Implementation VS Procrastination

Implantation
Business Success
Creative Thinking
Taking Action
Ownership
Responsibility
Go Getter
Motivated

Procrastination
Wait and See
Non Committal
Criticizer
Fault Seeker
Excuse Maker
Slacker
Lack of Knowledge
Seeking Perfection

The battle between Implementation versus Procrastination resides in the minds of every business owner. This is a battle upon which must be won if the business is to survive and succeed.

In my experience I have found two major reasons why business owners are losing the battle.
1. Lack of Knowledge
2. Seeking Perfection

The first, “Lack of Knowledge,” is a simple concept to address. In today’s world, we have instant access to information. In most cases, the initial information is available to us at little or no cost. As a Fitness Business Owner, more than likely you are getting constant email blasts from resources that can help improve and/or grow your business. The key is to determine what resources really speak to you and that are relatable. For instance, through many years as a fitness professional I have sought advice from books by Phil Kaplan, Jamie Atlas, Bedros Keuilian, Pat Rigsby, Scott Colby, Eric Ruth, Mark Cibrario, Paul Chek, Annette Lang, Rick Olderman, Charlie Hugo, Melissa Mantak, Linda Burris, Len Kravitz, Doug and Patti Glock, Jeremy Silage and Peter Twist (just to name a few) to guide me in my development. As a business person, you need to make it a daily habit to improve your knowledge. Face the facts… you don’t know everything! Luckily everything you want to know is at your finger tips.

The second reason, “Seeking Perfection,” was a huge hindrance early in my career and the reason I often struggled. Several times, I wanted to know all the details. I had to learn that sometimes “the goal” needs to be good enough. One doesn’t need perfection to be successful.
Signs of a Procrastinator:
 You want to avoid an unpleasant activity
 You make excuses
 You look for distractions
 You don’t manage time well
 You don’t feel confident about the task

When you find yourself in a position of not getting the task done, take a quick moment and see if any of the signs above can explain why the task isn’t getting done. If so, then you know what needs to be done.

Will you win every battle between Implementation and Procrastination, probably not. But the quicker you can identify when you are procrastinating the better your chances of gaining the knowledge needed to overcome your own adversities to be on the winning side!

EXECUTION

The word execution can conjure up a wide variety of thoughts. Today I leave you with two:

• If you can not create a plan to carry out your goals then you will have literally sent you business to the executioner.
• If you can create a plan to carry out your goals then you will have put your but business on the path to success.

I’m sure the vast majority of use would prefer to create a plan that allows us to meet our goals. So with that in mind let me speak to the masses.

If you are interest in gaining 100 new clients over the course of 1 year you would need to do the following:

• Speak with 1,000 prospective clients (this is based on the previous article “NUMBERS”) over the course of 12 months
• That’s 20 prospects per week (I gave you two weeks off for good behavior)
• That’s 4 prospects per day (for an a five day work week)

Do you think you could speak to 4 new prospects each day if you knew it was going to allow you to reach your goal?

Great here’s what you do:

• Take out a sheet of paper
• Create the following columns:
• Name
• Email
• Phone #
• Area of Interest
•  For each day of the week (Monday-Friday) write the numbers 1-4 on the left.

Set a goal right now to meet 4 new prospects everyday.

 I have one more thing to leave you with, did you know if you could grow your business by 10% each month over a 12 month time period you will more than doubled your current business. No joke! Do the math!

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!