to a student, during a class you run whilst under your instruction.
While yoga is generally a low impact form of exercise, it can lead to injuries when not properly performed. As the qualified yoga practitioner instructing a class of yoga students, you may also be held accountable for any injuries your students may incur while under your guidance and instruction.
How to reduce your risk as yoga instructor
Now that we’ve covered some key potential risks for yoga studio operators, let’s look at some simple steps that yoga studio owners and operators can take to reduce the risk to their business.
Invest in top quality facilities and equipment
Whether your yoga studio is large or small with many clients or only a few, investing in quality equipment and facilities is a great way to reduce risks to your business. As a general rule, spend as much as your budget will allow on the equipment and accessories that clients will regularly use when they visit your yoga studio.
This extends from having fresh and regularly cleaned and sanitised yoga mats to ensuring that the premises you’ve leased or purchased for your yoga business has the appropriate amenities for a yoga business.
Whether you have a dedicated yoga studio as an extension in your home or a hired space in a local gym, having a clean, professional environment for your students can make a big difference when it comes to their yoga motivation, progress, happiness, and safety.
Taking these essential steps with your new yoga studio will help you to avoid being caught off guard by potential safety risks, which is essential – for the health and wellbeing of your clients, as well as the health and wellbeing of your small business.
Remain current with your yoga qualifications
As a qualified yoga instructor, you have studied and taken the time to learn how to safely teach yoga to your students. However, from time to time you may need to review and update your instruction techniques as periodically new, safer methods may gain in popularity and become best practice.
Like any form of physical exercise, if practiced incorrectly yoga can actually do more harm than good and result in injury to students, which you may be liable for.
So for yoga studio operators, it never hurts to refresh your knowledge of safe techniques for teaching yoga to students. Doing so can help reduce the risks to your students, as well as the risks to you as the yoga business owner.
Reduce your risk with business insurance for yoga teachers
As a yoga instructor, your expert guidance helps your clients to find calm and inner balance through the practice of yoga. And at the same time, as a yoga instructor and small business owner you may find reassurance and peace of mind for yourself through protecting your business with insurance for yoga teachers.
On any given day yoga teachers and yoga instructors may face many unique risks on top of the everyday challenges that come with running a small business and competing with larger organisations for customers. These risks can stretch a small business to breaking point, potentially damage your professional reputation and your position in the industry and take the joy out of being a business owner and yoga instructor. At their worst, they could even put you out of business.
Business insurance such as specialised insurance for yoga teachers, is specifically designed for the unique risks encountered by yoga instructors. As a yoga teacher, holding the relevant business insurance policies can help ensure that you can continue to provide yoga lessons to your clients. Popular business insurance for yoga studio operators in New Zealand include:
- Professional Indemnity*;
- Public Liability*;
- Business Insurance*;
- Business Interruption*;
- Portable Equipment Insurance*; and
- Building And Contents Insurance*.
Business insurance for yoga teachers can reduce business risk for yoga instructors and enable them to keep doing the work they love, even if the unexpected happens. Whether it’s a client injury, a business interruption event, or a professional negligence claim, insurance for yoga instructors can help you protect your livelihood and continue with your yoga business.
Just like all other small business owners, yoga teachers who operate their own yoga studio in New Zealand can benefit from actively reducing the risks to their business. And a great way to do just that is to invest in insurance for yoga teachers*.
BizCover can help yoga instructors in New Zealand secure their yoga insurance quickly and easily, without the stress you may have experienced previously when purchasing business insurance. Get a quote today.
*This information is general only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It should not be relied upon as advice. As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording. © 2022 BizCover Pty Limited, all rights reserved. BizCover Limited is owned by BizCover Pty Ltd (ABN 68 127 707 975)
