You have a page on Facebook, you even opened up a Twitter and YouTube account and reserved a Blog. What is missing? How about a return on your investment?

Enter LinkedIn.

There is a direct relationship between how active you are on LinkedIn and how effective your business development will be for your yoga studio. I always say, “Each time you connect to someone on LinkedIn you are giving them the most dynamic business card ever–your living resume!” Think of connecting on LinkedIn, like an assist in yoga class–it is a connection that allows you to open up to your fullest expression!

By connecting on LinkedIn you get an overview of someone’s talents and can see them as a resource. If your heart and mind are open, you will see connections for them and introduce them to people in your network. Each time you create opportunity for one of your yogi connections, you participate in the financial and spiritual growth of our community. When we connect yoga spreads.

1. Clean up your profile. Make sure it reflects your life and truly is the business card you want to hand out.
2. Follow my 2 minute drill every day. Make sure you are adding at least one new connection per day. Want more business? Add more connections!
3. Teach your staff, co-workers and friends how to use LinkedIn effectively. Make the power of large numbers and exponential growth work for you. Every node you turn on in your network ignites your potential.
4. Identify companies whose employees will benefit from yoga. Connect with the HR person and/or the highest level person you know at the company (yes, on LinkedIn and in person). Create a package that appeals to the company and build a relationship with that company and the employees. Be a resource to them!
5. Connect to every yoga student and teacher. Ever. If someone comes to your yoga studio, connect to them. This is how we make this huge world of yoga smaller, getting to know each other better and recognize the talents we bring to the studio on and off the mat.

On a national level, yoga teacher and Elephant Journal contributor Dave Romanelli is connecting on LinkedIn. You can also connect to yoga teacher and musician, Wade Imre Morissette.

I am setting a goal for you. Grow your presence on LinkedIn intentionally week in and week out. Make sure you have over 500 connections by the end of 2012. Participate in your network and set meetings with your connections (one per week). Mine the gold in your network on LinkedIn and don’t forget to connect to me!

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Editor: Brianna Bemel