Down and Dirty Creating a Marketing Plan that Works

Wouldn’t it be great if you could follow the Field of Dreams approach to business? What do I mean by that? I mean simply open the doors of your business, then sit back and wait for the people to come. Unfortunately, it’s not a very realistic approach to doing business for most entrepreneurs. What is realistic is putting together a detailed plan for promoting your business, and that approach takes the form of a marketing plan.

Many people cringe at the idea of creating a marketing plan because they have never done one before. Luckily, marketing is not rocket science. True, it is a skill, but it can be mastered over time. That’s good news for anyone who worries about putting together the right marketing plan for their business. Follow these easy steps and you can get started on creating a successful marketing plan in no time at all.

Research Your Market

This is an extremely important part of your marketing plan. Chances are you have already completed a lot of market research beforehand from when you created your initial business plan. Therefore, it should not take much to identify your market segments and what will make your products and/or services stand out from the competition.

Pulling It All Together

The research on your market is just one important piece you need. Other information that will prove helpful in writing your marketing plan includes:

• Latest financial reports (operating budget, profit and loss statements, etc.) for the current and past three years, if available.

• A list of all products and/or services you offer, along with the target market for each.

• Your understanding of the marketplace, i.e. competitors, types of customers you sell to, latest and most relevant demographic data and any information on trends in your markets.

• Input from sales staff as to what the most important points, in their opinion, that should be included in the plan.


Plan Draft – Define

• Market Situation - The market situation will contain your best description of the current state of the marketplace. There is no room for guessing here. You need to know how big your potential market is, who you are going to sell to, and just what your potential customer is (demographics, income level, etc.). A lot of this information is probably in your head, but you’ve never committed it to paper. Now is your chance.

• Threats & Opportunities – This is a continuation of the market situation, as it focuses on the good and bad aspects of the current market. List out what threats and opportunities you see facing your business in the next year. Ask yourself, what trends in the market are working for and against you? Are there competitive trends working in your favor or against you? Do the market demographics favor you or are they against you?

• Marketing Objectives – Here you begin to “paint a picture” of what you see for the future of your business. You want to define what marketing objectives you want to achieve over the coming year (marketing plans are generally one year in length). Each objective should include a narrative description of how you intend to accomplish it, along with concrete numbers. Remember to make your objectives simple, concrete, countable, ambitious, but definitely achievable.

• Implementation – Each objective defined above should have several goals and tactics for achieving each, i.e. the “what” and the “why” of the marketing tasks ahead. In this section, focus on the practical side of each objective: the who, where, when and how it’s going to happen. Create an activity matrix (timeline) so you can plot out when each action needs to be taken.

• Budget – Each planned activity needs to be assigned a dollar amount in a budget. If you are new to calculating a cost of something, give your best estimate and add 25% to be safe. Be sure to consider both internal costs, such as staffing, and external out of pocket expenses when creating your marketing budget.


Finally, regular review of your marketing plan is important. At a minimum, you should be reviewing quarterly, and more ideally, you should be reviewing monthly. Your marketing plan is a work-in-progress so expect it to be adjusted often depending on the results you achieve. To be truly successful, a marketing plan takes time to create and implement, but the effort and time will definitely be worth it.

Taking Advantage of Holiday Marketing

The holidays for many fitness professionals often presents a missed marketing opportunity. With attention focused on the New Year and the bump in revenues that come with health-related New Year resolutions, December generally becomes a “dead month” in terms of marketing. Unfortunately, failure to take advantage of the holiday season can do a disservice to growing your business, as you have many opportunities to connect with existing clients and potentially generate new business.




There are several ways to take advantage of the holidays to promote your services and products. The best place to start is by asking, “What would people need from me during the holidays?” The great news is there are several services you can provided to people ranging from tips to eating healthy during the holidays to gift certificates for stocking stuffers. With just a little thought, you can probably come up with a host of creative ways to connect with your customers. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:



• Gift Certificates. As mentioned, gift certificates make a great gift for anyone. It is also a wonderful way for you to come up with a creative way to bundle a few of your services, if you offer more than just one. For example, you might consider combining a workout plan with some type of nutritional support program. Additionally, you could approach another business in the community to see if they are receptive to collaborating on some type of package deal.

• Holiday Cards. Opinions are often mixed in regards to sending out holiday cards, but they remain a good way to keep in touch with existing clients, or maybe clients you’ve lost touch with over the last year or two. Holiday cards can keep your name in their minds and can also provide you with a great excuse to insert some type of small gift or coupon. Be sure to take the time to sign them personally, and if possible, include a brief personal message. This lets people know you truly remember them. If you are on a tight budget, consider sending out a holiday letter that simply updates them to what’s been happening and any new promotions or upcoming events you are working on in the year to come.

• Promotions. Get in on the holiday action. Come up with your own unique holiday promotion playing off the holidays. How about putting together a campaign using the 12 Days of Christmas for inspiration? You could do 12 days featuring a different product or service each day. Perhaps one day you offer a free consultation, and on another day 25% off a new friend referral.

• Holiday Giveaway. The holidays are a great time to offer clients and prospects a glimpse into the added value you can provide. What do I mean? Navigating the holidays are always challenging for people. All that stress and extra fattening foods takes its tolls. Therefore, wouldn’t it be great if you could show them how much you care by providing them with a holiday survival guide filled with nutritious healthy recipes or tips and suggestions for getting through the holidays without gaining any extra weight? You could also create a tip sheet of fast and easy exercises people could do anywhere. This would come in handy for people who can’t make it into the gym, or maybe who are traveling frequently.

• Holiday Party or Open House. This is a great time to not only connect with your clients, but to meet potential new clients. You don’t have to do anything elaborate or expensive. In fact, take this opportunity to display your facility, staff, and knowledge. Throwing in a small selection of low-fat foods and drink recipes to sample, and you have a festive event!

• Connect. January and February are generally busy months for the fitness industry. That’s why November and December are great months for tending to all the “other marketing” activities that often fall through the cracks, but that are just as important. For example, review and update your marketing materials and website, attend a few community-networking events, and even reconnect with colleagues.

Standing Out in the Crowd

Standing out in a crowd may not be the goal of most individuals, but in the realm of business, it is the goal. The ability to make your business stand out amongst a sea of competitors can often prove frustrating. However, if you truly want your business to survive and thrive you need to be able to articulate what makes your business unique to potential customers. How do you do that?

There is a variety of ways to differentiate your business. Here are just a few suggestions to explore:

Start by looking at your products and services. Do you offer a unique product or service that your competitors do not? Differentiating yourself in the fitness industry can sometimes prove challenging, given the multitude of approaches and products out there, but it is definitely not impossible. Also, think in terms of the experience you bring, or any areas you may specialize in that others may not.
Carve Out a Niche. We can’t be all things to all people, and trying to, can often sink a business. If you are especially successful in working with one or two particular client segments, and have generated great results, then think about specializing in those areas with that client demographic. Often, you can create your own niche by looking for holes in the products and/or service offerings of your competition. Have they failed to address a specific problem? If they have, find the solution and then use your competition to point out the differences.

Make an offer they can’t refuse. Another great way to differentiate yourself is to put out an offer that may garner you a little notoriety. For example, offer a money-back guarantee or the first month of membership free. While making an offer customers can’t refuse is a great way to differentiate yourself, be sure that you deliver what you promise. If not, this unique approach will prove useless and could irreparably harm your good reputation.
Offer outstanding customer service. The fitness industry is a very customer-service oriented industry, but unfortunately, many businesses often overlook this important selling feature. Outstanding customer services – the kind where you go above and beyond for your clients – will generally provide the best word of mouth advertising you will ever encounter. If you can give your customers more than you promise, more than they expect, then you definitely have a unique way of standing out from your competitors.

Once you have pinpointed what makes you stand out from the crowd, you will need to communicate that difference to your customers. Be sure to that all of your advertising and promotion efforts clearly communicate this to your intended audience, and more importantly, be sure that you remain consistent and committed to that message. Keep in mind that you are building a brand, and it will take time. If you wonder off point or head in another direction, thinking the approach isn’t working, when all it needed was time, you may potentially harm your business.

Curse or Blessing?

It is funny how the slow season for most fitness businesses begins around Halloween. It does seem sort of fitting. This is the beginning of the holiday season where most turn their attentions to how they are going to handle the stresses of the upcoming holidays. Although we as fitness professionals know that exercise is the #1 choice to deal with stress, many find trying to find to exercise as an added stressor. Often times cutting back on their fitness routine is at the top of the list of things to cut whether it is because they won’t make the time or they want to divert funding to the holidays.
Honestly, I think we all have been there and for some still may be there now. But as business owners do you look at this as a curse or a blessing? In the earlier stages of my career the holidays were not something I looked forward too. For me it meant a financial strain. It left me scrambling to find ways to survive on less funding because of clients cutting back and/or leaving for the holidays. I found the more I focused on the fact that clients were cutting back the worse it got. One year I think I ended up on training 10 session in the month of December… it felt like someone pulled the plug out. You know I really felt cursed. I made a commitment then it there that I needed to make a change. I certainly did not want that to happen again, EVER!

The next year as I came into the slow season I was determined to try something different. I recruited heavily in the months of August, September and October so that I could maintain my income. Then I realized I was still going to have some extra time on my hands so I focused on furthering my education and knowledge. I used this time to study/take additional certifications, increase my business knowledge and refocus my energies. I also, took time to enjoy the holidays. It has never been in my nature to work 15+ hour days, but I most certainly work every day of year. So taking time off to enjoy the holidays was a huge step.
Here was the interesting thing. From that year forward the so called slow season was never slow again.
Today I learned that I client I have trained for the past two years dug themselves quite a financial hole and needs to stop for a few months. I will tell you on a personal level this amounts to a $400+ loss per month. But because I have done my recruiting and focused on additional revenue streams this is not a situation that I am stressing. We have two Twist Conditioning workshops coming in November. The licensing program is closing 2-3 new owners over the next few months and we have a host of new projects we are working.

Now don’t get me wrong, I never like to lose a client before they have hit all of their fitness and health related goals, but there comes a time where we have to fly solo and not be dependant on any one thing.

8th Annual Fitness Business Conference

We have all returned safely from our 8th Annual Fitness Conference held in Las Vegas, NV at the Flamingo Hotel. This year's event was our best yet (yes, we say that after every year, because that's because every year it gets bigger and better). Our guest presenter were top notch:

• Peter Twist http://www.twistconditioning.com/
• Scott Colby http://www.theabsexpert.com/
• Kathleen Maier http://www.onlywomentfitness.com/
• Cheryl Westerman http://www.sculptmovesfitness.com/
• Parker Johnson http://www.motionfitness.com/
• And special guest Tracy Yukich, from season 8 of the Biggest Loser

We also had some awesome workshops:

• KFit- Kettlebell Training http://www.rangeoffitness.com/
• Twist Conditioning http://www.twistconditioning.com/
• Bender Academy of Training  http://www.bendertraining.com/

The conference was a great success.  The intended goals was to bring like minded individuals together with the goal of helping everyone reach the next step in their fitness business.  There were hundreds of ideas shared on how to create addition revenue streams to help grow every business.

With this arsenal of new and in some cases repackage information the light bulbs where going off.  When I had the chance to get up in front of the room I could see the light bulb above eveyones head.  I was truely excited.

I had the privilage of giving the last presentation of the conference. My topic "Success VS Failure Mode" although not lacking in confidence I am a humble man and I am often not one to brag, but in this case I received a great response.   What I expressed during this presentation was this, it is simply not good enough to come and learn: to be successful you must take action, you must take what you learn and apply it!

If you would like to view the power point slides click here

Why You Should Watch for Business Events to Attend in Your Industry

Are you typically the first to know or the last to find out what is going on around you? When it comes to running your business, you had better be the first to find out everything. Keeping an eagle-eye out for business events to attend in your industry gives you the chance to network, hear the latest news, see the latest technologies, improve your business knowledge, and write off a fun trip, too!


Watch for business events to attend in your industry that offer opportunities for; improving your business knowledge. Current standards and practices can change in the blink of an eye, especially in businesses like fitness and health where new research is constantly being unveiled. Attending big conferences allows you to soak up a load of useful information in a relatively short period of time.

Plus, while you are there, you will form new friendships and partnerships with others in your industry. Be on the alert for business events to attend that meet your networking needs. Never knock networking. The alliances and friendships you form at weekend retreats can last a lifetime, and one day you might need a favor.

If “last-to-know-Larry” is your nick-name, then you definitely need to be on the alert for business events to attend. Reading articles and getting newsletters in the mail about new equipment or ideas is like trying to peer through a dirty window compared to going to a large conference where you can see it all clearly for yourself.

You want to attend a bigger event versus a smaller, more local one, because you won’t find as much local competition there. You’ll be more outside your comfort zone, but that’s a good thing because you’ll see fresh faces with fresh ideas.

You will get to rub shoulders with big names in your business, attending their lectures or even talking personally with major movers and shakers. You will get to touch and feel new products and technologies, some of which may not even be on the market yet. Most importantly, you will be able to absorb new ideas that will refresh your perspective, and you can’t put a price on any of that.

What’s more, it might not really cost you anything. What you’re looking for is big business events to attend that you can write off as an expense. Keep it legal, of course, but talk to your accountant and find out how you can turn a learning experience into a relaxing time away.

If you find a business event to attend that turns out awesome and more than meets your expectations, then when it’s over you will walk away from it feeling uplifted and enlightened. Your successful networking will enable you to claim new contacts, and you’ll feel safe in your updated knowledge of your field of expertise. You will feel energized from a tax-free time away and all the good food, good friends, and good fun. You’ll also have information to share with your business team, and you’ll be anxious to bring it all home and make your business better.

The Importance of Improving Your Business Knowledge

The business of corporate fitness is becoming more and more competitive, which means that improving your business knowledge is crucial to maintaining your bottom line. Whether you are running a franchise in a chain of clubs or an independent gym in a small town, improving your business knowledge will always keep you one step ahead of the competition.

“Business just ain’t what it used to be,” or at least that’s the word on the streets. The economy is in an interesting place and advertising has gone viral. Attracting customers is now accomplished by word on the web, not word of mouth. The fact is that if you’re doing things the same old way, then you might keep the same old customers and members, but you won’t attract any new ones.

Turnover happens. You might be blessed with slow turnover; maybe you only lose members when they die, but it’s not just about maintaining numbers. It’s about raising them. You need new members and possibly some new staff, too, if you want to keep your business flourishing. Improving your business knowledge will give you the tools you need to attract both.

When you are determined to run an excellent business, you will attract excellent staff. When you have excellent staff, you will attract and keep excellent clientele. You see, your passion to pursue greatness is contagious. If you are motivated when it comes to improving your business knowledge and - in turn - motivate your staff to increase their education and understanding of the field, your whole operation will outshine all the others.

The reverse is unfortunately also true. If you don’t care to stay abreast of current business trends and practices - especially in the fitness field where human mechanics often fail and lead to injury - not only will your logo start to lag, but you could very well be sued. In this day and age, lack of knowledge is quickly translated into negligence and liability.

You want your staff to be on the cutting edge of their field. When a member asks them a question, you want them to know the answer. You don’t want your staff looking stupid. As the owner or manager of your business, why should the standard be any different for you? You should be setting the standard for pursuing excellence in your field of work, giving those around you something to reach for.

It’s true that business isn’t what it used to be, so yours needs to be better. People want their dollar to stretch. Consumers expect more quality than ever before, and this economy favors those business owners who are willing to go the extra mile.

You need to attend seminars and conferences at least twice a year and reward your staff for earning continuing education credits. Travel to another city if you have to. Write it off as a work expense, and focus on improving your business knowledge. Bring it back to your staff and hold a meeting to share what you learned. Be the one who knows the answers. Look smart not stupid. Take your product and your consumers the extra mile and make your business shine!

Hospital News

I happen to play some pick up basketball games at one of the local hospitals in the area as we were getting ready to do battle (yes, I said battle I had my chin split open during today's game) I step out to use the restroom while on my I passed an office.  As I passed this office a young lady had enter and joyfully announced their patient was up.  I must say my first reaction was, "if your patient count is up, how could that be good news?  It means someone is hurt!"  This served as a great reminder that hospitals are in business.  Hospitals are trying to earn a buck.  Is there anything wrong with this, absolutely not! But just a warning that we the people need to be aware and do our research when seeking out treatments in hospitals.

Oh, and as an interesting spin the Early Show had a wonderful report entitled "Haggle Your Way to Lower Health Care Bills"  click the link below:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/07/earlyshow/contributors/susankoeppen/main6654097.shtml

Enjoy!

The 8th Annual Achieve Fitness USA Fitness Business Conference

Each year Achieve Fitness USA hosts an annual meeting for their licensing program owners and this year is no different, well except for the size of the conference.  I have been involved with the Achieve Fitness USA Licensing Program for quite a few years now and reveled in its growth.  This year their annual conference brings some of  the industries best programs and presenters:

• Peter Twist- CEO & Founder of TWIST Conditioning
• Leslee Bender- Owner of Bender Ball
• Natalie Heckert- Owner NATs Total E Fit
• Scott Colby- The Abs Expert
• Derrick Wilburn- Co Arthor of the Success Express Series
• and much more.

If you are in the fitness industry and looking to make a impact this is a must attend event.  For more click here

The Benefits of Coporate Wellness Programs for Employers

Employers who want lower insurance rates and productive, healthy employees should consider the benefits of corporate wellness programs. If you are paying for too many sick days, or you want to increase productivity, or you just want your good employees to live longer, then consider why corporate fitness is right for your company.


Fitness lowers healthcare costs - When employees are encouraged to exercise more and eat less, they will have longer, healthier work periods. They won't get sick as often, and they will have more energy. Women who lift weights are less likely to develop degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis, and laborers lifting heavy loads will benefit from resistance training as well. When employees use their lunch breaks to exercise instead of eat, or when coffee breaks are used for a quick walk instead of a quick smoke, everyone's health improves!
Fit employees are more productive - Studies show that exercise boosts brain function. So not only does fitness lower healthcare costs, but healthy employees are smarter, too! When you exercise, your breathe harder and deeper. All that extra oxygen stimulates your brain. Employees on wellness programs will seek out a runner's high instead of other "highs" to make it through their workdays. Healthy employees have more stamina and strength. And don't forget that when a person determines to take care of himself, he is more able to take care of others.
Employees want corporate fitness programs - Employers implementing wellness programs have one more benefit to offer prospective employees. When you offer corporate wellness packages as part of your benefits package, you become a magnet for "well" applicants. If you want healthy applicants and healthy employees, you have to provide a corporate fitness program.

Employees on wellness programs show gratitude - When fitness for employess is readily accessible, unhealthy employees are more likely to turn their lives around. A dispirited, obese office worker who has access to an on-site gym or online nutrition counselor will start making better choices. Not only will your business blossom, so will your employees! You will be responsible for a happier, healthier workforce. Your employees will appreciate you more for providing a safe, healthy environment for them, and they will work harder for you.

Fitness for employees is fun - Giving your employees permission to visit a specific online health site during work hours is not a waste of time! They will enjoy the little breaks and fun, helpful information, and you will enjoy the benefits of corporate wellness on your business quality. Some employers go so far as to install a small workout facility for their employees, and that creates even more fun and fitness!

As an employer, you have a business to run, and you want to turn out quality products. You can't do that without quality employees. When you become one of the growing number of employers implementing wellness programs, you will see why corporate fitness lowers healthcare costs and you will be pleased with how your fit employees are more productive. Just think: If you get one or two more hours of quality work out of each of your employees on wellness programs, that alone will be worth this investment!

The Benefits of Corporate Wellness for Employees

In a down economy the simple act of finding employment is a full-time job, but job seekers should still consider the benefits of corporate wellness programs when looking at any job offer. Consider why corporate fitness is a good benefit as part of your salary. Why should you look for employers implementing wellness programs? And what can a corporate wellness program provide for you?


Employees on wellness programs are more valuable. Exercising improves your mental abilities and focus. Working out will give you more endurance, not just for your job but for your life outside of work, too. Studies show that exercising three times a day for 10 minutes yields similar benefits to exercising just once for 30 minutes. So apply with employers implementing wellness activities and websites, and use your coffee breaks to get healthy!
Fit employees are more productive. You want a job that helps you succeed. You aren't the kind of person to slack off, and you want to earn your keep. With layoffs looming, the most productive employees avoid the pink slip. It may seem counter-intuitive, but taking a walk when you are low on energy will actually release more energy. If you work in a healthful place, then instead of running for that coffee or soda - or falling asleep on your computer - you will be encouraged to grab a healthy snack and do some desk exercises to stay alert.

Fitness lowers healthcare costs. Even if your new job also includes a good insurance package, you may still have to meet deductibles or pay portions of your doctor's office visits. It stands to reason that the less time you spend at the doctor or in the hospital means lower bills. If your employer understands why corporate fitness is crucial to his bottom line, he will encourage your health in any way possible. Corporate fitness programs reduce sick days and boost productivity. That is nothing but good news for you and your boss.

Fitness for employees is fun! Total wellness isn't just about exercising and eating nutritious foods. It's also about mental and emotional health. It's been proven that exercise increases happy hormones in the body. Lifting weights or going for a run gives you an endorphin high that lasts for hours. Employees on wellness programs are less likely to suffer from depression, debilitating disease, and relationship problems. When you take advantage of the benefits that corporate wellness programs provide, you will be able to enjoy life and have more fun while on the job.

So if you come across a job opportunity that includes an online corporate wellness program, group fitness program or local club discount, don't turn it down! When you go in for that first interview, and you ask about benefits, don't forget to ask if the company supports fitness for employees. The most ideal situation is an on-site workout room or gym that is staffed with trained personnel and access to an online corporate wellness program. It's just one more way for you to get paid.

What Should Corporate Wellness Programs Provide?

If you are a health-conscious employer, then you know that your fit employees are more productive, that fitness lowers healthcare costs, and that if you could put all of your employees on wellness programs then you would boost your bottom line. As you begin shopping for an on-site or online program, you should first understand why corporate fitness works and what corporate wellness programs should provide.
Here is a simple list that will help you determine what your company needs. On a basic level, the corporate fitness program you choose should offer many incentives to motivate your employees. Employers should look for a program that ...
Offers expert solutions to all health issues - Total wellness is multi-dimensional and includes mental, emotional and spiritual health as well as physical health. Corporate wellness and fitness programs lower healthcare costs because healthy people have less stress and manage what little stress they do have. Workers with high stress have 46% higher medical bills, and the annual economic cost of depression in 1995 was $600 per depressed worker. Employers implementing wellness in the workplace should be sure the program includes a psychosocial component.

Helps employees set personal goals - Employees on wellness programs can be presented with fact after fact, but if they aren't given the means to apply their new knowledge, then it goes in one ear and out the other. If you want to offer your employees online access to health, make sure you choose a program that motivates and encourages them to set attainable and measurable goals. Your wellness program should also include an easy way to track their progress.

Provides fitness plans catering to various individuals - You pride yourself in your company's diversity. Your workers come in all colors, shapes and personalities, and this means they also have different health concerns. The corporate fitness program you purchase needs to meet each of your employees on an individual level. African-American women have different risk factors than Hispanic males. Your Caucasion secretary might be thin but malnourished compared to another, more obese worker. When corporate wellness programs provide personalized attention, your employees are more likely to succeed.

Offers clear and easy to follow nutrition guidelines - Nutrition is a huge part of wellness. You might incite a revolt if you remove the candy and pop machines without warning, but if your employees start understanding why corporate fitness and health are important, perhaps they'll be the ones leaving the junk machines on the loading docks. Educate and raise awareness through access to health recipes, meal planners, and nutrition information and your employees will thank you.

Has a healthy living forum - Of the many benefits of corporate wellness websites, the ability to connect employees to talk and ask questions about their health is vital. When your employees have your permission to utilize online tools in their journey toward wholeness, that gift will come back to you. It is not a waste of time to allow your workers to better themselves. After all, when you have the privilege of managing high quality people, it is infinitely easier to turn out a product of high quality.

Funding a Fitness Business

Starting your own fitness business can definitely be an exciting proposition. However, finding funding for it may not be so. In fact, it can be a very stressful task.

Starting a fitness business, whether opening a gym or a complete fitness center, requires a huge outlay of funds. So, before you start looking for funding, the first thing you need to do is prepare a business plan. The business plan must include all the details of your fitness business, from the type of fitness equipment you intend to have to the place you plan to open or rent your fitness center.

Doing this will give you a clear idea about the kind of funding you will require. However, starting a fitness business is not the only time you require funding. You will also need it if you plan to expand your existing business.

There are many different types of fitness businesses in existence these days such as full-fledged business centers, one on one personal training, cardio, boxing, yoga, aerobics and various others. The kind of funding you require will depend on the type of fitness business you wish to start.

When you think of starting your own fitness business, you should be ready to spend your own money. If you can't put up your own money, try to convince friends and family to invest in your fitness business venture. If you are unable to do that also, don't worry. Today, there are various options available to those who need funding for their fitness business ventures:

1. Banks: Banks usually approve large business loans. Simple loans are an excellent source of funding if you have the appropriate security to borrow against. Normally, banks look for a good business plan, great credit rating score and security. Once the risk of your venture is assessed, the terms and conditions are laid down. With the current popularity of fitness and health centers, it should not be difficult to procure a loan through a bank for a fitness business.
2. Mortgage: You can also raise funds for your fitness business through your mortgage. The advantage of obtaining funding through a mortgage is that they offer flexible repayment options as per your business needs.
3. Minority Business Grants: You can obtain as much as $50,000 for your fitness business using minority business grants. The main advantage of funding your fitness business venture using these grants is that they don't need to be paid back like conventional loans. Grants are provided by certain government agencies as tax-free cash awards. However, you must have a foolproof business plan to get approved for these grants. To increase your chance of receiving the grant, get them written professionally.
4. Administrations: There are various administrations and agencies that either work under the federal government or privately. They are dedicated to providing loans to people who are interested in starting their own fitness business.
5. Private lenders: If everything else fails, you can approach private moneylender to fund your fitness business.

Wellness and fitness industries have the fastest growing markets today. Thus, funding a fitness business start up should not be difficult.

Finding the Right People

There comes a point in the life or our business that we find oursleves needing to hire staff. Typically, that is a good thing because it signals that our business is growing. However, finding, hiring and keeping qualified employees and/or independant contractors is no walk in the park as many business owners will tell you. It requires a lot of research and planning because of how crucial your employees and or I.C.'s will be to the success of your business.



Putting together a team that has the right skills provides your business with an opportunity to grow and to meet its challenges head on. It's not an exaggeration to say that the right people in the right jobs can provide your with a distinct competitive advantage. Which brings us back to the point we just made--hiring the right people takes time and effort.



To increase your chances of hiring the right people, consider following these steps:

1. Take a good hard look at your business structure and budget before you decide to hire someone. Ask yourself some objective questions such as" do you really need additional personnel for the long term? Are you experiencing an increase in work load that will only last for a short period of time or do you expect it to continue? Can you afford to hire additional staff? This includes not just the salary aspect, but also fringe benefits and federal, state and local taxes assoicate with hiring someone.


2. Develop a clear idea of what you want that person to do and the job qualifications they should have. From this, you will be able to create a concreate job description that can guide you through the interview process.


3. Create an advertising and recruiting strategy that will allow you to find the right person for the job. This means you need to determine which advertising avenues will yield the best candidates. For example, if you are perateing on a limited budget are you more likely to find qualifiied candidates for the position of a certified personal trainer in your local newspaper classifieds or through the web?


4. Confirm that you have selected the right person for the job. Often overlooked but extremely important is the need to perform those all important reference and education checks.


5. Ensure that all parties understand the terms of employment. Draft a letter of employment that outlines any terms and conditions of employment to avoid any misunderstandings that may occur down the line.


6. Finally, orientate your new employee and provide ongoing training and support. Again, this is another often overlooked area. Do not stop with a simple walk around your facility or an introduction to other employees. Providing ongoing educational opportunities is not just an investment in your employee, but an investment in your business.

While it may sound corny, it holds true...our employees/I.C.'s are our greatest assets. Treating them with respect and providing guidance and assistance so that they can grow both professionally and personally contributes to our own business success. And, that's something we can all appreciate.

The Impact of Healthcare

During the business training for Achieve Fitness USA Licensing Program we talk about a variety of topics and programs. One of the programs available is a corporate wellness program. In our discussions about corporate wellness we discuss this from three aspects:

1) The company
2) The employee
3) The potential employee

The Company Aspect

Companies are looking for additional ways to cut cost and reduce expenses. In regards to health care the average cost has more than doubled from $4,793 in 2001 to $11,058 in 2010. This is a huge expense for companies. Many companies who have 50 or more employees now offer some sort of wellness program. Companies are seeing a huge return on investment by implementing a wellness program. For every dollar spent they save three dollars. With this sort of incentive companies are putting pressure on their employees to activity participate in the wellness programs being made available. In fact some companies are even penalizing employees who are participating in the wellness programs. Some companies are penalizing through increased premium rates or an annual surcharge.

The Employee

Employees are feeling the pressure to pursue a healthier lifestyle and manage their chronic health conditions. The pursuit of a healthier lifestyle includes losing weight and quitting smoking. Managing chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc is strongly encouraged. The message is clear many companies are not accepting the lazy attitude many of today’s work force has towards their health.

The Potential Employee

Today the job market is more competitive than ever and whether we want to admit it or not the entire process of finding a job is based on discrimination. It’s true that traits such as color and gender are suppose to be set aside there still are many other factors. The price of health care has most certainly added another factor to be discriminated against when looking for a job. Employers are certainly more aware about the long term costs to the company if they hire someone who is in poor health and/or has poor lifestyle choices. If you have doubts here is evidence.

In 2007 The Cleveland Clinic stopped hiring smokers. It tests newly hired workers fro nicotine and rescinds the job offers for those who test positive. The person can participate in smoking-cessation programs and reapply for the job in 90 days.

Taking responsibility for one’s own health is going to become a reality.

Sources:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/get-healthy-or-else-2010-05-15

http://www.inc.com/magazine/20060401/handson-human.html

Discovering Your Target Market

Target market is a phrase that is thrown around frequently. In simple terms, it is a segment of the market that is the strategic focus of your business. Being able to effectively identify who is part of you target market is important if you are developing a marketing strategy and campaign and you want it to be successful.

Prior to creating your marketing plan, you need to be able to answer two essential questions: (1) what is your target market and (2) what does your target market want and/or need that you can provide? If you are able to answer both these questions in great detail, then you can begin drafting your marketing plan. If you have doubts or lack details, you need to back up and do a little homework.

Who Is My Customer?
You need to recognize who your customer is because of the objective of your marketing efforts is to concentrate on those customers most likely to buy your products and services. Therefore, you need to start by describing exactly who your customer is. Are there certain characteristics that your target market shares? Do they fall into a particular age category? Gender" Socioeconomic class? Occupation? Do you know which customers spend the most time and money with you? Why do they do that?

Be Precise
When creating your prospective list of customers, you need to be as precise as possible. Make sure that you are able to identify them in specific demographic or geographic terms. If you can't you will have a hard time in determining which channels will be the most effective in reaching them, i.e. twitter, facebook, youtube, website, blog, etc.

Give Them What They Want
This is often a difficult area. We think we know what our customers want, but unfortunately we often fail at finding out what they really want and/or need. You need to be able to give them exactly what they want or need in a convenient and affordable way if you expect them to buy what you are selling.

Quality versus Quantity
More is not always better when it comes to developing prospects. Buying leads lists is one prime example of this. If you haven't taken the time to truly identify who your customer is, buying expensive marketing lists are often a major waste of money. Most of these lists are outdated to begin with and are typically only as good as the information you put into them when generating. Having a quality list of leads increases your ability to convert them into sales tenfold. So, shift your thinking from quantity and focus on the quality angle of building your list.

Use a Sounding Board
Finally, before running with that marketing plan you've created, test it out. One of the most common mistakes made is failing to test out your assumptions on a sampling of your target market. By taking a little extra time to conduct a survey or questionnaire of a small portion of your target market, you can avoid wasting your time and money. It may take a little longer to kick off your campaign, but it will be well worth it in the long run.

Hiring Trainers

When it comes to growing your personal training business it is important to create additional revenue streams. Amoungst the traditional revenue streams that come to mind such as, product/equipment sales, supplements, etc. Although somehow most trainers who own their own business fail to recognize that hiring trainers is in itself a means of adding additional income to their business. For those who have hired trainers I have no doubt that you have your share of stories to share both good and bad. Today I would like to share some tidbits for trainers seeking either their first job in the industry or looking to move on to a different facility. Here are top 3 things you need to have:

1. A plan. During my own personal experiencing conducting interviews I should have termed this "get a clue". But to get back on point I strongly encourage you to have a plan in mind about how you are going to pick up a client base and what you have to offer to a future employer. It doesn't matter if you are a independent contractor or an employee if you come to the table with a plan that is marketable you will truly stand out.
2. Know the Company. Spend some time prior to your interview or for that even before you apply and learn about the company. Know if the company is going to be a good fit for you. Does the company provide the opportunities your are seeking? Ask questions during the interview and recruiting process that generally show interest in the company.
3. Qualifications. Please be sure all qualifications are current. This would include: certifications, CPR, & liability insurance.

Make no doubt this is not a complete list, but if you are looking to get a leg up during the interviewing process make sure you have to above items covered and you will be at the top of the pack for landing your firs or next personal training position.