It is interesting to note how valuable time is, in regards to your fitness business and it's effects on our relationships.
You sell 30, 45, 60 minutes training sessions.
You consult by the hour and have memberships that have expiry dates on them.
Thirty, sixty, ninety day weight loss contests are not uncommon.
Your interval classes have 10, 20 , 30 and 60 second rest in between.
There are many other examples of how time is a factor in running your fitness business. So, we can all agree that time is a common denominator to every one in the fitness business.We are given the same 24 hours in a day to create the life we desire.
When time is not valued or respected, ultimately it will have an adverse effect on not only your fitness business but also your personal life. How long it takes to receive payments, no show appointments, or even double bookings all lead to cycle of stress feelings and reactive management behaviors.
Have you ever considered what is the true value of your time? The price of dealing with situations that are a result of systems or processes you have or not have put in place? The time it takes to put out fires because of a poor fitness scheduling or those endless phone calls communicating abouts payments due or information on booking and cancelling their classes. Many of you are unwilling to discount your per session hourly rate but are just as willing to spend unnecessary hours with your paper and pen trying to run your fitness business. Believing somehow that google calenders, hand written receipts, and unlimited calling cell phones are the tools that can take you to the next level of your success.
However, that still quiet voice in mind, the calls from your friends and family wondering when you will be available for them, intuitively lets you know something is wrong.
Owning your fitness business was meant to allow you to enjoy your life not suck it out of you. When you begin to value your time, you begin to value your life. Your family, friends, and most important you, deserve to have time to enjoy this life you have chosen to live.
Are you running your fitness business or is your fitness business running you? If you are the one being run, then there are three things you can do to turn it around:
- Be Honest with yourself
- Identify areas that need changing
- Go ahead and get the help you need
Are you wanting to be so much in control that you spend hours and hours micro managing every aspect of your fitness business?
Are things things not getting done because you have too much on your plate?
Is your customer service not matching up to what you promised it would be?
Do you equate putting in more hours to working smarter?
A realistic self assessment is crucial. What you are spending your time doing in your fitness business is either helping you make you money or leading on a path to financial failure. If not total failure it is probably at the very least creating stress in your mind and interpersonal relationships.
Identify the areas where you are wasting or misusing your valuable time.
Is it trying to collect money, booking or checking in members/clients or dealing with the books?
Once you know where you need help, it’s time to go and get the help you need. Volo’s online scheduling, invoicing, and member/client management software system is a good place to start. If you need hire someone or delegate more out, than go ahead and do so.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help because life’s precious hours are much too valuable to waste running your fitness business and relationships to the ground.
What is one area in your running your fitness business you would like to change?