Active Management

Category: Management

  • The Official REX Bell For Leading Roundtables In The Fitness Industry

    The Official REX Bell For Leading Roundtables In The Fitness Industry

    Official REX Bell

     

    I was humbled at the recent REX Roundtables Chair meeting to receive my official bell to lead REX Roundtables.  This may mean nothing to many people but for me it was acknowledgement by REX Founder, Will Phillips, that I had made it.

    I am grateful for the opportunity that Will gave me to lead Roundtables.

    I appreciate the opportunity to continue to learn from Will and also Eddie Tock, Brent Darden, Mark Miller, Mary Laudati and Fausto Di Giulio.  I feel when I am in the presence of these people that I am surrounded by the smartest people and I learn so much.

    REX Chairs

    There is so much that I can bring back to my Roundtable members to give them an even better experience with the Industry Leaders Roundtable.

    In 2018 (and beyond) I will continue to return to REX Roundtable Chair meetings twice a year to further develop my skills as a Chair, refine meeting logistics and gather valuable educational resources for my Roundtable members.

    Background:

    I have been Chairing Roundtables in Australia since 2005.  I have lead 172 Roundtable meetings.  I currently have Roundtables for Club Owners, personal trainers and Anytime Fitness franchisees.  We have amazing retention of members, results for members and relationships that have been fostered.

    Currently REX operates in the US, Europe and in Australia under the brand The Industry Leaders Roundtable.  You can find out more by:

    NOTE: In 2018, I am launching two new roundtables and taking applications now for:

    • Victorian Personal Trainers – first meeting 15th February 2018
    • New Zealand Gym & Studio Owners – first meeting 6th to 8th March 2018

    Apply now at www.IndustryLeadersRoundtable.com.au

     

     

  • Take Your Business From Five To Six Figures [free video training]

    Take Your Business From Five To Six Figures [free video training]

    I get it – you’ve been in business for awhile and things are going okay, and they could be better. You’re stable, but you’re ready to hit six, or even multi-six figures, in your business. If that’s where you’re struggling, you’re going to LOVE this!

    I get invited to partner with my industry colleagues pretty often, but I’m picky about who I work with because I only want to share the best of the best with you.

    So when my friend Lisa Simone Richards invited me to speak on her back-by-popular-demand (and ahem, free interview series!), the Audience Attraction Formula 2.0: How to Grow Your Health, Fitness or Wellness Business from Five to Six Figures, I gave her an enthusiastic YES because I know that as a fitness entrepreneur, making a bigger income is KEY so you can make a bigger impact.

    GET ACCESS TO THIS FREE SERIES HERE!

    Lisa Simone’s hand-selected a group of over 20 successful 6-, 7-, and 8-figure health, fitness and wellness business coaches, to share their proven insights on how they and their clients consistently make six figures plus year after year.

    These interviews are filled with real, proven strategies to grow your annual revenue by leaps and bounds (and the one consistent trait they observe in every six-figure entrepreneur!).

    GET ACCESS TO THIS FREE SERIES HERE!

    In this FREE virtual series, these experts will show you exactly how to have a consistent six-figure business by:

    • How to partner with bigger brands and access their audiences
    • How to create multiple revenue streams in your business
    • How to turn your offline clients into online clients
    • How to double and triple client enrollment
    • The key players you need in your corner to hit six figures

    ….and more!

    GET ACCESS TO THIS FREE SERIES HERE!

    Come join me and other stand out health, fitness and business coaches as we pull back the curtains to let you in on the secrets to our success and what’s really working to hit major money milestones in your business. You’ll also receive 20+ free gifts from all of the speakers (including me!) making it easy to take action on all these tips and strategies to hit the six-figure mark.

    If you want to FINALLY go from surviving to thriving, then this free event is the perfect fit for you.

    See you there!

    PS: I know your time is valuable – imagine if just ONE tip from these 30-minute interviews could be the difference between breaking even and breaking sales goals, and make your business POP to the next level! Be sure to grab your seat NOW!

    PPS: You could pay thousands to have access to the trainings and gifts of these six-, seven-, even eight-figure entrepreneurs, but when you sign up for the Audience Attraction Formula 2.0, you’re getting in for free! GET YOUR FREE SEAT HERE!

  • Develop Services Your Customers Want For The Rest Of The Year

    Develop Services Your Customers Want For The Rest Of The Year

    customers want

    Creating new or even refining old services that truly captivate your members generating profit is REALLY tough! And with the push toward technology it would be easy to explore tech as the answer.

    The real challenge with tech is that it is not cumbersome or expensive, it could be it is not what the members want.

    Focus on their needs to boost referral sales.

    Identify what your members want and need and then deliver that plus 10%!

    You will be amazed how many members just want acknowledgement when they come in or someone to show them a new exercise or work out. None of which are expensive.

    Never forget giving old fashion people service.

  • Recovering From Mistakes In Your Business

    Recovering From Mistakes In Your Business

    Every business will always have a slip up!

    The key when you make a mistake or an error is move quickly with these 3 steps:

    • Fess up – if you down play your mistake publicly or worse still hide it, it could be fatal for your business. Just be candid, transparent and take responsibility for your part.  Do you best not be defensive!
    • Make the changes – your mistake is a learning experience. This gives you an opportunity to improve the way you do things, so make the most of it!
    • Get back out there – Get that mistake behind you and press on. We learn from mistakes and errors, so don’t shy away from getting out there again.

    Check out The Fitness Business Podcast interview with Jay Baer for how to handle making mistakes and complaints.  Click here.

  • Managing Your Energy Levels To Fire Up At Work

    Managing Your Energy Levels To Fire Up At Work

    The fitness industry is demanding: long hours and constant focus on other people.

    To save yourself from burnout, give permission to yourself to:

    • Take brief but regular breaks. Step away from your desk, clients or even the club every 90 to 120 minutes for just a few minutes. Stretch, breathe and chill!
    • Say ‘thank you’ as this positivity will boost your energy level and the person you speak with.
    • Reduce your interruptions so that you can focus. Allocate specific times to return emails, chat with colleagues and to do your work
    • Do what you love. Understand what your strengths are and what you enjoy doing.  Then find ways to do more of those things rather than the things that tire you out!
  • As The Boss, Do You Offer A Pay Rise Or Do You Hope It Never Comes Up? HINT: Hope Isn’t A Strategy!

    As The Boss, Do You Offer A Pay Rise Or Do You Hope It Never Comes Up? HINT: Hope Isn’t A Strategy!

    Pay Rise

    As an employer we often dread the conversation with someone about a pay rise. Here are 3 tips for you:

    Choose the right time – As an employer, giving someone a pay rise on their employment anniversary sends the message that tenure will get you a raise. Surprise your team member with the offer for a raise after consistently performing above and beyond expectations.

    Have a plan – Your plan should include the numbers behind your plan to show why and how you came up with the number. Numbers are facts and these allow for an objective conversation.

    Be clear & positive – Make sure the meeting to discuss the raise is only about the raise, no other issues are discussed. Stay focused on the positive outcome you want from the meeting without issuing or insinuating an ultimatum.

    Pay raises can be a delicate conversation and often one that is avoided. This avoidance will lead to discontent and resentment from potentially both parties, so ensure this conversation happens annually.

  • LIMITED OPPORTUNITY | You can be one of 12 Personal Trainers | Clock is ticking

    LIMITED OPPORTUNITY | You can be one of 12 Personal Trainers | Clock is ticking

    The greatest challenge I faced as a personal training business owner was not leads, nor sales, and not even retaining clients!  It was the fact I was alone in business and wondered if my performance was industry average or following the best business practices to achieve optimal results.

    As a business owner, life can be tough!  It can be lonely.  It can be frustrating.  And it can be rewarding.  But most of all, as a personal training business owner it is unique and often only fellow personal trainers understand what you go through on a day-to-day basis.

    And that is just one unique aspect of the Industry Leaders Roundtable.

    In 1994, the Roundtable concept came to Australia for gym owners.  It was 10 to 12 non-competing gym owners coming together 3 to 4 times a year to explore how to do business better – defined as more profitable, less stress and different to your competitors.  As a member of the first ever Roundtable, I experienced first hand the benefits of stepping out of my business to work on my business and loved it so much I started Australia’s first Roundtable for personal trainers in 2006.

    Eleven years later, we are now the longest running Roundtable program in the country with hundreds of thousands of dollars saved by business owners, thanks to our examination of the costs in a PT business.  We have helped owners make hundreds of thousands of dollars in both turnover and profit by examining sales processes and the financial make up of products.  And we have saved many PTs from burn out as we help them put into perspective work and life.

    The Personal Trainers Industry Leaders Roundtable is the most unique program for business owners for 5 reasons:

    1. Collaborative thinking to grow your business;
    2. Focus on numbers in the business;
    3. Accountability every 3 months with 4 meetings a year;
    4. Out of industry learnings, practices and concepts made relevant to you;
    5. Support from people who know what you are going through.

    For many the most important aspect of being a member of this group is there are no competitors allowed on the same Roundtable.  This enables open, frank and honest conversations, all critical to building a deep level of trust.

    Now is your chance to find out more and join the Victorian chapter of the Roundtable.

    I would love the opportunity to tell you more about the Victorian Personal Trainers Industry Leaders Roundtable, if you are keen to improve your business.  I appreciate how busy you can be as a personal trainer, so I will fit in around you!

    Just click here to make a time and then I will buzz you.

    Look forward to chatting with you.

    JT

    PS You can read what the members of the Industry Leaders Roundtable say about the program by clicking here.

  • [Sponsored Blog] SME Focus: Define, Review and Refine Your Brand For Growth

    [Sponsored Blog] SME Focus: Define, Review and Refine Your Brand For Growth

    Rachel Bevans

    By Rachel Bevans, The Healthy Brand Company

    Brand is not ‘set and forget’. As businesses grow, they need to review their brand.

    Often businesses inherently carry the owner/s vision, values and personality – some of these brands are documented, some are not; most of the time the values carry throughout the organisation and people they naturally attract as customers and employees.

    As the business grows, the business attracts new customers, new systems and processes are established, new products and services are offered, new suppliers are sourced; and new employees are needed.

    The business moves out of close proximity to the original owner/s, into the hands of others, with the brand shifting from what it originally stood for. With more employees, customers and touch-points, the brand starts to fragment. And to attract new customers and employees, the original brand may not be as relevant any more. 

    Why is your brand important?

    1. It attracts desired customers and employees
    2. It provides a guide for how you deliver against the brand promise at every experience – from products and services to pricing and distribution; from communications and stores to corporate social responsibility and community involvement; people and process
    3. It engages and retains current customers with the aim to increase customer value and create advocates that, in turn, fill the sales/marketing pipeline
    4. It engages and retains current employees who deliver experiences for your customers and are credible brand ambassadors
    5. Its reputation satisfies investors and the community as a whole
    6. It is accountable for business performance and builds goodwill value on your P&L

    Brand facilitates the top 5 ways SMEs are planning to grow:

    For further information on how brand enables these areas, below are links to blogs on:

    So what can you do about it?

    Initially you’ll need to define and document your brand, engaging employees throughout the process to own the brand and empowering them to deliver every experience against the brand promise.

    Once your brand is being implemented, there are 4 key opportunities for brand review:

    1) Regularly e.g. monthly / quarterly

    Just as you review your sales results against forecasts and P&L regularly, so should you keep track of your brand. This means you need measures and process put in place to monitor your brand’s performance and make changes to activities as required.

    For small-to-medium businesses this is often a luxury as the focus is on the everyday, on cash flow, on preparing for growth and preventing the loss of it.

    2) Once a year

    Most businesses will have a 3-5 year strategic business plan that is reviewed once a year for budget planning. This is a less frequent opportunity to take a more comprehensive review of your brand and how you’re delivering against it.

    For businesses in their first 3-5 years, this is still often not considered.

    3) When you reach 25 employees

    There are many books and blogs on business growth and when things start to breakdown. Some say around 25 employees, others say around 10-15, others 50, with culture and communication being the most professed keys to success. Your brand informs culture – the experience for your employees and in turn, customers – and communication – to employees, customers and key stakeholders – as well as guiding all other areas of your business.  If you’ve gone beyond this number, it’s time to define or review your brand.

    4) Towards the end of your first 3-5 year strategic plan

    A solid, strategic business plan and a brand that guides what you do, say and how you go about it, make a powerful pair for growth. 

    As you’re planning towards your next 3-5 years, now is the time to consider if your brand is relevant and compelling to your employees and customers of the future, and whether is it documented for employees and extended teams such as agencies and contractors to consistently deliver against.

    Free initial 1/2 hour consultation, no strings attached. Ask all your questions about brand specific to your business.

    Via phone. Prior to 1st July 2017.
    Simply mention this blog when you contact us.

    Contact

    Rachel Bevans is a strategic marketer, brand and communications planner and business director with over 23 rachel-bevansyears’ experience leading and motivating people to drive and transform businesses to be brand-driven, customer-centric and employee-engaged.  Rachel founded The Healthy Brand Company on the premise that healthy business results are achieved by aligning, engaging and activating people and brands around a common purpose and values.

    Rachel was also featured on The Fitness Business Podcast, Show 71.

    Contact Rachel Bevans at The Healthy Brand Company for all your brand creation, engagement, research, review and revitalisation needs.
    Email: [email protected]
    Mobile: 0467 441 841
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelbevans/
    Skype: rachelbevans

  • Barry’s Bootcamp There’s Not Much To See But . . .

    Barry’s Bootcamp There’s Not Much To See But . . .

    Barry's Bootcamp

    Every Barry’s Bootcamp workout studio looks the same: great red lights, treadmills, steps and dumbells. There is nothing special to see. But once the doors shut and the music begins so does your exercise experience!

    Now to be honest with you, I visited a Barry’s in NYC about 3 or 4 or maybe 5 years ago. I went to the front desk and asked to look around. The receptionist pointed at the studio and said “There is it.” And I was uninspired with what I saw. I had not idea what all the hoopla was about!

    I guess I had to try it to see!

    I have now been to Barry’s in London, New York and San Francisco and every experience has been electric! The instructor pours so much energy and passion into the workout, you dare not work hard for fear you’ll let her/him down! And before you know it your 45 or 60minutes is up and you are tag teaming with the next of Barry’s disciples.

    Who Is Barry’s Bootcamp?

    Taken from their web site http://www.barrysbootcamp.com:

    Since 1998, Barry’s Bootcamp has been delivering The Best Workout in the World®  to a legendary following, including A-list celebs, models—even Olympic athletes. Our signature hour-long workouts include 25-30 minutes of interval cardiovascular treadmill routines and 25-30 minutes of strength training utilizing free weights, resistance bands, medicine balls and other equipment. Instructors, muscle groups and even workout segments vary throughout the week so that no one class is ever the same.

    What I Love About Barry’s Bootcamp?

    The answer is simple the experience!

    From the minute you walk in to the studio to wait for the class to begin, you are literally rubbing shoulders with others who can’t wait to break into a sweat!

    Then you hit the workout room and the lights signify work time! I have no idea of the quality or the safety of the programming – I guess it is all-safe as there is always full classes.

    I can assure you what I love is the entertainers who run the classes. Every other boutique studio would call them instructors or coaches but I am calling them entertainers who motivate. They give so much in the classes that they must be spent afterwards!

    Barry’s is one of a kind workout.

    My Experience At Barry’s Bootcamp

    I have been to Barry’s 3 times and I guess for the owners, they will be ecstatic to know that every experience has been the same. Registration at the front desk, on-boarding into the class by the instructor, the work out and the farewell were identical in every club. This is a sign of a great business.

    I have to admit the only negative is that they do make you run FAST! I know you determine the pace on the treadmill but in that group environment, you just crank it! And sometimes I felt I was going too fast.

    But seriously, that’s not a complaint!

    You really work hard and sweat lots! I am not sure what they do with the air conditioning but I seem to sweat more at Barry’s than anywhere else. I did run under one of the red lights in London and I got really hot. In fact I had to hit the hallway as I was feeling a little queasy.

    I also have never seen an overweight person in a class. So I am not sure how suitable or even if they attract an unfit beginner to exercise. It would be interesting to see how the instructor handles such a person, while still giving so much to the rest of the class.

    I have nothing but praise for this business and I highly recommend everyone doesn’t visit Barry’s. As you’ll only see treadmills and dumbells. You need to do a class to truly immerse yourself in the Barry’s experience!

    My summary:

    • On-line booking – 9/10
    • Branding – 9/10
    • Workout experience – 9/10
    • Service experience – 8/10
    • Ongoing communication – 6/10
    • Chances I would return for another workout – 9/10

    Note – I paid $US30 for the visit and these are my personal experiences on the days of workout.

    To see inside Barry’s Bootcamp with JT’s eyes, become an Active Management Member for as little as 24.90 a month.

    Plus you can see other gyms, studios and facilities in the world, like:

    Become A Member Now

  • I’d Heard So Much About Basecamp Fitness, Santa Monica

    I’d Heard So Much About Basecamp Fitness, Santa Monica

    You know when people tell how you good something is, you just have to see it and experience it for yourself?  Then when you get there you have sky-high expectations.  But then your expectations are not met and you walk away disappointed.

    This was my experience with Basecamp Fitness.

    I had heard all about the studio, the workouts, the team and their goals. I had high expectations and to be honest I was disappointed. In fairness though, there was absolutely nothing wrong it just wasn’t what I expected.

    I am 100% sure that for someone going into the club for the first time, they’d love it.  I was not unimpressed, I just didn’t see the hype around the product or the studio.

    Who is Basecamp Fitness?

    Taken from their web site www.basecampfitness.co:

    We’re not muscle beach or a spin studio – what we are is a 35-minute, heart-pumping, muscle-building fitness experience that builds a healthier you. We are also a tightly knit, supportive community built around a simple message and core value: building strong hearts.

    What I Love About Basecamp Fitness?

    The workout was simple. It was not complex and easy to follow.  I could work at my own level – 3 hours after a 15 hour flight to LA!

    The studio was clean, which was impressive based on the number of people that go through the place.

    I love the northern wall with the Santa Monica skyline on it.  This was super cool.

    And what a great way to show off your retail t-shirts, using them as artwork.

    My Experience At Basecamp Fitness

    As a new attendee to the studio, I expected a little more love.  I know I was from out of town but as the only new person to the class, I’d hoped for some more attention from the instructor.

    The instructor was good not great.  In these studios where equipment and or the workout is limited, the main retention factor has to be the instructor.  After experiencing Barrys, Orange Theory, Fhitting Room and others this workout experience was not entertaining.  The instructor was neither coaching nor entertaining he was instructing.  Which was great but meant the 35 minutes went slowly!

    This is the challenge of boutiques.  Every class needs to be upbeat, engaging and fun.  As soon as it is not, your clients will look at other options.

    There was nothing wrong with my experience or the class but it was not what I would call up to the standards of other boutiques in regard to engagement.

    My summary:

    • On-line booking – 9/10
    • Branding – 6/10
    • Workout experience – 6/10
    • Service experience – 6/10
    • Ongoing communication – 2/10
    • Chances I would return for another workout – 6/10

    Note – I paid $US30 for the visit and these are my personal experiences on the days of workout.

    To see inside Basecamp Fitness with JT’s eyes, become an Active Management Member for as little as 24.90 a month. You can see the amazing Santa Monica wall in the studio and what is possible with a great image.

    Plus you can see other gyms, studios and facilities in the world like:

    Become A Member Now