INNOVATION
SMALL business SARAH RASBY, CO-OWNER, SUB GURU (PHOTO COURTESY OF SUB GURU)
Revolutionizing Fitness Studios SUB GURU HELPS STRUGGLING STUDIOS WITH APP As Sarah Rasby juggled being co-owner of a yoga studio, yoga instructor, and the mother of two children, the little “hacks” that helped her save time amid competing demands would eventually blossom into Sub Guru, an app-based business that is changing the way studios manage their operations. “One of the major issues that always needed my instant attention was the instructor’s sub situation process,” Sarah Rasby recalled. “Yoga instructors needed subs often because so many of them teach part time. One evening, I had the idea to streamline the instructor substitution process through an app.” Sarah Rasby said she surveyed boutique fitness studio owners and instructors. From these personal conversations, she discovered the sub process was a “real problem for studios.” “So, I put a business plan together, partnered with a local developer, and found a seed funding grant,” she said. “I also orchestrated a group of colleagues and friends who had their own startup companies and leaned on them for advice.” Today, as CEO, Rasby runs the business with fellow co-founder, COO and sister-in-law, Andra Rasby, who also happens to be a former Division 1 athlete and certified yoga instructor.
“Sub Guru is innovative,” Andra Rasby said. “Nowadays there is an app for everything you do in life — from ordering groceries, to logging miles — you can find what you need right on your phone. Sarah and I could not find an easy solution to streamline finding coverage within the fitness industry. “Platforms we found were for big companies that cost a lot monthly and were not specific to the boutique studio owner.” The platform they created is designed to save both time and stress, as well as money. “Studio management and instructors can easily open the app on their phones, find the class they need covered and submit the request,” she added. “Sub Guru then notifies the internal qualified instructors and management approves.” In fact, Andra Rasby noted that some clients are saving 10 to 15 hours each week while using Sub Guru. Furthermore, she characterized Sub Guru’s platform as much more advanced than earlier tools used by the industry. “Many studios use text messaging, emails, phone calls and Google forms, which aren’t always organized, nor do they reduce human error,” Andra Rasby explained.
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