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A look at two major skills fitness professionals need to work in corporate wellness and the benefits of working in this arena.
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IDEA is excited to introduce a new program that provides customized and flexible healthcare coverage options for fitness professionals.
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Now, more than ever, your clients will expect the most thorough cleaning strategies to help them feel at ease when they finally start to return to your studio or gym.
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Many fitness facilities are leading the way as they reopen. Here’s how they’re managing the capacity challenge post COVID-19.
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In case you have not followed news of the Payment Protection Program and the federal loan dollars available to fitness business owners, contractors and self-employed professionals, the following information is essential to understand and act upon immediately.
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Automation is the key to efficiency and consistency—especially when it comes to marketing. Yes, you are better off sending some emails and texts as one-off campaigns (think monthly newsletters, event announcements, and schedule updates), but you can—and should—automate most of your day-to-day marketing communications. The good news is Mindbody Marketing Suite helps you do both; easily build customized campaigns and send targeted automations to prospective and existing clients.
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If you’re a gym owner, the thought of opening a second facility may eventually float through your mind. After all, only so many clients can fit in a single space before it starts bursting at the seams. While it might be enticing to open another shop elsewhere, there’s no guarantee the new venture will be a success. Launching and growing a first gym is risky enough—in the United States, 50% of new businesses are likely to fail within the first 5 years, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics (SBA 2012). Success and survival rates for second locations are less clear, but many experts suggest that the risk of failure is even higher. However, if you do your research, understand the risks and make smart decisions, a second studio might be a viable option. Consider these important points before breaking new ground.
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Has your business experienced faster staff turnover than you’d like? Are you about to hire new staff? Do you want your fitness pros to remain loyal to your facility? You can beat the high-turnover odds in the fitness industry. The key is to find qualified pros who fit your business and then set them up for success, giving them specific training for their positions and clearly communicating your expectations. Consider the hiring and onboarding system I’ve developed over the past 8 years of running my own business.
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Starting your first fitness business takes commitment, determination and the will to succeed. Scaling that business takes all of that AND the willingness to tackle challenges that don’t apply to a single location. Smart planning now makes the eventual transition (it will happen!) smoother. The following are four steps that fitness businesses take to successfully grow their operations.
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Do you have a 2020 vision?
Do you have a clear view of what you’re going to do in the new year to grow your business even more?
As 2019 closes, it’s important to take stock. What can you improve to ensure a higher-quality customer experience and more revenue in 2020?
Let’s take a look at four areas that impact your business going ahead so you set yourself up to succeed.
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As the health and fitness industry continues to evolve and grow, staff diversity and inclusion efforts are becoming increasingly important. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission mandates that job applicants and employees cannot be discriminated against “because of their race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information” (EEOC n.d.). However, making a conscious effort to diversify goes above and beyond following the law.
Discover what diversity means and what you should consider as you put together a diverse staff.
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Love it or not, if you want your business to thrive, you need a social media presence. According to a report from We Are Social, a global marketing agency, 3 billion people around the world use social media each month (Kemp 2018). Instagram reports that 60% of its users say they’ve discovered new products on the and that social media helps make better connections between businesses and consumers (business.instagram.com). However, grabbing the attention you deserve is a challenge when you’re competing with thousands of other fitness pros and “fitfluencers”—especially if you’re not willing to show off your, ahem, assets.
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You know the work it takes to get a new customer in the door. You’re spending money on marketing, time making sure your website listings are right, and energy on promotions and intro offers to get the word out. It’s not easy. But remember—it costs less to keep an existing client than it does to acquire a new one. Getting them to return again and again will help you keep your lights on and your business bustling! With that in mind, let’s look at three actions you can take to retain your clients.
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Text messages are a vital part of any good marketing strategy. Studies show us that 98% of marketing-related texts are opened—83% of those are opened within 5 minutes of being received. Those open rates far outpace even the cleverest email subject line, so texting should definitely be in your marketing toolkit. Text message marketing is a great way to retain customers by letting them know about promotions, discounts, and special events in the way they clearly like being reached. With that in mind, let’s look at some things to keep in mind when you’re crafting a text to send to clients.
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Nobody knows your business like you do.
From scheduling your employees to greeting your regulars by name, you know the people, processes, and products that make it go.
But it’s helpful to see your business from your clients’ eyes, as well. Completing a customer experience audit can help you understand that. It can also help you to find out what you’re doing well, and what you can upgrade to make your business an easier, friendlier place to spend money at.
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If your fitness business is struggling right now, then this is for you. I am going to share with you my three tips to create rapid change in your business and get out of the red. First things first, let’s agree on the three ways to make money in your business. The first is to cut an expense. The second is sign up a new member. And the third is to sell a current member something new.
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The warmup. Is it simply a time for small talk while people trickle in, or is it an opportunity to ignite attendees’ best efforts? This may be the class section that fitness instructors plan the least, yet devoting some time to designing the warmup is really worthwhile. Why? Because starting on a strong note significantly affects the outcome of the entire workout. We want our participants to get the most from our classes, so let’s set them up for success.
Read MoreWhile life may not always be a highlight reel, thousands of the best personal trainers, group exercise instructors, fitness entrepreneurs and nutrition/wellness professionals added significant footage to their lives at this year’s IDEA World Convention, where everyday actions became epic adventures in education. At the 2018 event, held in San Diego, June 27–July 1, more than 14,000 like-minded pros converged to learn from more than 350 workshops and workouts taught by the industry’s keenest minds.
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One day, while stretching my client Jim, I was taken aback when I realized he wasn’t wearing underwear. His shorts were swim trunks with interior netting. I quickly looked away and continued to stretch him. This happened with Jim on several other occasions, but I never mentioned it because I wasn’t sure how to broach the matter. I also didn’t feel as if he was doing this intentionally, nor did I believe he meant harm.
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Money is often a dirty word among fitness professionals. Most get into the business to help others, but you can’t pay bills with good intentions, says Frank Pucher, owner of Fitness 121 Personal Training in Roseland, New Jersey, and author of Smart Money Moves: A Practical Approach for Earning, Growing & Protecting Your Money. He adds that the financial side of fitness should receive as much detailed attention as the programs you design.
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IDEA Fitness Journal
Current Issue:
December 2019
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