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Business of Group Fitness

Administrative Regulations

As a new business owner, you will need to comply with a number of administrative regulations and federal, state and local laws; for example, you will have to obtain various…

Fine-Tuning Your Business

I have been blessed with 20 years of business, a great client base and a plethora of growing and learning experiences. Although I never feel that I have done all…

Beating Burnout

According to the 2008 IDEA Personal
Training Programs & Equipment Survey, personal training continues to rank
highest among health and fitness programs offered (Schroeder, forthcoming). In
addition, the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (2007)
forecasts a promising future for trainers, estimating a 27% increase in
employment of fitness workers …

Determining Your Legal Structure, Part 2

The April issue of this column examined the myriad issues that you should consider before deciding on a legal structure for your new or existing business. If you have chosen to incorporate your company, there are several ways to go about it. Each of these options comes with its own price tag and its own advantages and disadvantages.

Hire an Attorney
…

Determining Your Corporate Structure, Part 1

One of the most important decisions you will make as a business owner is how to legally structure your company. Your own assessment of the risks and costs involved, together with guidance from your professional advisers, should determine your corporate structure.
Many personal trainers open their studios as sole proprietorships and then find that as their businesses grow, that st…

Is Your Face on Facebook?

To be successful in business, who
you know is often more advantageous than what you know. For fitness
professionals, a strong personal and professional network is helpful in
building clientele. In an industry where sp…

Building a Full Schedule

Obtaining a full client load is a crucial aspect of a personal trainer’s job, but getting those clients can often seem the most laborious and difficult task of all. Whether working the floor at a large, full-service gym or striking out as an independent contractor, each trainer must find a way to attract new clients or all the hard work and dedication put into earning his title will be for naug…

AEDs Required in California Fitness Facilities

It’s been 3 months since all
fitness facilities and studios in California were required to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) program in place (the implementation date was July 1). If this requirement applies to you, are you up to code? If you don’t live in California, visit www.ncsl.org/programs/health/
aed.htm to see if your state
requires …

Publicity With Panache!

When I think of publicity, a favorite quote comes to mind by Vivien Kellems (1896–
1975), a noted U.S. industrialist and lecturer: “Of course I’m a pub…

Listen Up for Sales Success

No matter what you are selling, people buy for their reasons, not yours. Sometimes they even buy in spite of you! Once you accept this premise as the truth, you will realize that the key to selling is to find out what is important to the prospect.

Meeting the Chain Challenge

When health club chains
announce they are coming to town, what happens to the business of local, independently owned facilities? How can any small business compete when its resources and staff are dwarfed by those of larger outfits? Is there any way to prepare or to level the playing field when dealing with such formidable competition?

Be Prepared
/…

Podcasting: The New Stealth Marketing Tool

If you have been thinking of adding a podcast to your website for promotional purposes but have been put off by the learning curve involved, fear not. These days, posting Web audio in the form of an easily downloadable podcast is as effortless as making a phone call.
A comp…

Where There’s a WILL … There’s a Way!

You hope to die after a long life, all your affairs in order. Unfortunately that’s not always what happens—and the result can be a mess for heirs. Ensure that your estate and loved ones are protected with a valid will. Discover why you need to have a will, how to craft one that serves you well and common mistakes to avoid.

Why a Will Is a Mu…

The Biomechanics Sales Approach

Recent statistics show that 41.3 million Americans belong to health clubs (IHRSA 2005). If you are a personal fitness trainer (PFT) who works at a fitness facility, you don’t need to go outside the facility’s doors to sell your services. A large potential market is already in the gym, so you just have to figure out how to approach the people right in front of you. The key is t…