Three business struggles most personal trainers face
September 29th, 2009 · No Comments
It’s a grey Tuesday morning and I’m sitting at my computer sipping my coffee and thinking about how to help my business coaching clients through some of their business struggles. I’ve discovered that there are some common issues facing most trainers when running their business and they are;
1) Finding clients
2) Making money
3) Managing the business
These issues are all interconnected. You need to find more clients in order to make money while still having time to run the business. Finding a balance can be tricky and it’s not easy. If there was an equation that represents this best it would probably look like this.
Business success = More clients X more money
Time to work on the business
Finding clients requires having a good idea of your target market and a solid marketing plan. You don’t have to spend copious amounts of money marketing and branding your business to be successful. Don’t make the costly mistake of dumping hundreds even thousands of dollars into advertising unless you can commit to it for a minimum of a year. Many trainers fall into this trap and think that a few ads in the paper is the magic bullet to attract clients. It isn’t. It’s only one strategy in a long list of strategies that are needed.
I suggest you read my article on the 12 pillars of marketing and request a FREE copy of my marketing calendar to kick start your plan. Then DO THE WORK necessary to make things happen and create business momentum. If you can get through these exercises then you will be well on your way to success. If you can’t, then you might want to consider hiring a business coach to help you through the steps.
It’s possible to attract clients, earn a good living as a trainer and still have time to work on your business, socialize, spend time with family and enjoy success. But these things don’t happen by waving a magic wand or wishful thinking. It takes time, energy, focus, determination, discipline and structure. Do you have what it takes? If not, then reach out and ask for help. Otherwise you may continue to struggle in your business and get caught in what could turn in to be a vicious cycle. Constantly needing more clients to make more money and not having the time to focus on it.
How walking your dog can improve your business
September 23rd, 2009 · No Comments
Owning a fitness business is no walk in the park but just maybe your dog can teach you something about how you can improve your business. If you’re a dog owner you’re probably curious about how taking your dog for a walk can improve your business. If you don’t own a dog you might want to consider taking a friends dog for a walk and see what I mean.
My dog Bailey and I walk almost every day and each walk is a little different. There are days when Bailey decides he needs to smell everything and stops and starts the whole way. Other times he power walks with me and is focused and determined to keep up. Sometimes Bailey enjoys doing agility training where on command he jumps logs, hops up onto stumps or walks along fallen trees. He does this with a sense of adventure and exploration. He’ll jump onto tree stumps that are really high and does it effortlessly. Other times he struggles but makes it after a few attempts.
It was on such a walk that I began to think about how walking Bailey was similar to running a small business. There are certainly times when you have a project or task to complete but you procrastinate. Starting and stopping without really ever achieving anything. This can be extremely frustrating and even paralyzing when you are trying to get something done. These are your stop and sniff walks.
In order to create business momentum you must achieve clarity and focus in your business. This is when you can effectively work on your goals and start to make things happen. You move at a quickened pace, put in a lot of effort, time and sweat and start to see results. This is the power walk.
There are times when ideas flow naturally and even quickly to you. You feel energized and invigorated which allows your creativity to surge. You come up with new ways to do business or see things from a different prospective which allows you to be innovative and cutting-edge in your business. This is your adventure and exploration walk.
In reality we need all these elements in our business. Some in larger quantities then others but it’s good to recognize that running a small business means being very flexible, diversified and adaptable to the ebbs and flows of business, especially when owning a fitness business as it sometimes can feel like feast or famine.
What I’ve learned from my walks with Bailey is that you just have to go with the flow and take on life challenges as they come. Sometimes we need to stop and sniff and other times we need to power through and be adventurous. But there is one thing that is certain, you must take the lead and guide the walk otherwise your business may not be as successful as you hope.
“I was receiving only 45% of my hourly billing rate…” (And then I met Donna!)
September 16th, 2009 · No Comments
I first contacted Donna Hutchinson in December 2008. I had completed all my fitness certifications through her company and always found her to be a great resource and source of inspiration.
I had just finished my first year working as a personal trainer in a large gym facility. I was utterly exhausted. My days started early and finished late, I was struggling to find the time and energy to look after my children, and my personal level of fitness had decreased substantially. I was receiving only 45% of my hourly billing rate and wasn’t making enough to sustain the lifestyle I desired for my children and myself.
I decided that I needed to make some big changes and Donna and I entered into a business consulting relationship in February 2009. I acquired a pre and postnatal fitness business, started a women specific sport-conditioning program and became an independent trainer, working solely for myself. Donna was instrumental in keeping me focused on effective marketing techniques, building a referral network and targeting a niche market.
I can’t describe how pleased I am with the progress I’ve made in under six months, and there is still huge potential for growth in my businesses. I now have established contracts with the North Vancouver Recreation Commission for both pre/postnatal programs and sport-conditioning. My independent women only sport-conditioning program has continued to grow with new participants each six-week session. By focusing on my niche market, I am now receiving referrals and training the clients I love to train! I’m working fewer hours and have doubled my income, and I’m not finished yet!
I would definitely recommend business coaching with Donna Hutchinson. Whether you wish to start a new business, or grow the one you have, Donna will be instrumental in keeping you focused and using your resources effectively. Having her as a coach and mentor has been extremely valuable to me personally and professionally.
Monika Marx
Build your business and they will come – NOT?
September 15th, 2009 · No Comments
Let’s see, website, check; business cards, check; homemade flyer advertising my services, check; ten people who said they would train with me when I became a trainer, uhm…. Sound familiar? Just because you start a business doesn’t mean you will automatically have a rush of people banging on your door. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way but there is some good news. With a little planning and a lot of hard work you can build your business so they will come. Want to know how?
Here are three steps to get your started.
Clearly define your target market
I’m confident that to be successful you must clearly define your target market. If you concentrate your efforts on serving a particular target market instead of being a generalist, it makes it much easier to do your marketing. People like to work with experts. Become an expert in an area and you will drive more traffic to your business.
Create a plan and then stick to it
I talk a lot about the importance of having a plan because it’s important to your success. If you have no goals then it’s like shooting darts without a target. You can aim all you want but what are you aiming for? Your plan helps shape your dreams and if you can dream it then it can become your reality. But first you must strategize on how you intend to get there.
Ask for assistance
Yes that’s right. Be brave and ask for help. If you don’t know how to do something then own up to it and get help. We could all use some help time to time. Building a business takes a lot of effort and time. It can be as rewarding as it is draining. When you have people willing to help you, it makes tasks seem much easier to accomplish.
As a fitness business coach I help emerging and veteran fitness professionals by teaching them how to create business momentum, drive more people to their businesses and really enjoy the process of being an entrepreneur. As a coach I’m here to help make the road to business success a little less bumpy so that when you build it, they will come. I’ve designed a special Kick Start Program to help you jump start your business and put you on the road to success. Now all you have to do is take the first step.
Give your fitness business an hour of power everyday
September 14th, 2009 · No Comments
As fitness professionals you understand the need to move your body on a daily basis, eat right and get plenty of sleep. You’re consistent at fitting your workouts in no matter how hectic life gets and even when things do get crazy, you still find time to exercise. Am I right? If you can find the time to exercise then you can also find the time to work on your business. If you give your business an hour of power every day you would be amazed at how much you can accomplish. By giving your business the attention it deserves you will create business momentum and really start to make things happen.
So how do you give your business this hour of power? Well first you must schedule it in. But scheduling it in is not enough because you might be tempted to book a client in your hour of power or exercise or just skip it all together. When you schedule your hour of power you must stick to it. Think of this hour as being sacred and unless there is an all out emergency you will never miss it.
You must vow to yourself to work on your business during this hour of power. To be as efficient as you can during this time create a plan on which tasks, goals or objectives you would like to accomplish and then set a time line to get things done. Think of creating a lesson plan for your hour and what you intend to do during. Here’s an example for two days.
Donna’s daily hour of power!
Monday
10:00-10:15 Create a flyer for upcoming business coaching package
10:15-10:45 Write an article for my blog
10:45-10:50 Post the article
10:50-10:55 Check website traffic to the website
10:55-11:00 Organize files for coaching calls
Tuesday
10:00-10:45 Write an article for Fitness Business Canada
10:45-10:50 Update budget spread
10:50-10:55 Review marketing calendar
10:55-11:00 Organize files for coaching calls
I would create the same lesson plan for the rest of the week but each day the tasks will be different. You may notice I didn’t check email or return phone calls during this time. If the phone rings during this hour I let it go to voice mail. There should be no distractions when working in your power hour.
Being this specific about the tasks you intend to do and setting a timeline to accomplish them helps prevent procrastination. Or for some people, spinning their wheels and not actually getting anything done.
There are those of you out there that will probably feel this type of scheduling is too constrained. I agree that this system won’t work for everyone but before you discount its power, try it for a week and see how much you can accomplish once you are focussed. If you have more time in your day then you can block off two hours or even three if you really want to see your business sky rocket.
So what are you waiting for, go block off your hour of power now and start today!
“No Other Women…Has Inspired Me More Than Donna!”
September 14th, 2009 · 1 Comment
No other woman in business has inspired me more than Donna Hutchinson. Her passion for knowledge is abundantly evident and thoroughly contagious. With all her work accomplishments and contributions to the fitness community, her ability to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle is all the more impressive.
Tracy Harrison – FemFit Athletic Conditioning for Women
On The Edge
Fitness Educators (OTE) offers a complete range of services to help you grow your business.
We offer:
