Volo Innovations

Refund payment and item: This will return the item so it no longer shows on the members account. It will also refund the payment if the member has already paid. Reasons to use this refund option would be if you made a mistake and charged them too much / too little or the member no longer wants the original purchase.

How to refund payment and item:

1. Click into the invoice you need to refund
2. Click on the refund button
3. Select Refund payment and item
4. Change the quantity count to the quantity you wish you return
5. Select the method of payment you are returning
6. Click Refund

Refund payment: This will refund the payment only leaving the item on the members file. So once the payment is refunded there will be an outstanding balance for that particular invoice until it is settled. Reasons to use this refund option would be if there was a mistake when entering the payment method (ie accidentally clicked Cash instead of Cheque).

How to refund payment:

1. Click into the invoice you need to refund
2. Click on the refund button
3. Select Refund payment
4. Select the method of payment you are returning
5. Change the Refund amount to the amount you are returning
6. Click Refund

Refund item: This will refund the item only leaving the payment on the invoice. This would primarily be used if you're replacing the original item with another item of the same price (ie different size of shirt). Please keep in mind if the item is replaced with one of a higher or lower dollar value, then there will be an outstanding balance on the invoice or an amount owing to the client. In this case, it would be better to refund both item and payment and re-do the invoice.

How to refund item:

1. Click on the invoice you need to refund
2. Click on the refund button
3. Select Refund item
4. Change the quantity count to the quantity you wish to return
5. Click Refund

I hear from fitness professionals all the time wondering what type of ads or promotions they should run or how do you get people to buy, in other words how do they make a sale. There are three different areas here the first is advertising followed by promotions and then finally the sales process. There is much confusion as to what these three areas are in any business the reason being that it is different depending on your business and your target demographic.

The first two items; advertising and promotion can cause the greatest amount of confusion for people because most businesses advertise their promotions. This is where you will see a store special in a news paper or a TV ad offering a limited time two for one deal. Advertising is meant to attract people to your brand and to build recognition so that people will choose you over a competitor. Promotions are offerings of your product or services these offerings can be at special rates or not; the goal is to let people know that they can buy and receive a special from you. Both are marketing tools and both should lead to an increase in sales.

Here is an example of and advertisement and a promotion by Snap fitness.The advert is simple it states a message about the brand -it is fast, convenient and open 24 hrs, period end of story. It could be for any of their franchises.

The promotion on the other hand has restriction of time and an offer for a specific thing for a specific group of people in this case the city of Kenosha employees.

Now the nasty ‘S' word ‘Sales', this word tends to have a negative image associated with it, most people think of a used car sales person or aggressive sales tactics that are so annoying. For most fitness professionals becoming a sales person is not an image or role they feel comfortable with. Good news -you don't have to be. But you still have sell it is the how sell that is 100% up to you. If you do your promotions correct and actually offer a great product or service then the sales part should be easy, in some cases it can be as easy as "Go to my Volo site and you can sign up and purchase online". Others will need to hear the benefits and value statements from you in person.Either way you still need to make a sale. By definition a sale is a completion of a transaction for goods or services, how you get there is up to you.

Stay strong during tough times!
This should be a new mantra for all fitness businesses. It is easy for fitness professionals, gym owners and members to read the news of failed fitness companies and the list of bankruptcy protection filings and get scared. However it is an unfounded fear. Our industry has remained strong despite economic down turns.

This doesn't mean that we are recession proof like some industries but it does means that we are smart and creative and this allows most of us to survive in leaner times. Additionally a lot of fitness companies are owner operated and which allows for greater financial flexibility as owners can pick up any slack. Also remember most of the companies we read about are not actually bankrupt it is more of a corporate restructuring that they are doing and during that time they need protection from creditors.

Here are some of the things we know people are doing to help their business and customers through a bad economy.

1. Added customer service; this can be achieved by putting the clients and members you already have ahead of gathering new members. It is hard to do because for most businesses it is the new people they focus on but the reality it is cheaper and easier for you to market to an existing member then to try and attract new members. These systems can be simple:

a. Greetings to everyone that walks into your facility, make sure you have someone posted at the reception
b. Have all class instructors start each class with a big hello and positive message and end each class with a "check out this special" or other member offering.
Remember this is not sales oriented it is appreciation so do not mix the two, it is important to tell the members you are happy they are there.

2. Added value sales: too often companies put out specials for new members only this essentially alienates you existing members. Any special or offer you do to bring in new members should have a counter offer to your existing members. This does not have to have equal value but it needs to something that makes them happy they joined you last month or year.
3. Referral programs; this is tough to nail down as there are hundreds of different offerings that can fall into this category. My tip is that you want to do two things with this offer one is have your fans speak highly of you to others and two get new members. Some of the most popular are bring a friend for free or if 5 people sign up you get a free month or free product if a friend joins and these are all great.
4. Add or switch up your services; one of the things that fitness companies, especially training companies, can do is to offer small group training of 3-5 people. This allows your PT clients to do extra or switch to a lower cost option. Just remember the goal here is to promote the group without diminishing the value of the one on one training so use caution in language and always do a counter offer to those who just want to stay private.
5. Add software; this may cost you a monthly fee but can add huge value over your competition. Nutrition and exercise tracking software can allow your customers access to information and logging that even your trainers can access to provide maximum results. Nothing is better than walking billboards to bring in business. Hyperstrike (use promo code VOLO TRAINER or VOLOCLUB for a 30 day free trial)and Vitabot are two popular programs that can do this.

In the end it all comes down to you and what your business can do or offer to help people through these tough times. It has always been the role of fitness professional and business to shoulder some of the burden that our customers have. We assist them through heart ache, death and bad heath choices but we also know that with life comes the good friends, the victory and the excitement of achievement and this is why we do what we do. So get out there and start to talk to your people and get them energized and motivated to achieve success and I guarantee it will rub off on you. 

-Tough people will always last longer than tough times!

photo credit MichiganMoves

A common question we get from the fitness professionals who use Volo is the difference between checking a member in and closing the day. Essentially, both have the same outcome. Let's take a look at what both features involve:

1. The Check in: There are two main areas to check in a member.

• Firstly, you can click on the scheduled appointment, and hit ‘Check in'. This then sends this appointment type to the member's account to either be invoiced or if they have pre-paid Volo will take it out of their remaining sessions.

• Secondly, there is the Check in feature. This area is for when you want to scan in your members as they are coming into your facility. Volo will show you who has just arrived and if they are booked for any personal training sessions, fitness classes, etc. If there are classes starting within the hour it will ask if you want to check them into this class. Just like the manual check in, this feature takes the appointment off their remaining sessions or puts it on their account.

2. Closing the day: When you have closed the day Volo automatically takes all of the appointments from the schedule and either takes the appropriate item off of the member's remaining tab or adds it to their on account tab. It is like doing a mass check in. Once the day is closed you cannot make any changes to that day's schedule (don't worry, we all make mistakes, the day can be opened again if you need to make any changes).

Both methods streamline your online scheduling and member management. We recommend to always close your days and preferablly to do it that night or the next day. This way if your members have sessions that are expiring they will use them up before they expire. Another great way that Volo helps you automate your fitness business.

Fitness businesses need to make money in order for you as the fitness professional that owns the business to continue to pay your rent/ mortgage, power bills and all the other things that have to be paid on a monthly basis to make sure that you don't have to sleep in the street.

That is why more and more fitness professionals are moving to a recurring revenue model. This way, like your monthly bills, you will have monthly income! There are complexities with moving from a package type business to a monthly membership type business -if you want to learn more about how to look at your pricing and transition your clients to this type of package let us know in the comment area what your top questions are and we will make sure to address them in our next blog posting.

We come across many fitness professionals who question the idea of getting a merchant account, especially if their business is just starting. If you don't know what a merchant account is and how it works please read this blog posting on "What is a Merchant Account" first.

Here are a few main reasons for this skepticism:
1. Money - don't have much
2. Privacy issues - internet can be a scary place for credit cards
3. Banks - they can be a pain in the...

Undoubtedly, there is work to be done with getting a merchant account. There's an application process, credit checks, faxes, etc. But with everything that requires a bit of work, there are benefits to be had.

Because of the psychology of the human brain people tend to spend more when they use a credit card. An increase in revenue is then to be expected. Also when you have a merchant account you can set up automated billing. This means you don't have to track down your members and ask them for payment on a monthly / weekly / daily basis. No one likes to be a debt collector, so why not let the bank do what they do best?

This is where a decision needs to be made. Will the revenue made from accepting credit card payments overcome the financial cost of the merchant fees? The answer will differ for different businesses, and no, it can't be found on Wikipedia or Google. You need to look at how big your business currently is, how much time you spend creating invoices, tracking sessions, following up with clients to get your money and then getting to the bank and depositing it. Now multiple that by how much you make when you are training your clients. I bet you are looking at $100's of dollars every month. Use this number to do your comparison against what you will pay for your merchant account and then factor in where you want to grow your business to. How many more hours per month will it take to keep track of all your clients and there invoices? Would you rather use that time to grow new business rather than manage your existing business?

Using software like Volo allows you to bring all aspect of your fitness business together billing, scheduling and member management so that you can focus on making sure your clients reach their goals and tell all their friends about you!

Photo credit by Andres Reuda

No matter what your current situation is if you are reading this I guarantee there are millions of people worse off then you today. For a few simple reasons; first you can read, second you are on a computer and third you must have a roof over your head in order to be on a computer.

This time of year makes us all think about family, friends and great times. It is also a time of giving to these same people as well as to charity. I have mentioned several times that Nikki and I also own a training studio, Momentum Fitness, and we have been actively involved in charity fund raising events and donations for over 10 years. To date our gym has raised over $40,000 and donated over $50,000 in services to charitable auctions, charities from the local SPCA to larger cancer and heart and stroke organizations.

Every year in December we put on a Train the Trainer event. The work and effort that we have to put forward is minimal compared to the amount of good and assistance it provides.

Our clients and friends that contribute have a great time watching all of us get tortured! It is fun, enjoyable as well as healthy so it is win win for all people involved. 

How do you do it?

Here is an example of Momentum's annual charity event that we run this time of year.
Event: Train the Trainer
Charity: Room to Read
Date of event: December 19th 2009
How it works:
Clients buy:

• 5 minute time blocks for $50
• Single exercises for one trainer for $10
  
• Group exercises for all the trainers for $100.00.

The clients that have made a donation get to put their trainer of choice through any exercise(s) of their choice. For the group exercise all the trainers get together and do whatever is asked, some popular group choices have been group pushups, rowing completion and bench press competitions. Usually the clients choose the exercises they despise the most or ones they didn't think could be done and even a few that can't.

Some clients have a hard time and do not want to come across as mean to their much loved trainer, no problem, we can have another trainer decide the exercises that would be most suited to that trainer. Nothing like a trainer picking on a trainer to get some competition going!

We then have an open house style event where we put out drinks and snacks and invite all of our clients and their families down to see us get put through the paces. Whole families show up and watch the fun, have sushi and talk with other clients and trainers.

We like to add a group challenge like Sumo Suit wresting or a team obstacle course where we pit the trainers against each other. The best part is kicking back, raising money for a great cause and sharing a few laughs with clients. 

All proceeds that we raise are going to Room to Read, we can choose which country and even how the money is used. Another reason that we chose Room to Read is that it is non denominational, this is good for our business as we have a wide variety of clients from many different faiths. We also looked at what is the money used for, Room to Read builds libraries, stock them with books in local languages and provide educational scholarships for locals to gain an education. The final thing that made us go with them is that they have a very low percentage of the donations being used to run the charity. That means that every dollar we raise is making more of a difference.

Here are some tips for you to use:

1) Choose a charity, make sure you take into consideration your clientele and staff to find a charity that the majority will resonate with
2) Determine the event this will include the date and time as well as the format
3) Determine the denominations for the donations eg $50 for 5 minutes
4) If you have time contact local businesses for donations and hold a silent auction to boost revenues.
5) Contact the charity and find out how you can collect the donations. Each charity will have different rules for donations as well as the amount for clients to receive tax receipts. Make sure you follow these guidelines.
6) Arrange any fun activities for the day of the event and if children are invited have something for them to do or a person to keep them busy.

All of these tips will get you started on your next big fund raiser as well increase your profile in your community, great for marketing and building your business not to mention that you are helping a great cause. Your staff can get involved without having to donate money, a hard thing for some part timers but this is a way for them to give and have fun.

Thanks for your time now get out there and start to raise money and awareness by getting involved. Any suggestions or examples of what you are currently doing will help other in developing events so please make a comment.

I receive two or three emails a day from Fitness Professionals asking about these accounts ranging from what are they to how do I get one.

In simple terms a merchant account is needed for your fitness company to process credit cards of any type. EFT allows you to transfer money directly from people's bank accounts, some areas call this ACH.

There are different types of merchant accounts and they all charge different fees. This is where the confusion comes in. What type of account do you need? Where do you get one? How much will it cost? What about Pay Pal?

Applying for a merchant account is similar to applying for a loan, if your fitness business is new, has no credit history or is not incorporated you will need to provide a personal guarantee. Why is it a loan? Most merchant accounts will deposit the money into your bank account before they have received the money from your mutual client.

The type of account you need depends on your business and the management software you choose. With Volo being online software you would need an ecommerce account in order to have your merchant account integrated and your Volo store active. Your other option is a terminal based account this is where you would have a separate terminal to swipe your cards and then enter your sales into your management software.

Fees will vary based on the account and the credit card that your customer uses when they purchase; in the US there are 300 different transaction rates so it can get very complicated, some companies will give you a flat rate or 3 flat rates, qualified, mid qualified and non qualified, but these usually end up costing you more in the long run.There is also:

• a monthly fee
• a per transaction fee
• a % of each transaction
  
• terminal based accounts will also have a rental fee

EFT accounts usually have:

• a monthly fee
  
• a transaction fee
  
• rarely do they have a % fee

For an excel sheet that you can use to calculate what is best for you and a PDF of the aspects of a transaction enter your name and email here:

Since applying for merchant accounts is like applying for a loan the obvious place to go is your bank, however this should not prevent you from shopping around because rates will vary from bank to bank; also there are brokers that can look at multiple suppliers. If you are signing up for Volo we can help you with all your paperwork so please feel free to contact us first.

Online accounts require the use of a gateway, the gateway acts as a go between the online software and the merchant bank. These fees are sometimes rolled into the fees of the account but can be additional so be sure to read your contracts and make sure you ask questions.

Things to look for:

1. Set up fee
2. Annual fee
3. Monthly fee
4. Type of % fee flat or variable
5. % rate(s) this is called discount rate - get lowest, highest and average make sure this is for e-commerce
6. Number of days to deposit in your account from the transaction date
7. is the full amount deposited or a % of it, is there a hold back
8. Is the discount rate taken off of each transaction before it is deposited to your bank account or a total every month (Monthly is way better)
9. Per transaction rate
10. When is the per transaction fee taken off of each transaction before it is deposited to your bank account or a total every month (Monthly is way better)

You do not want hold backs at all and you should try to get an account that has your money deposited sooner.

Having them bill you monthly means that they add up all the fees and take them at one time this will save you hours of accounting or accountant fees, so if it is less than 1% point i personally would always choose the company that only bills me once per month. When they take their fee on each transaction you will need to log a journal entry daily in your accounting program versus monthly.

It is important to remember that a lot of Merchant and EFT suppliers require contracts that are around three years in length and have will have penalties' for canceling early, so be sure to read your contracts before you sign.

Don't forget to get your copy of the merchant rate comparison worksheet and the 10 steps to an EFT transaction. Fill in your name and we will get it emailed out to you right away:

The ripple effect is a term used to describe consequences of event that are beyond your control. These ripples are often far reaching and may have a blanket affect. The current economy has had this very affect on numerous businesses and several fitness centers have closed their doors and filed for bankruptcy from small mom and pop operations to larger fitness chains this ripple has hit businesses hard and consumer confidence even harder.

Some fitness members are being left with little to no recourse when a club closes hence the increase in popularity of surety bonds. Wise gym members or those whom have been stung once are now starting to ask before they sign if the club caries a surety bond and the amount.

What is a surety bond?
A surety bond is a contract among at least three people.

• The principal or primary party who will be performing the contractual obligation - the health club
• The oblige or the party that is the recipient of the obligation - the member of the health club
• The surety who ensures the principal's obligations will be performed - usually the states attorney general for health clubs

These bonds offer security to the gym member that should a facility close or not live up their obligation under the membership contract that the member will be able to seek restitution from the amount of the bond.

Who must be bonded? How much?
Health club bonds are not limited to just health clubs but instead reach multiple businesses that offer prepaid memberships with the amount to be determined by length and types of memberships. The fees and types of companies that must buy bonds depend on the state. Businesses must check with their attorney general to see if they are required to post a bond and how much this bound will cost for. Typical bonds requirements can range from $50,000 for 12 month memberships to a higher $150,000 for 2 and 3 year memberships.

Fitness industry business types that may require surety bonds:

• General health and fitness clubs
• Racquet and tennis clubs
• Gyms
• Weight loss centers
• Self-defense schools
• Personal or athletic trainers - currently only if they have a facility
• Body building clubs

Who could be next?

• Yoga studios
• Pilates studios
• Boot Camp operations - no facility needed
• Personal or athletic trainers - no facility

Should your business get bonded?

I believe that it is only a matter of time before this becomes a necessity in order for businesses to ensure the peace of mind of their members. Add to this the pressure on the government to rebuild consumer confidence and before you know it the current legislation will have a ripple effect that will soon include your business.

I would recommend that if you can afford it that you take initiative to be ahead of the curve and take out bond to provide your members and clients the security to buy from you. You may want to advertise the fact or just keep it on your contracts.

The second option is to switch your business model to post billing versus pre-paid memberships. Some businesses may charge an initiation fee to cover initial cost; this fee may be refunded at the end of term similar to the leasing of property. Remember don't spend these fees instead use place them in a separate account as you may be required to refund with interest depending on your state.

There several different options and successful business opportunities that may suit your business needs so do some research and make sure that you are properly covered for all circumstances that may face your business. This will also protect you from personal liability and possible criminal proceedings.

There are many things that can make a trainer great but two that are at opposite ends are an extensive knowledge of the human body -book smarts or a phenomenal personality and the ability to relate to people- street smarts, rarely does a trainer have both.

Book smarts you gain over time with education, street smarts cannot be taught and this is where a lot of highly educated trainers fail. You can teach someone the anatomy, physiology and exercises needed to be a trainer but you cannot teach personality and in personal fitness this characteristic is critical in order for your business to succeed.

Some trainers at our gym were trying to figure out what credentials Jillian Michaels from the biggest loser has. Her website lists nothing from a university or any certification based organization, just that she did some martial arts when she was 14 years old. Yet she is a very successful trainer and one that many would love to be.

So how did she get there? Simple her personality and the fact that her knowledge is enough that a novice or beginner exerciser will perceive her as an expert, she speaks in an easy to understand terminology and she simplifies things by relating them to real life issues. 

Most highly educated trainers are not able to simplify their instructions instead they speak at such a high level that even other experienced fitness professionals are lost in a sea of lingo and terminology. For some academics this is an ego thing, see how smart I am, see my credentials and listen to me, but for others they just do not know how else to speak. The people that just don't know how else to speak there is hope; you can learn how to break it down. The first group is probable a lost cause because you can't compete with an ego, the ego always wins, lose the ego then you can succeed. 

For the record this is not a defense of Jillian Michaels whom has seen a wrath of negative reviews from trainer's blogs and fitness forms about her bad training style, lack of knowledge and unrealistic goal setting, and these posts just reinforce the fact that a personality is a strong way to overcome lack of experience and knowledge. For the record I have never seen the biggest loser I learned everything about Jillian and her message from her website and You Tube. 

So what do the book smart trainers need to do?

1. Develop a story: 

This will need to be a true story and it needs to show a vulnerability or obstacle, basically a personal triumph where you had to overcome a common problem. For Jillian it was being a fat kid with no friend, a self described loser, but she found martial arts and an instructor with a no excuses attitude that she tries to emulate today. This is a fantastic story it does two things one creates a sense of I know what you are going through and two it describes her training style as no nonsense so the client knows what to expect. I love this story. 

 

2. Speak at a low level:

The other day a friend did a nutrition seminar at our gym and he lost me when he started in on how the food breaks down into this chemical that then does this to prevent that from happening, needless to say our clients were even more lost. So dumb it down for your clients instead of quads and hamstrings use front and back of the leg. When asked how to build muscle don't go into how muscle fibers, myosin and actin and how it all breaks down and rebuilds instead talk about consistency, working to fatigue and patience.

 

3. Use analogies:

You need to be able to relate to you client to do this, you need to understand what they do for work and their interests from this you can make comparisons. For anyone who watches or does home renovations it could be ‘becoming fit is like building a new home it starts with a foundation and then we add the frame followed by the design we want' or for the gardener it can be ‘your muscles draw on nutrients much like the roots of plants draw out nutrients from soil the richer more fertile the soil the bigger and healthier the plant, it is the same for us and our food the more nutritious and healthy it is the better to build and grow muscle.

Keep these three simple easy tips close at hand remember to use them every day to recap:

• Talk to your clients as an equals not as children even when they act like it. 
• Share your story 
• Dumb down your answers to simple questions add to those answers an analogy or two and you will find a more receptive client.