You happen to be a Mega-Rockstar Trainer, Kick Ass Strength Coach, Super-Star Zumba Instructor, or an Indoor Cycling Goddess....Its time to go out on your own, right? All you need is Space, Turf, Kettle-Bells, Spin Bikes....and to be armed with your uber charming persona. With only these you shall enslave the community in which surrounds you, and make them conform to the ONLY way to do fitness, the right way...YOUR WAY???
Here are Frank Nash's Big 3 (yes I sometimes nerd out and refer to myself in the 3rd person) that I often see soon to be Training Club, Cycling studio, Gym owners fail to acknowledge, up until its too late. These areas I promise you will only hasten your quest towards fitness world domination.
1. Hire a Coach
Drop the ego pronto pal, you may be an expert Pilate's instructor, but an expert in business, you are most likely not. Being in the fitness industry, you most likely spend all day coaching others in an areas of their life (fitness/ nutrition) either they don't understand, aren't good at, hate, don't have time to figure out, etc.....and you hold them accountable.
Here's a crazy thought....Learn from your members and do what they've done, hire a damn proven expert that you trust and believe in (in your case, a business of fitness expert), and request they hold you accountable. No matter what it costs...its worth it.
2. Marketing
You are probably use to the club you currently or most recently worked for providing all your leads (though secretly you think its all your rockstar charm). Or Perhaps you belive the current client/member base you have, who you say, "they will never leave" (they will...shit happens) dry up or leave to go train with the new 19 year old swimsuit model, running boot camps for 1/3 the price as you, right down the street from you. It going to happen.
I don't care how great you think you are...you always need a steady stream of new warm bodies entering your euphoric fitness cocoon. This stream must be consistent one and this stream does cost money to keep consistent .. If you tell me that you don't need marketing because all your business is done all through referrals, I might slap you in the face with a hot, wet, steamy, diaper, then oh so politely tell you to wake the hell up.
I always recommend that you spend a minimum of 10% monthly gross towards Marketing, and don't change the budget, just change the strategies. Spend every sent. Here is another area I would seek advice.
3. Budget Time to Work "ON" improving Your Business, Rather than Always Working IN Your Business.
As much as you don't want to do this, its now time to take the trainer hat off and put the Club Owner hat on. Yep, We all have to grow up sometime (well kinda). This means less training members and more training staff and focusing on steering the direction of your club and brand. "But my members need me to train them" False. Your members need you to focus on creating systems to keep their club, the place that has changed their life... flourishing. "But If I don't train I will lose members" Yes, yes, You will lose a few. With your new focus now on driving leads, you'll replace those older members who had a bond with YOU, with many more new members who will have a bond with the club and its culture. This will be the hardest thing you'll probably have to do, but i promise you this is the most important thing you can do for you, your club, your staff, and more importantly....your members. (this was just the short answer, I could write a book on this topic)
Don't make this hard on yourself. Try this and let me know how ultra successful you become...and then pleass send me an edible arrangement. I like the ones with chocolate covered strawberries.
