You can download the Yogi Incubator Resource Guide by clicking here.

You will need Microsoft Word Viewer to view it, which can be downloaded here or Open Office Writer which can be downloaded here.

This guide with resources for Yoga teachers is under construction. If you have people or tools that you are proud to refer in one of these categories, please send us an email with their contact info and a word on your experience with them.

Finances & Legal

• Accountants
• Financial Advisors
• Loan, Mortgage, Credit Specialists
• Insurance Agents
• Lawyers (Contracts and Trademarks)
• Books, Websites and Articles

Marketing

• Photographers
• Advertising
• Web and Graphic Designers
• Retreats & Workshops
• DVD Producers
• Networking Groups
• Newsletter Tools
• Communications Resources
• Books, Websites and Articles

 

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Yogi Incubator Resource Guide

Disclaimer: not all services and professionals have the same level of recommendation. We have personally used some of them, and others we were just referred to. We offer no explicit or implicit guarantees whatsoever. All prices and offers are for reference only, and subject to change without notice. Please contact the provider directly for an updated and specific quote.

Do mention the Yogi Incubator when you contact these services!

If you have someone you would like to refer, please email clara@yogiincubator. com and include a short comment on your experience. And if you use some of our suggestions and have feedback, good or bad, do drop us a line!

Financial Services

Financial Teacher: Bari Tessler

www.consciousbookeeping.com
6 week tele-classes $400
Has free intro tele-classes. If you are interested in transforming your relationship to money and creating peace of mind and ease with your finances, consider Bari and her team. Bari creates a safe space for you to learn about this wonderful pathway to freedom with money.

Financial Teacher: Vanessa Summers

www.vanessasummers.com
$700 for a one day intensive with Vanessa Summers in Los Angeles
Has free intro-sessions in person in Los Angeles, books and CDs for sale on her website. Vanessa’s main focus is on creating passive income through real estate.

Accountant: Charles Marcus, CPA

1821 Wilshire Blvd. #640
Santa Monica, CA  90403
Tel: (310) 828-1278, Fax: (310) 264-5600
E-mail: charlesmarcuscpa@ aol. com

Charles is my accountant and what I like about him is that I don’t feel overwhelmed nor scared every time I go there. That’s a big deal!
In his works: “I now offer a full range of bookkeeping, accounting, business management, Quicken and Quickbooks setup/training, and small business consulting, in addition to tax planning and preparation, trusteeship services and retirement planning.”
Minimum fee for initial clients is $350

Legal

Lawyer: Ed Kunkel, Esq.

16 N. Marengo. #517
Pasadena, CA 91101
626. 405.1135..fax 626.405.0667
elkunkel@earthlink. net

Recommended by Bea Amiddown. He has set up her non profit and other things. She says he’s “very nice, good person + attorney”.

Trademarks: David Plumley, Esq.

Christie Parker and Hale LLP
350 W. Colorado Blvd. Suite 500
Pasadena,  CA 91105-1836
Telephone: (626) 795-9900
Facsimile: (626) 577-8800
E-mail: david.plumley@cph. com

Mr Plumley is an specialist in trademarks (Copyrights , Intellectual Property Strategy , International Intellectual Property , Patents , Trademarks and Unfair Competition) and will do a free of charge search to see if the name/brand you want to register is available.
The process of registering a trademark costs between $800 (in the state of California only) and $2000 (in all 50 states). It’s easy to get started but it takes 8 months to be completed if everything goes smoothly.
This is not a person I have yet worked with; he was referred by Ed Kunkel and I am considering working with him. We had a good phone conversation that was very good, he’s thorough, patient and does not overcomplicate things like so many lawyers I dealt with.

On Line Legal Services: www.LegalZoom.com and www.amerilawyer.com (Spiegel & Utrera), amongst many others.

To incorporate your company, create a will and even register a trademark, these firms may be a great option, provided that:
1) your case is simple,
2) you are well informed and,
3) you know exactly what you want. For example, it may make sense to hire an accountant to help you choose the best corporation type for you, and then go with one of these services to execute it. Do not rely on them if you need to be educated on how it works and what your options are.
Most services are done on line, through forms, and may include a simple phone consultation.

Example of some of their costs and services (most basic option, prices may have changed):

• Incorporation with Spiegel & Utrera for the state of CA: $150
• Trademark with Legal Zoom: $500
• Standard Living Will with Legal Zoom: $39

Marketing

Web Design

Web Flexor (template)

http://www.webflexor-yoga.com/
Company that offers an all inclusive package for Yoga teachers. Very affordable, but you choose from their existing templates and logo galleries, which means that your look and feel won’t be unique and that customization will be very limited.
But if you are looking for something simple, affordable and that you can do it on your own, this is my pick.
Costs $379 + 24.99/month (for hosting and all the other things).
Package Includes: Website, Logo, Business Card Design, Website Address (www.yourcompany.com), Up to 10 Email Addresses, Email Marketing Materials, Web Statistics, Spam & Virus Filtering, Search Engine Submission, Web Mail, Toll Free Support

Namaste Interactive

www.namasteinteractive.com
Phone: 1 888.353.1095
chris@namasteinteractive. com
Namaste Interactive is, in my opinion a high end solution that delivers superior services, and charges accordingly. If you are looking for a low cost investment, quick and approximate type of thing, they are not your choice. But if you are ready for the next step and has the cash to back it, I definitely recommend them. They work with successful teachers and emerging companies that cater to the wellness, sustainable and organic market.
They use the latest technology, have wonderful designers and a friendly and comprehensive end-to-end approach that helps clients figure out what they want and need.
Because they believe in customizing their offers to their clients, they don’t have standard prices for websites. But here’s an idea of their ranges:

• Low end: $4000. This is a simple website, with 10 pages, no media (video and/or audio) integration, no shopping cart, no password protected sections and client has the images/photos ready. Includes a Content Management Solution (CMS) that allows client to edit pages on his own. This means you no longer pay a webmaster for maintenance, unless you are changing the structure. If you are like most people this means saving of up to $4,500 per year (5 hours per month @ $75 per hour)
• High end: $10,000. This is an 80 pages site and it includes creation of visual identify (logo), integrat Rea’ed media, password protected sections and shopping cart. A good example of that is Shiva’s site.
• As far as timeframes, their “discovery process” takes 2-3 weeks and that’s when the site structure and look&feel is being defined. Once all decisions are made, texts are written, photos are available, it takes them 40 to 60 days to create the site (yes, they are busy!)
• Their phone technical support is probably more reliable than trying to find your webmaster.

They are nice enough to have a low pressure phone conversation with you that can help you understand if they are the right option for you.

The Spillwell

TheSpillwell.com
Andrea Spilling
andrea@thespillwell.com
Andrea participated in one of the LMU sessions. She offers web design and marketing materials, and being a yoga teacher herself, she gets your needs and requirements.
“I am a yogi who wants to empower fellow yogis through offering creative solutions for their marketing needs. My partner and I serve clients coast-to-coast building websites, designing logos & business cards. We can also assist with original photography. We love small print assignments, such as effective special event fliers or postcards, too. The Spillwell.com can accommodate all styles and tastes and are always brimming with new ideas. We are professional artists who love meeting your specific needs in a novel way.”

Domain Registration: www.godaddy.com
Website Hosting: www.aplus.net
Blogs: www.blogger.com
Social Networks:
Facebook: www.facebook.com   
MySpace: www.myspace.com
Zaadz/Gaia: www.gaia.com
Whole9: www.whole9.com
Yoga Mates: www.yogamates.com

Internet Printers

Today internet printers will print cards, brochures, flyers and postcards faster, cheaper and better than your neighborhood graphic shop. It’s sad but true.
The caveat is that there are no proofs and usually not a lot of assistance. You will have to upload files and prepare them for print. It’s not rocket science, but you need to be patient and read their instructions carefully.
www.overnightprints.com 
This printer has the best price and quality in my experience. Their business cards are really superior and you can print 100 for $9.95 + shipping and tax.
I use them for my brochures. 250 copies of high quality ones are $170 including shipping and taxes.
Other options are www.vistaprint.com and www.printforless.com

Proof-reading

Teri L. Breier
Phone: 310-839-3580
E-Mail: MagicWord@aol. com
Charges per hour $50 with a 24-hour turnaround; $40 for a 48-hours.

Christina Jimenez, <a href="mailto:cksoar@yahoo.com">cksoar@yahoo. com</a>
$5 per page for a 24-hour turnaround. Can bill monthly upon request.

Advertising

First thing an magazine gives you when you ask them about advertisement is a media kit, which is a short document that describes their mission, demographics (characteristics of the audience they target), as well as all the information you need to get started, including rates and specifications for artwork. The rates below are from 2007 media kit.
When considering advertising, be aware that they need the contract signed approximately 20 days before the issue is due, and artwork shortly after that.
These rates are if you commit to advertising 6 times within a year. They go down for increased frequency, up for decreased frequency.

Yogi Times

Kirsty King. Phone:310-733-4411, ext 202, or by email at kirsty@yogitimes. com.
Yogi Times rates: $908 for a 1/3 of a page, $455 for 1/6, $227 for 1/12
Classified: $2.8/word
Insertion on the Event Listing within their monthly newsletter: $250

La Yoga

Ph (310) 601-7914
E-Mail: advertising@layogamagazine. com
www.layogamagazine.com
LA Yoga rates: $690 for a 1/3 of a page, $350 for 1/6 (black and white), $250 for 1/8 (black and white)
Classified: $50 up to 25 words

Photography

Jasper Johal

http://www.jasperphoto.com/
Phone: 1800 811 8911. E-Mail: jasper@jasperphoto. com

Victoria Davis

www.victoriadavis.com
Phone: (310) 260-2936.
E-Mail: info@victoriaphotography. com

Jasper and Victoria are one of the top photographers dedicated to the yoga community and are both based in LA.

Martin Herrera – Portraits and Yoga photos

www.martinhsphoto.com
Phone: 310 562-9008
E-Mail: martin@martinhsphoto. com
Martin is the author of all photos in Yogi Incubator website. I highly recommend him as competent, sensitive and extremely dedicated photographer.
Full disclosure: Martin is Clara Hori’s s life partner.

Newsletter Engines

Constant Contact

www.constantcontact.com
Constant Contact is the leader provider with over 50,000 clients.
Their site is a great place to learn how to create and best use newsletters. They offer tele-classes and tutorials. Their prices start at $15/month (for up to 500 emails). They offer free 60 day trials and discounts if you pre-pay.

Mailer Mailer

Definitely not as elegant as Namaste Interactive, but more affordable. For $29.99/month you have all the features you’d expect. It can be free if you keep it simple and put up with advertising.
I do not use them, I’ve learned about them when signing up to Wah’s newsletter. I thought it worked out pretty well.
http://www.mailermailer.com/features/index.mlm

Namaste Interactive
www.namasteinteractive.com
Phone: 1 888.353.1095
Namaste Interactive went and customized Email Labs, the best newsletter engine that exists, and that only Fortune 500 companies can afford, and customized it to the needs of the Yoga world. These needs are 1) I don’t want to spend time with this, 2) I don’t want to have technical problems and if I do I need good support, 3) I want someone that can help me through the process, and not just a technology expert, 4) I need something that works with PC and Mac, and with all browsers.
Their offering includes a “free strategy meeting” that helps you figure out what you need and the most effective way you can use a newsletter, fully customized templates and forms, a process to subscribe and unsubscribe that includes confirmations, migration of your existing database to their system, phone training and technical support. And the type of capabilities most vendors offer: ability to track who opened the newsletter, when, what they clicked, who forwarded, etc.
Their custom design solution that creates templates and sign up forms consistent with your website costs $880, plus a monthly fee of $30. If you want to have your web designer coming up with your own template, then it’s $440 + the monthly fee.
I was excited to hear that Namaste Light is coming out in the next 60 days. This will be an on line solution, where you go and create your own template, without a lot of the customization, of course. Price is being defined, but it’s either going to be just the $30/month or that plus a small set up fee.

AWeber

www.aweber.com
* Unlimited Autoresponders
* Unlimited Follow Ups
* Unlimited Broadcasts
* Stores 10,000 Leads Free, each additional 10,000 is $9.95
* Unlimited Campaigns
* Unlimited Customer Support via 800#, Live Text Chat, and Email
1 month(s) recurring - $19.95, 12 month(s) recurring - $179.40 - Save $60.00!

Place to Rent for Workshops: Hill Center Street in Santa Monica, CA

www.hillstreetcenter.org
237 Hill Street, Santa Monica, CA
Nice space adjacent to the Church on Ocean Park. Great for privates as well as workshops. Beautiful light, air flow and onsite parking (except for Sunday, when you have to do street parking, which is restricted after 6pm).
$180 per month for a weekly 2 hours slot.

$ and Time Saving Recommendations for the Tech Savvy

These are new, alternative ways of doing things with technology – if you decide to try them, I’d love to know what you experience was like, so please drop me a line!

Skype

If you are tech-savvy you may be able to get rid of your land-line and get a Skype phone number (with a local area code like 310) for $67 per year. This includes unlimited incoming and outgoing calls to anywhere in the world (SkypeIn and SkypeOut). It has all the features you’d expect, like vmail and the ability to have calls forwarded to your cell phone. It works pretty well if you have a good internet connection. A plus is that if you travel with your computer, you can use your phone on the road as long as you are connected to the web.
http://www.skype.com/products/skypein/
Note that Skype has no customer service via phone, it’s all self-service or via email, so make sure this is the right option for you!

Vonage

Vonage offers phone service using your internet connection (IP phone) and that is considerably cheaper then regular phone service. Works well if you have a good internet connection and if you are reasonably tech-savvy (you manage your account on line and get your voice mail there as well). For $24.99/month you get a full feature phone.
http://www.vonage.com/ or 1800 980-1455

Converting documents to PDF: www.EasyPDF.com
It’s a good practice to send documents (proposals, program descriptions, etc) as PDFs instead of word documents. It helps maintain their integrity.
You can install this converter, it’s free and works like a printer. You “print” using this “printer” and it converts to a PDF document.

Online Backup 

http://mozy.com/
Up to know backing up was an heroic task. Now they are made really easy by these on line services. With mozy you can back up up to 2Gb of files on line and free. If you need more space the fee is modest. These services keep your files automatically updated.
Give priority to files that contain intellectual property you’ve created (workshops, classes, articles).
Stock Photography for free: www.istockphoto.com  
iStockphoto has a massive collection of royalty free files with an International community of photographers and designers. Good resource for newsletters and flyers.

Fun!

Clipping Generator

You can in the cover page of the newspaper of your choice. Don’t believe me? Check out
http://www.fodey.com/generators/newspaper/snippet.asp

Iconize Yourself

These artists convert any photo into an icon. They do it all on line/via email and they charge you $40.
http://www.iconizeme.com/

Others

Traditional PO box

The biggest advantage I find is privacy. Most of us do our business out of our homes and sharing that address in websites and cards is just not a good idea. Get them at your post office and make sure the location and hours are convenient for you.
Fees vary by location, from $14 to $37 for a small box (3” by 5.5”), for 6 months. You have to go to the post office to inquire. Go to the web for generic information: http://www.usps.com/receive/businesssolutions/poboxservice.htm

Resources for Yoga Teachers

Yoga Journal Liability Insurance: http://www.yogajournal.com/benefitsplus/
Yoga Journal Resources for Teachers (has a newsletter): http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/
Website with tips for growing privates (has a newsletter): www.growyouryogabusiness.com
Yogi Incubator Blog with articles, tips, podcasts: http://yogiincubator.blogspot.com/