Open Up And Grow Your Own Personal Training Studio

03/05/2020

What Are The 5 Most Important Things That Make For A Successful Personal Training Studio?

I had the pleasure yesterday of talking to some students at Bryan College in Toronto they were starting out in the fitness world and it took me back to my college days (YMCA Tottenham Court Rd , London, UK ) some 17 years ago. I think I used some of the questions on the students that we were asked on our first day. Such was the impact on my life (I had been running record shop at the time and going back to school was bloody hard aged 40)

I remember it so clearly, almost the whole day was spent practicing one exercise alone ...but how much we learnt , wow. Without realizing it this would pay me back over and over again in my future.

So I told a couple of stories about my early days in the gym (LA Fitness , Cambridge,UK), where I had such tasks as inducting new members , writing up programmes , filling up the soap in he showers , cleaning treadmills, sort of like the very bottom of the pile.I actually was qualified as a trainer but chose to spend about 6 months learning the ropes , I must have written 500 programmes in that time ( when I then became a trainer I had a full book straight away as loads of these people came to me seeking more help). What a way to start I was working from 6 pm to 10 pm Monday and Tuesday nights having already worked elsewhere during the day, I also during my shifts often taught classes,tiring ,very tiring .

Fast forward to today and looking back what I did in my formative months helped LOADS to contribute to future success.Along the way before I opened up my own place I watched how gyms worked , saw some of the crap they pulled on people , saw who was successful , I learnt a lot and owe a ton of thanks to people who helped me back then.

So what did I tell the students and what do I really think contributes to running a successful studio ?

In no real order I think these are the essential 5 key ingredients .

1. Perseverance: if at first you dont succeed try and try again .

2. Self Belief: if you dont have to confidence or the right mindset its going to be hard to encourage others to give you their hard earned cash

3. Consistency : Deliver what It says on the tin . Show the f@ up . You get nothing by late cancelling 6 am sessions or not turning up at all . I heard this only this week " my previous trainer couldn't keep an appointment " (sure there may have been extenuating factors but you get my point).

4. Don't Chase Shiny Objects: New fads come and go , basics stay the same.

5. Start Off As Debt Free As Possible And Know Your Numbers : Spanking all your hard earned savings on rapidly devaluing equipment wont bring you proportional returns. Equally knowing your numbers each month will help you budget accordingly.Just because you have taken some money it doesn't mean you go out and spend it .

I am sure there are many other factors involved in running a successful studio but I think these are the factors that have been most helpful to Inspira .

What sort of things do you think makes for a successful studio?

03/04/2020

What Sort Of Stuff Should I Read If I Haven't Got A Lot Of Time To Help Me Set Up And Grow My Business ?

How many business and marketing books are there for sale ?

Thousands .

In fact you could probably find around a 100 books to read that would serve your needs but here is a quick list of my current or past favourites , they are biased towards stuff thats probably more to do with mindset and thinking as opposed to " how to sell big ticket items etc "

Here Is My List :

Changemaker : J.Berardi

Crucial Conversations : K.Patterson

Mindset:C.Dweck

Influence and or Pre Suasion:R.Caldini

Never Lose A Customer Again:J.Coleman

Man Up:B.Keullian

Psycho Cybernetics:M.Maltz

Start With Why:S.Sinek

Most of these are reasonably priced and worth your money.

Additionally would like to plug a sales book that isn't on the list because it is not available yet and also its so hot off the press I haven't finished reading it but it does have a number of references to personal training , its called " Sell The Way You Buy " David Priemer . Its on Amazon and this is not an affiliate link!!

Sell the Way You Buy: A Modern Approach To Sales That Actually Works (Even On You!)

02/13/2020

The Three Reasons Why People Don't Open Up Their Own Personal Training Studio.

Running your own studio is not for everyone , and even though a lot of people dream that one day they will have the keys to their own front door there are three big reasons why people don't end up doing just that .

1 . Fear Of Failing

No-one likes to start up a business for it to fail , its a crap feeling ( been there ) and many new businesses do exactly that in the first two years .

2. Cost

Can I afford to set up and run my dream studio ? How much money do I need ? What set up and running costs have been considered and which have I not thought about that can easily come back to haunt me ?

3. Is It For " Me "....MIndset

No successful business doesn't take a period of hard work and commitment , it also needs the owner to have the right mindset , a "can do" mentality . Realistically are you the person who likes to work long hard hours , take risks etc , do you have some entrepreneurial flair , maybe you realize whats needed to succeed and you just don't have what it takes . And thats most of the population. If you like to dream a big dream but you don't think you have the right mindset then its not for you . So asking yourself the right questions before you set out can save you a whole lot of time and trouble .

If you are thinking of starting up your own place or know someone who is in the process feel free to like and share these comments .

If you have specific questions feel free to ask .

All the best .

02/04/2020

How Has The Start To The New Year Been ?

Are you still thinking the same thinking and taking no action , staying where you are at may be right for you ?

I saw a great post the other day by David Bayer who I heard speak at Healthpreneur 2019 ( something that is way worth attending ) entitled " The 4 Horsemen of Limitation "

It made me smile a bit as I can like anyone else be hung up somewhere and dont know what to do , sort of paraylised and cant make a decision...you know the score.

The 4 Horsemen he details are:

Indecision
Overwhelm
Procrastination
Self Sabotage

These are basically habitual patterns of thinking each is underpinned by a limiting belief .

He continues " your beliefs about life and business are decisions about life and business '. Seems about right .

So in business terms what is holding you back and what would help you move forward ?

Feel free to connect at anytime.

01/17/2020

New Year New Studio ?

Its been a few weeks since I got down to posting anything on here or anywhere for that matter , there is so much noise at the start of the year that I didn't really see the point of adding to that clutter.

On top of that I was having some down time with my family back in the UK , catching up and watching some football , having a beer and a curry and doing all the stuff you should be doing other than running your business .

I also came back to an even busier January than expected , traditionally this month has never been our strongest which is unusual throughout the industry . All fitness businesses are not the same !

I have not always been so fortunate and it took me a long time to reach this position , only 5 years ago I was living client payment to client payment hoping enough would come in to pay the bills. I had on an whim purchased a gym without doing my due diligence or listen to the advice of two people very close to me . At one point I was pouring 8-10 k a month into this place to keep it afloat , wasn't paying my staff on time and wasn't paying myself at all. Big lesson learnt .

So before you plough on with your dream of opening up your own place here are a few things you should consider .

1. Have a plan , better still have one that makes sense ON EVERY LEVEL.

2. Think once, think twice about what you are doing and put your ego down somewhere .

3. Do it for the right reasons , this is a lifetime and lifestyle decision .

4. TAKE ADVICE especially from people smarter than you .

5. Your own place isn't necessarily a breeze , you will probably work harder than ever before .

If you are looking at something in the near future why not book a call with someone who has actually been there and done it ?

Best of luck and lets hope 2020 brings you what you are looking for .

Chas

Welcome to my scheduling page. Please follow the instructions to add an event to my calendar. This is for the 29th, 30th and 31st December only .

12/09/2019

I Worked The Big Box Gig ..It Was Exactly Like This ..

I did this type of thing ( article below) for over 2 years and for two different companies , underneath the promises was a constant pressure to do more, sell more , hustle more , work more. I started planning leaving the second place as soon as I had sufficient pay stubs to get a mortgage .

If you have had enough of long hours, an unhealthy lifestyle and little reward please feel free to get in touch and lets see if we can help you get out .

Working for the high-end gym chain seems glamorous, but for many trainers the schedule is unforgiving, the pay low and the turnover high.

12/06/2019

Just Some Motivational Thought Stuff For A Friday

If you have not read it yet grab yourself a copy of Atomic Habits by James Clear , a great read . Here are a couple of Friday thoughts for you :

Here are two things he put up yesterday that are good thinky things :

"What are you avoiding just because you know the answer is painful?"

And secondly :

"New goals don't deliver new results. New lifestyles do.
And a lifestyle is not an outcome, it is a process. For this reason, all of your energy should go into building better habits, not chasing better results"

12/05/2019

Opening Up Your Own Place ?

Here is a quote that amplifies why getting help is important ...

"The key think is - anyone who wants to go it alone must have either a broad skill base or the $ capacity to outsource to those who have skills they need"

This is from Nic Mck , Owner , Fitness Revolution in Perth, W. Australia (http://fitness-revolution.com.au)

But the point is that this is so true, and that is where we look to help people , going it alone is a tough haul , that can cost you more time and money than you actually can save .

We may do a little feature on Nic and the Gang soon so watch this space.

Join FitRev and exercise at your own level and learn easy habits that help you achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. Get 50% off a trial session!

12/04/2019

Whats The Best Course I Ever Spent Money On ?

So looking back to 14 years ago I wanted to give my self an edge in a big box gym ( I was based then in the UK ) and I invested maybe 150 pounds sterling for a weekend course with Andy Wake and www.Boxercise.co.uk . It paid back in less than a week . The beauty of a course like this is a) instantly appliable across a large age range b ) can be for.1 on 1 clients or groups c) attracts clients and gives you something extra in the toolbox and d) its fun .

On top of all that boxing is a great workout , helps strength and cardio , empowering and a great confidence booster .

So that was probably my best dollar for dollar spend , all you need is a set of gloves and some pads and you are good to go .

I am sure where you live their are similar course s in Canada I did a similar certificate with fitnesskickboxcanada.ca for example

11/28/2019

When You Get Your Own Place You Can Do Whatever You Want ..

So why not personalize it after all you will be there a lot in your first year ...here is something we did...it reflects my life and various things important in it ..