Sunday, September 16, 2007

Local yoga studio franchiser Sunstone Yoga on the grow

By Pegasus News wire

Sunstone Yoga

DALLAS — Dallas based yoga company Sunstone Yoga has announced the sale of 8 franchise studios in August, including the first franchise studio outside of Texas, bringing the total number of Sunstone Yoga studios to 19 since they began offering franchise pportunities last summer.

Sunstone Yoga will open a studio in Orlando, Florida later this year, as it begins its national expansion.

“I knew owning a yoga studio could be a great business for me,” says Wendy Gill, owner of the first Sunstone Yoga studio in Florida, “but nothing I found locally was inspiring. From my first conversation, I knew that Sunstone Yoga was something special, and

my decision was made almost sight unseen. Imagine my delight when I finally got to take a class, and everything I thought about Sunstone Yoga proved true.”

15 Sunstone Yoga studios will be opening in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, including new locations coming to Rockwall, McKinney, Richardson, Allen, Carrollton and Prosper. These new studios will join the 4 existing locations in Dallas, North Dallas and Plano, and the studios under construction in Southlake, Las Colinas, Flower Mound, Frisco and Lakewood.

“DFW is almost complete,” says Allison Strickler, the head of franchise sales. “It’s really satisfying to see the students and teachers from our existing studios recognizing the great opportunity our franchise models present. There are only a small number of DFW locations left; we think they’ll be sold within the next few weeks.”

“It’s such an exciting time,” Strickler says, “because all these people who love yoga and want to be in the wellness business are making those dreams come true with Sunstone Yoga."

Brandon Hartsell, owner and founder of Sunstone Yoga, says, “We’re focused on creating such a strong business model, with state of the art technology and a dedication to customer service and ethical business practices. Our studio owners can focus on wellness, knowing their business is going to run smoothly, and they’ve got the support of an experienced, passionate team behind them.”

New owner Charlotte Thompson agrees. “I have been looking for an opportunity to combine my career with my personal outlook on wellness and quality of life. A Sunstone Yoga franchise presented itself as the perfect opportunity to do both. I feel like I’m at the beginning of fulfilling that goal with the right company and the right people.”

A variety of different fitness yoga classes are offered at all Sunstone Yoga locations, each with its own focus and all geared toward the benefits of improved overall health, strength and flexibility, cardiovascular and mental fitness, increased vitality, reduced stressand improved mental clarity. As yoga continues to grow so dramatically, with nearly 20 million practitioners in the United States, more and more research findings suggest that a regular yoga practice may include such benefits as increased flexibility, muscular strength and endurance, weight loss and relief for chronic back pain.

For Ashley’s partner in the Rockwall studio, Peter Strickler, buying a Sunstone Yoga studio gives him the opportunity to share the big changes yoga has made in his life with others.

“I was a bit unnerved by my wife's challenge to try a yoga class. My competitive nature eventually conquered my male ego, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I immediately lost a lot of weight, evolved a more stabilized emotional state, and reduced the stress in my life considerably. As a small business owner, reducing stress is probably the most significant element, leading directly to a better emotional and mental state of mind. My partners and I are very excited about making our own great experience, everybody else’s.”

Start-up and conversion franchise opportunities, in large and small models, are available for enthusiastic people with a passion for running a great customer service based business, and Sunstone Yoga’s excellent support system includes hands-on franchisee training; an exceptional teacher training program with the most flexible delivery models available; information sharing through a world-class, centralized web portal; complete operations manual; excellent marketing assistance, and ongoing guidance and support.

More information is available at 214-764-2119, or by email at franchising@sunstoneyoga.com

Source: Sunstone Yoga

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