Small business loan and online classes help alleyCat Yoga to operate during COVID-19 | COVID-19

Editor’s Note: This is one in an occasional series of stories about local businesses that have received microenterprise loans from the city of Columbia in response to the pandemic.

AlleyCat Yoga owner Susan Mathis has had to change how she operates her business since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

AlleyCat Yoga is a studio with traditional yoga classes every week, workshops for students and teachers at the studio and mindfulness-related events, Mathis said. She also offers various types of specialized training for yoga instructors.  

Mathis has owned alleyCat Yoga since the summer of 2011, when she purchased and took over the business from founder Ken McRae, who is now a teacher emeritus for the yoga studio. 

Mathis also founded Yoga to Grow, a children and family-only program, in 2007. Yoga To Grow runs out of the same studio as alleyCat Yoga. 

Mathis applied for small business loan funding for alleyCat Yoga and Yoga to Grow through the city of Columbia’a Housing Programs Division microenterprise loan program in October.

Mathis said she applied when the loan program reopened to allow more businesses to receive funding.

The loan program accepted 35 applicants for small business loans of $5,000 each. Recipients were required to invest in their businesses to offset the challenges brought on by COVID-19, the Missourian has reported. 

Since the pandemic, alleyCat has moved to completely online yoga classes, with most instructors teaching from their homes. 

Mathis said the switch to teaching in a studio to teaching online in her home has been an experience, especially in the beginning. 

“It was this sense of ‘I’m inviting everyone into my home, and they’re inviting me into their home,'” she said. “But we’re still all together.” 

“There were a lot of new things to learn,” Mathis said. “I actually had never used Zoom before, ever.” 

Those wanting to take classes with alleyCat can sign up online at its website, alleycatyoga.com. 

“It’s a lot to do with adaptation and Zoom links, as well,” she said. 

Mathis said she applied for funding through the city to help support the adaptations to her business with offering virtual classes and still maintaining a physical studio. That included upgrading the studio’s internet services. 

Yoga to Grow is currently not offering classes because of children already being in school virtually, Mathis said. 

“It just seems like a little much for the kids,” she said. 

Mathis said she misses teaching classes for children and hopes she can resume again soon. 

The alleyCat owner said being a small business owner during a global pandemic is taxing.

“It’s requiring all of my skills, all of my tools,” she said. “I feel really grateful for the tools I do have. It’s intense and it requires a lot of flexibility of the mind.”

Mathis said many of her students have been thankful for the switch to online classes and some are disappointed they can’t attend in person.

She said Zoom classes have also allowed for students to join in from all over the world. 

“The relationships we have with our students and the relationships they have with each other are part of our community,” Mathis said. “And thats also an important part of being online. It’s why we’re teaching classes live and not recording them.” 

— to www.columbiamissourian.com

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