Business
CRITICAL INFORMATION for Fitness Business Owners and Contractors/Self-Employed
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.
The COVID-19 Crisis: Transforming Our Lives and Our Industry
The fitness industry—like the rest of the global community—has been transformed in previously unimaginable ways since the COVID-19 crisis upended every bit of structure and normalcy we once knew.
How to Achieve Greatness
About 6 years ago, San Diego–based personal trainer Kevin Root opted not to attend the IDEA World Convention. As a newly certified professional, he felt the event could overwhelm him with information. It’s a choice he regrets.
“Looking back, I robbed myself of valuable hands-on experience and knowledge,” he admits.
Root, who splits his time between boutique studio Bird Rock Fit and a big-box gym, the La Jolla Sports Club, eventually decided that IDEA World was a necessary investment to progress his career. He attended for the first time in 2015.
March 2020 IDEA Member Spotlight
“There is no other experience like attending IDEA® World,” says Elizabeth Lenart. “I remember the first World I ever attended. It was like Christmas morning created just for fitness lovers! The presenters made us all feel special. They uplifted me at a time when I needed it most. That’s when I decided I needed to find a way to pay it forward.”
Hello, New Website and Member Perks!
A primary reason fitness professionals are drawn to IDEA is for our gold-standard educational content. IDEAfit.com is constantly abuzz with pros researching the latest evidence-based and most practical health, exercise, nutrition, behavior change and business information available in the trade. Members share their best practices and advice within IDEA Answers and strengthen their body of knowledge by accessing the dynamic news unfolding on the site daily.
Meet an IDEA Team Member: Linda Morreale
Whenever you complete the smooth process of taking an IDEA course for CECs, you’ll want to spare some credit for Linda Morreale. As IDEA’s educational products manager, Linda works with…
Unleash Your Greatness and Build a Career That Inspires
Jack Welch, American businessman and former CEO of General Electric, once said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” This is the reason the IDEA World Convention exists—to bring together some of the brightest people in the fitness industry so they can grow into greatness and inspire that growth in clients, students, athletes, co-workers and staff.
Comprising more than 330 sessions led by top coaches, entrepreneurs, and fitness, nutrition and wellness professionals, IDEA World offers the full spectrum of education you are seeking for instant and ongoing career growth, regardless of your position in the industry.
Want to Increase Efficiency With Automated Marketing?
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.
Should You Open a Second Location?
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.
What Are This Year’s Top Fitness Trends?
To be “well” means seeking a state of physical, mental, and social well-being. Wellness is a lifelong effort, and fitness is a part of the quest. There are multiple dimensions of wellness—including physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, environmental, social, and occupational. It turns out that when you work out, you’re not only boosting your physical wellness but other dimensions as well. As part of the Mindbody Wellness Index, we asked more than 20,000 Americans from 50 major U.S. cities about their fitness habits. We learned which cities are most dedicated to fitness, how often they’re getting their sweat on, and what forms of exercise they want to try next.
How to Breed Staff Loyalty
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.
How to Grow and Expand Your Business
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.
Health and Wellness Coaching Approved as Healthcare Service
Health and wellness coaching has hit an important professional milestone. The AMA has officially recognized the role of health and wellness coaches as nonphysician healthcare professionals by approving procedural codes for tracking health and well-being coaching services. This means that health and wellness coaches who are certified by either the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) or by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing Inc. are recognized as Category III healthcare professionals.
Meet a Team Member: Calvin La
If you ever wander the halls of the IDEA office, you may have the good fortune to be greeted warmly with a bright smile from Calvin La, our affable senior inspired service specialist. Always one to approach his work and interactions with kindness and integrity, Calvin has a knack for making you feel at ease.
What’s Your 2020 Vision?
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.
Increasing Employee Diversity and Inclusion
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.
Being Your Own Boss
There are several paths to becoming an entrepreneur in the fitness industry. While most discussion is centered around opening a studio and capitalizing on what your current clients believe to be your unique skills and talents, this represents only one path forward. You can choose to have a roof over your head, or you can go to your clients. You can stick with profiting from your intellectual property, or you can “borrow” an idea from someone else. Whatever you choose, owning your own business has never been easier. You just need to figure out which route makes the most sense for you!
The Secret to Social Media Success
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.
Three Ways to Keep Your Clients
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.
Level-Up Your Text Message Marketing Game
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.