Have you ever known a fitness entrepreneur who
didn't want more time, more money, or both?
Are you just starting out or are you already well
on your way to achieving your goals? Either way,
this article can help you to get closer to that
goal.
It's all about efficiency: using your time and
resources more effectively. And that boils down
to planning.
Mention 'planning' and most trainers start to
doze off. Marketing, sales...we all at least
recognize those as necessary parts of business
success. Planning is something most of us avoid
because we can't immediately see the return on
our time. But planning is not a long drawn out
process exclusively for Fortune 500 companies. It
is not something that requires a big financial
outlay or a ton of time. Planning can be as
simple as sitting down and considering the future
of your business in a focused manner. It starts
by asking what are the basic questions that need
to be answered, and how can the best results be
achieved?
Why planning is essential
Most fitness pros make the mistake of thinking
they have no time for planning and that they will
"take care of that" later. But ironically,
planning is a lot like exercise. Even though it
might be kind of tough to get started, in a few
weeks you'll actually feel better and have more
energy.
The truth is that you cannot afford not to plan.
But the key is not merely planning, it is
effective planning. It's about determining what
you want the future to be, and then figuring out
what you have to do to get there.
What makes the elite fitness pros successful has
nothing to do with working harder. It's not mere
vision, or all dreamers would be successful.
Successful fitness pros have a plan that they
dedicate their resources to in order maximize
their efforts.
Ability to work smarter, not harder
With a plan you can work smarter instead of
harder. This gives you the opportunity to control
your future, and to become proactive instead of
reactive.
Here are three initial steps you need to take for
a more successful business.
Step One: Evaluate what you have versus what you
want. Before you can build the 'perfect'
business, you need to define what you want. What
do you want your business to look like?
Questions you need to ask include:
- What type of business have I always dreamed of
having?
- What type of business do I have now?
- How far apart are those two answers?
- Where am I and where do I want to be?
- Do I have the business I want, or is it what
someone else wants?
- Am I operating like I think I 'should', or the
way I want to?
These questions will help you to understand the
barriers you face and the opportunities you
have.
Step Two: Develop your desired outcomes. Why does
your business exist? What will it achieve? And
for whom does it exist?
Your original purpose for going into business
will usually stay the same. It's the why that got
you into the fitness business in the first place.
It's the how that changes as your business
evolves, not usually the why.
Make goals measurable
Review the answers you gave in Step One as you
set objectives. Once your objectives are set, you
can start to plan for their achievement. You will
need to measure your progress, so make goals
measurable, not general. Goals might be related
to sales or number of clients, your staffing, or
profit, or anything else that is measurable
Step Three: Look back in time. The past has much
to teach, and it is too easy to forget some of
the lessons without periodic reviews. If nothing
else, look at your financial records to see what
worked well and what did not.
These three steps will help you to define your
goals and objectives more clearly. Armed with
this, you will be part way along the path to
developing a strategy with which you will be able
to determine what direction you want your
business to take. You will be able to rule out
the low return activities, determine what
opportunities are available, which opportunities
fit your timeline, and which ones make sense in
terms of financial needs and resources.
Your plan should focus on marketing, sales, staff
development, and the financial aspects of your
business. These are the primary areas for
implementation and advancement.
Dedicated to Growing Your Business,
Pat Rigsby
P.S. - Do you need a blueprint for developing,
managing and growing a tremendously profitable
personal training business? If so, go to
www.ptbusinessactionplan.com
Fitness Consulting Group
PO Box 1539
Elizabethtown, KY
42702-1539
US
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