Sydney Morning Herald 13 May 1998 - Money Section Page Three on starting new
businesses
The Yoga Place
Balmain
Alan McCrindle
Alan is passionate about Yoga. Formerly a business strategy consultant
with the Boston Consulting group, Alan had thrown himself equally passionately
into solving corporate problems. By the age of 30 he was running a substantial
company and had pushed the envelope in the corporate business sector.
"Then I thought, 'What do I do next ? Do I go and run a bigger company'"
he says.
That wasn't what he wanted. "I had climbed the success ladder, but it was
in the wrong spot. I thought "Do I really want to climb another ladder
that's next door, but in the wrong spot' So I tried other stuff."
A sports injury took him down a path which was to radically change his life.
He discovered the healing properties of Ayurvedic medicine, the Indian equivalent
to Chinese medicine. It is a discipline aligned with the ancient practice of
Yoga.
Once you have structural organs out of place there are few options other than
surgery to correct the problem. Yoga, however, is one of those practices which
can deal with the internal body, shifing organs back into place and fixing the
problems at that level.
Alan taught yoga at venues around Sydney but in March 1997, after a long search,
found the right premises for starting his business.
He had been concerned that a Westernised form of yoga was becoming commercialised,
moving into the gymnasiums as another form of sport. At best, practitioners
included some of the meditative aspects of the discipline , but too often this
was being latched onto as a quick fix by overworked, stressed yuppies who wanted
to escape the fast lane for an hour a week.
Alan's business discovered its unique selling point. Centuries ago, yoga was
never taught to groups of people. He has taken the discipline back to its roots,
working one-on-one with clients to design a specific regime for repair.
He says he operates more as a life and health coach and while he does conduct
classes they are designed to treat different ailments - there is the class which
concentrates on the lower back, one for digestion, one for neck and shoulders
and one for stress and sleeping disorders.
The initial financial investement for a business like Alan's is not huge While
his rental costs are large, the entry costs are low and there are no significant
barriers to entry - except the skill time, dedication and commitment required.
Alan's day begins at 5.30am and ends at 8.45pm. He likes being with people and
helping his clients improve their lives. His screen saver says: Life is an
opportunity for a continuous experiment.
"I didn't go into this business to make mega bucks" he says. "This
business is an extension of my life, a reflection of who I am. It will continue
to evolve as I evolve."