Hmmmm . . . I am not really sure on this series. I can see what they are saying. I am just not sure it works.
Is it me or do you like them?
Author: JT
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Don’t Print Anything That’s Top Secret!
Canon Australia has found some very interesting stats from office workers and what is printed at work! They found:- 90% of workers looked at other people’s print jobs, when printed on the company printer or photocopier
- 10% even delve into the detail of the printed material
- 70% had their printing go missing or be taken by other workers.
Hmmm … better be careful!
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Switching off from work – tips for Personal Trainers
Do you ever get the feeling you’re sprinting on a treadmill that never stops? Running your own business can be exhilarating but it can also become overwhelming and exhausting if you don’t have an ‘off switch’ at the end of each working day.I was chatting a girlfriend this week who recently started up her first business. It was her life long dream and she was so excited about getting it up and running that she spent every second of every day for the first 4 months physically and mentally doing everything possible to make it a success.
You won’t be surprised to hear that when I saw her, she was completely exhausted, run down and to be honest pretty miserable, because she had gotten into the habit of both managing and running her business, and at the same time, prioritising everything and everyone ahead of herself.
As a small business owner, its essential that we allow ourselves the time to ‘switch off from work’ and to put a full stop at the end of our work day. Not easy in a world of i-phones, i-pads and online TV! However, the rewards of implementing some simple time out strategies are well worth it.
There are heaps of ways you can do this. For me personally, I like to take my dogs for a walk and get some fresh air, or get away from all technology and spend 20 minutes in a quiet room doing some stretches.
I love this video from flyingsolo.com.au which has some great tips on how to actively switch off at the end of your work day http://www.flyingsolo.com.au/video/58.
What are your tips for drawing a line between work and rest?
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Justin McDonell For The Fitness Australia Board
For over 20 years I have been actively involved in the Fitness Industry. My passion for fitness began when I started as a single club operator in a family business. I then moved to working for the big box clubs, giving me the
opportunity to work in all areas of the business. However, my greatest achievement so far has been over the past 5 years. Since 2008, I have been the Master Franchisor of the leading fitness franchise network, Anytime Fitness. In conjunction with this I also own individual clubs within the Anytime Fitness network. I understand the large variety of roles that make up the fitness industry.I have a high level of experience, and believe that I have intensive knowledge of the big picture within the fitness industry. As it continues to grow and evolve, I feel that I can add to the long term vision of where the industry is heading. I travel extensively within Australia, the UK and USA, and therefore feel that I have an exceptional idea of what is happening within the fitness industry, and the fitness trends in both Australia and the world. I believe that having knowledge of fitness developments in other countries is vital to the decisions we make in Australia that inspire the fitness industry evolution.
My vision for the fitness industry is to see more and more Australians take part in fitness; to ensure we offer great facilities and services across the entire country and not just the big cities; that we tap into the increasing number of people who are members of health clubs and improve the quality of life of those Australians. I believe it is of great importance to include all Australians in the future of the fitness industry.
Being chosen to be part of the Fitness Australia board will mean that I can share my extensive knowledge and benefit the industry and its members. I will bring a uniquely broad level of experience to the role, and as I am so actively involved and on trend with the day to day industry, I believe I will be a great asset to the board.
Justin McDonell
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Just Bloody Vote In The Fitness Australia Board Of Directors Elections
This is not a blog about who to vote for in the Fitness Australia Elections but rather a blog to say “Just Bloody Vote!”
Throughout the 1990’s and the 2000’s more often than not, there were NO elections for the industry peak bodies because no body was interested in representing the industry.
To me absolute delight this year Fitness Australia have 10 candidates for the Board of Directors. So not only is there an election on this week, it will be HOTLY contested.
I must confess I don’t know:
- Alexandra Anderson
- John Smith
I also haven’t had a lot to do with:
- Tim Boman
However, I do know:
- Chris Hicks
- Mark Stitt
- Susan Kingsmill
- Kristen Green
- Meredith Littlefair
- Andrew Simmons
- Justin McDonell
But don’t panic, I am not telling you who to vote for “Just Bloody Vote!”
There are too many challenges in the fitness industry for you to sit on your hands and have no say in who should be directing the industry that produces you an income, pays your mortgage or provides you with so much passion.
Each candidate has some exciting platforms on why you should vote for him or her. Some have reached out to me to further expand their platform to the electorate.
This was a proactive effort from them, which impressed me and flattered me. And this was available to any candidate all they had to do was send their platform to me.
Read why you should vote for:
I have no vested interest or prefer any one candidate over the other. Again, I stress “Just Bloody Vote!”
From what I am aware, the only people who can vote are registered fitness businesses.
I do feel (and have always felt) this is a mis-representation of the industry as a whole, with the majority of Fitness Australia income coming from the registration of fitness leaders and yet they don’t get a vote!
Seems weird to me but it is in the constitution!
So if you don’t like it, then vote for the candidate that you think may have the intestinal fortitude to re-write the Constitution so you do have a say, as a registered professional.
I think this is the most important vote to date for Directors of the Board of Directors for the peak body of the fitness industry. The Board currently has education providers, representatives from chains of clubs and there are no women on the current Board.
Consider carefully who you vote for and like I said:
“Just Bloody Vote!”
From the Fitness Australia website:
Voting is simple:
1. Visit www.votingservices.com.au/fitness
2. Login using your Fitness Australia registration number and inputting your postcode
3. Cast two votes for your elected candidate
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O2 Health Studio Appeals To The Super Hero
I love it!
Seriously, I love the concept!
It is subtle and I am not sure it would produce results. It appeals to me.
What do you think?
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Posting Strategies for Facebook
This month, e-Marketer shared some very interesting information: ‘Companies that post content on their Facebook pages outside normal business hours see engagement rates that are 20% higher than average, according to new data from Facebook marketing software company Buddy Media.’- Buddy Media found that 60% of posts were published between 10 am and 4 pm.
- Many Facebook users prefer to log on to the site before or after work, therefore this was when they felt more comfortable to engage.
- Additionally, the study found that engagement rates are 18% higher on Thursday and Friday than the other days of the week.
- By timing your content posting to when people are more likely to be on Facebook, companies have a greater chance of being seen in a fan’s newsfeed.
- Buddy Media also found that the shorter the post the better! Posts with 80 characters or less have a 27% higher engagement rate.
- Additionally, some words encourage engagement, particularly those that are instructions such as ‘like’, ‘post’, ‘take’ and ‘comment’, as does asking a question at the end of a post.
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Try before you buy – why comp sessions are a personal trainer’s best friend
Yesterday I met a PT who was fresh out of completing Cert IV and two weeks into his new role as a franchisee working at a major gym chain. When I asked him how it was going he smiled and said “really great” then explained to me that he had been doing heaps of comp sessions during his first few weeks in the new job.It made me think about when I first began working as a PT. I remember starting with 3 other ‘newbies’ at the time. We were all handed forms with member details and told to book in comp sessions. Two of us went straight for the phone to lock in times, while the other two sat with crumpled faces as they verbalized their dissent about being asked to “work for free”.
The right thing to do of course, would have been to explain to them that in fact a comp session is the exercise equivalent of a tasting plate. A great way to give a potential client a hint of just what they might expect from a session with you and exactly how you are going to make them feel better, get stronger or become healthier. But the truth is, I was building my business at the time and more than happy to take the comp sessions they didn’t want!
Here’s the thing, if you are new to the Personal Training business and you are lucky enough to be in a position where you are literally handed a piece of paper with someone’s name on it, someone who has indicated they have just joined a gym, looking to learn about exercise or considering PT sessions – then grab it and run! Get on the phone that day and book them in for a comp session within 24 hours!
You know the expression ‘grab em while they’re hot!’ it applies here! You’ve been given a great opportunity, now its up to you to: Listen, Connect and build Rapport. You will be well on the way to establishing your client base and streets ahead of those PT’s who choose not to ‘work for free’.
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Meredith Littlefair Aims For Fitness Australia to Engage the Community
As Fitness Professionals we do what we do because we genuinely believe in the power of our industry to positively change lives. We have a sincere desire to make a difference to the lives of others by encouraging and motivating our members and community to exercise and improve their overall health and well-being.
