We asked some of our Success Coaches two questions about overcoming “analysis paralysis.” Every day, they talk to independent gym owners across the country and share their combined decades of experience in guiding them to success. Here’s a look at their answers.

Now, more than ever, identifying what you need to change and taking swift action can mean the difference between being profitable and being bankrupt by the end of the year. Overcoming “analysis paralysis” is crucial to creating and continuing positive business momentum.

1. What symptoms do you identify in fitness business owners that indicate they may be struggling with analysis paralysis?
2. What is your best advice for overcoming a pattern of overanalyzing and lack of action?

Success Coach Craig Myers:

1. Simple tasks take longer than they should, and important decisions take even longer. Another symptom is changing things up too often because you’re over-analyzing every detail and expecting perfection.

2. For ordinary tasks, set a goal for how many you can finish within a certain time. With big decisions, accept that sometimes you don’t have all the information. Have confidence in yourself to make the decision. Leverage your resources, like our coaching, to speed things up and provide perspective.

Talk about it with one of our Success Coaches – Schedule your free call now!

Success Coach Ben Ludwig:

1. It’s easy to compare yourself to others – How is everyone else doing virtual training, how are they marketing, etc. I see so many owners deviating from their long-term visions and following rabbit trails until it’s hard for them to answer “how and why” their decisions are tied to their goals.

2. Make sure whatever decisions you make align with your long-term vision, and don’t fear making the wrong decisions. Your clients will appreciate you trying to make the most of your situation, and they are more willing to endure through your struggles than you might think.

Success Coach Asa Ivers:

1. Fitness business owners who struggle with analysis paralysis also struggle with fear and trepidation.We have a tendency to be perfectionists. I see many owners over-scrutinizing adaptations or ventures, and hesitating to make any changes.

2. First off, organization is key; prioritize the lowest-hanging fruit. Second, the KISS rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Your delivery might have kinks to work out, and that’s OK. Third, prioritize yourself to ensure you are staying well.

Success Coach Mike Allen:

1. They tend to avoid making decisions, then change them and stress out. They usually over-plan and under-execute. A history of being a perfectionist or a deep thinker can amplify their analysis paralysis in times of increased risk or high demand.

2. Be aware of the signs. Identify the cost to you and your business. Take full responsibility by realizing it’s a choice. And break the pattern — set deadlines, or create a rule against revisiting decisions.

Success Coach Madison Allen:

1. Taking too long to make a decision; gathering more research than needed; getting more stressed in general. When they’re grasping for certainty and are unwilling to take any calculated risk, that’s a big symptom of cumbersome overthinking.

2. First, determine which business decisions are worth your time, energy and efforts. Not all decisions are created equal. Second, make deadlines for decisions and projects; discuss this with your coach.

Success Coach Pamela MacElree:

1. Right now, everything is constantly changing, so we have to act swiftly. I’m not suggesting that you act without thinking, but rather to not wait for perfection and just take some action to move the needle forward.

2. Refer to your long-term vision frequently. Each day be sure you’re doing something to move you forward. Make sure you are not the person stopping you from achieving your goals.

We have an awesome team of Success Coaches here to talk about this and everything else to shorten your learning curve. It starts with a free consultation, so schedule your call today.

We asked some of our Success Coaches two questions about moving into the online space. Every day, they talk to independent gym owners across the country and share their combined decades of experience in guiding them to success. Here’s a look at their answers.

Question 1: For fitness business owners thinking about offering a permanent, online Core Offer or Front End Offer, what variables should they consider in the creation and strategic design of their new service?

Success Coach Asa Ivers:

Am I making a reactionary decision by adding an online service, or does this fit into my business model?

Do I want to offer this service long term?

How much manpower will I need to invest in maintaining my online offer?

How can I set the pricing correctly to not detract from my in-person training?

Talk about it with one of our Success Coaches – Schedule your free call now!

Success Coach Madison Allen:

When moving into the online space for the first time, it can be easy to get lost in the operational and execution details of your offer, while overlooking the strategic decisions.

Is this designed around the outcome I’m best at getting for clients?

Does a sufficient market exist for this Core Offer to be successful?

Do I have a clearly defined ideal client for this program, and do I have a strong, local market positioning statement that will attract that ideal client?

Success Coach Mike Allen:

Start by examining the “why” behind this effort. A lot of independent gym owners didn’t have a choice but to branch into online offers with the uncertainty of COVID-19. But that’s different from permanently expanding offers online. Develop an understanding of how this fits in with the long-term, strategic direction of your business, if it does at all.

Success Coach Craig Myers:

Understand why a permanent online offer is the right move and get clear on the ideal client for it. Capacity is critical. Do you have the resources to maintain a permanent virtual service in addition to an in-person service? Get a solid idea of what you’re capable of delivering at a high level. And remember, an online offer doesn’t have to be live coaching/training.

Question 2: What are the first three action steps a fitness business owner should take in launching/promoting a new online offer?

Asa:

Determine what you’re offering and how you plan to communicate with clients in the program.

Figure out how much time and manpower will be demanded. This will give you a baseline for pricing. Also, take into consideration your in-person offer so that you don’t price your online as a competitor to it.

You may want to do a “soft launch” and start with a small test group as you work out any kinks. Once you have a systemized program, then get rolling with larger-scale marketing.

Madison:

The first step is to get centered on what you’re offering and what problem it solves for clients.

Next, determine how you’re going to deliver the service operationally. Who will handle the delivery? What resources are needed to deliver the service? How will you measure the success of the service?

The third step is to get the word out using internal, online and offline channels.

Mike:

Step 1: Outline the offer. Identify the ideal client. Craft your product positioning/differentiators.

Step 2: Figure out your resource allocation (team, capacity, marketing needs, etc.) and what you need to accomplish this. Consider operational elements — how are you going to deliver a world-class experience with your online training?

Step 3: Start marketing it.

Craig:

Get clear on your offer — what the service is and the pricing. Consider three broad categories: selling a product; selling a limited service; full-service training.

Prepare operationally. Get the tools and resources you need to deliver a great experience. This may also include beta testing with current clients or prospects.

Use the Triple A method to create your marketing plan and go.

 Our Success Coaches are here to help you with this and everything else you need to make your gym a success. Set up a free consultation now.

If you’re working toward a goal, then you need to measure your progress. That’s true whether you’re a gym owner trying to grow your business or, say, a fitness client trying to lose weight.

And in both cases, it’s helpful to use KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to see how you’re doing and make necessary adjustments.

Two KPIs are Leading and Lagging Indicators. What are they, and why are they important to your business?

Leading Indicators

• You can think of leading indicators as inputs. These are the activities and actions you take to reach a desired outcome.
• Your leading indicators influence and foretell your lagging indicators.
• Leading indicators tend to be harder to measure but easy to influence.

Lagging Indicators

• You can think of lagging indicators as outputs. These are the results or outcomes from your leading indicators.
• A change made to your leading indicators will change your lagging indicators. 
• Lagging indicators tend to be easy to measure but harder to influence, since they’ve already happened by the time you can measure them.

As an example, let’s consider that prototypical client who wants your help to lose weight – a certain number of pounds in a certain timeframe.

No problem. You know how to do the math. Let’s say he’ll need to train with you three times a week for three months while eating 1,800 calories per day. Those are your leading indicators – if he does these things, they will lead him to his goal.

You’ll be able to measure the lagging indicator, or how much weight he has lost, after it’s happened.

Make sense?

A Sales Example

So, how can you apply this principle to your business? Here’s a simple example.

Let’s say you currently follow up with clients three times once you have their information. You close about five clients a month, and you need to get to 10 closes a month.

You can start by doubling your follow-ups (leading indicator) to influence the likelihood of moving closer to your desired outcome (lagging indicator). 

Or, consider the four pillars: leads, front-end offers, core offers, and clients lost. Your leads could be a leading indicator for your new COs, for example. You can increase leads by some factor to move you closer to a new COs goal.

KPIs are just one of the important ways to measure your progress. Let’s talk about systems and procedures your gym needs to get you where you want to go. Our Success Coaches are expert at this, so schedule a free one-on-one call now.

How many times has this happened to you?

You head to a team meeting stoked about getting updates, leading a productive discussion, and adjourning with everyone clear on expectations. But you get there to find some people don’t know what the meeting is about, stragglers keep coming in late, someone forgot to prepare his report, etc.

If you’ve been in business for more than  a week – as an independent gym owner, an employee, or even as a solo-preneur – then you’ve been hit by this kind of disorganization.

The problem extends beyond what goes on in your meetings and leads to a “putting out fires” operation instead of a high-performing team. You and your staff all need your own Weekly Operating Routine.

Routines are part of the systems and procedures every successful business establishes – and maintains. They keep everyone on the same page, with clear direction. And that applies whether you’re running a good-sized operation, a small team, or you’re on your own. 

Fitness Revolution Success Coaches are experts at helping you set up a Weekly Operating Routine that covers all your bases and keeps you on track. We have a fully charted plan, and management tools to keep your priorities and metrics clear.

2 of the Basic Components

Everyone should start with a Weekly Kickoff meeting. This is where you set your focus to manage the week ahead so it doesn’t manage you.

Review your priorities and metrics 15 minutes before the appointment so you’re bringing to the table everything that’s expected of you. 

If you work alone, schedule this like a meeting and make sure you honor the time to check in with yourself, commitments and goals.

Then, at the Weekly Wrap-Up Meeting, be sure to close out each week by counting wins and casting a vision for the next week. Incorporate new information, update your calendar, and set priorities for the next week.

How to Run Great Meetings

A Weekly Operating Routine includes several meetings and check-ins. Having a Weekly Operating Routine makes it so much easier on you, as the business leader, to make sure they’re all professional, productive, and no longer than necessary.

Here are some tips to run a great meeting and make sure you get buy-in where you need it.

1. Set the expectations for attendance, preparation, and participation beforehand. Give them time to make adjustments. Then hold your team accountable. Remind them of the 3 Ps of each meeting: Purpose, Preparation, Presence.
2. Hold meetings at the same day/time every week. 
3. Start on time, finish on time. Every time. 
4. Make this the most important appointment on anyone’s work schedule. If you learn to treat it that way, it will be that way. 
5. If your meeting is live, have printed copies of all the relevant documents. If you meet online, make sure your agenda has a place where you can link to them.
6. Keep your agendas consistent. Most sections should be crisp and efficient with little discussion. Make it clear that one section is the place for discussion.  Identify the facilitator who will manage the meeting and keep everyone focused, and the agenda manager, who will take minutes and share post-meeting information with everyone.

We’re happy to share more about the Weekly Operating Routine and our systematic approach to making your gym a success. So, let’s talk. Schedule a free one-on-one chat with one of our Success Coaches today. 

We asked some of our Success Coaches two questions about how to set and adjust goals for the rest of 2020. Every day, they talk to independent gym owners across the country and share their combined decades of experience in guiding them to success. At this point in the year, it’s good to look back at how Covid-19 affected you — and how you can move beyond its enormous impact to finish strong.

Question 1: What adjustments should gym owners be making to their year-end goals?

Success Coach Asa Ivers:

First, really dive into your financial numbers to see how you’re trending against your projections, what’s realistic, and what needs to be revised. Second, for many gyms, this is an opportune time to tweak their business model, class sizes, times, etc. 

Talk about it with one of our Success Coaches – Schedule your free call now!

Success Coach Mike Allen:

We’re still in a time of uncertainty, so accept that things are somewhat unpredictable. That being said, you tend to hit what you aim at, so aim at what’s most important. Set goals knowing that you may need to make adjustments along the way. Balance the immediate needs of “putting out fires” with the long-term strategy of the business. 

Success Coach Craig Myers:

Reflect on your long-term vision as the first step. Don’t get caught up in the uncertainty of “how” you get there —  focus more on the “why.” Reconnect with the reasons you do what you do. It’s either going to affirm you’re still on the right course, despite a few more zig-zags than you would have imagined, or uncover important differences that may affect short-term decisions.

Success Coach Pamela MacElree:

Set metric goals to move you back to where you were when the pandemic started. It’s hard for most of us to accept that we might not end the year with the initial goals we set. Being a little forgiving of ourselves is important, since for the most part we had no control over it. Getting back on track and working toward growth is a reasonable way to address the rest of the year.  

Success Coach Madison Allen:

Don’t get caught up in outcomes or the metric goals that are behind pace or no longer feasible. The best type of goals for the rest of this year are process goals, the ones that are made up of action plan or strategy adherence that’s completely within your control. These are distinct from outcome or performance goals because the focus is on behaviors that influence the outcome.

Question 2: What reflection questions will smart business owners be asking themselves? 

Asa:

Do I have sufficient cash reserves to sustain a shutdown? Can my business model adapt to another one? In hindsight, is there anything I would have done differently? What opportunities do I have from this?

Mike:

What can I learn from other gyms in slightly different circumstances (lost more clients, reopened earlier, had to re-close etc.)? How’s the competitive landscape today? What resources or assets do I need? Am I focusing on what’s really most important? What direction can I get from my coach here? 

Craig:

What have we always done really well? What has always been a struggle, and why? What tools or systems are we missing? Where do we stand financially and what’s the trend? Am I leveraging my coach, my team, my network effectively?

Pamela:

How can I continue to grow my business outside of what I’m used to? How can I start to solve problems for my clients before they come to me with them? What have I learned in the last few months that showed my strengths and weaknesses – and how can I leverage the strengths while working on the weaknesses to grow as a leader?

Madison:

What can I learn from the past six months? What has changed in the landscape that will affect resetting my goals? Which process goal would have the biggest positive impact on the business if I made it my top priority?

Our Success Coaches are here to help you with this and everything else you need to make your gym a success. Set up a free consultation now.

Success Coach Asa Ivers joined Fitness Revolution in 2017 and has helped countless independent gym owners reach their goals. Asa graduated magna cum laude from Touro University in California with a business degree and a minor in marketing. She started in fitness as a trainer 15 years ago, then created and ran a successful gym. Asa loves applying her business knowledge and fitness passion to help gym owners succeed. We recently talked about coaching gym owners through this challenging time. 

Talk with one of our Success Coaches – Schedule your free call now

Q: What’s the No. 1 challenge that gym owners are facing right now?

A: We’ve been able to coach everybody over to virtual offers and keep their revenue streams. But limiting beliefs are the biggest challenge. I’ve had a lot of clients who felt, when this all started, that they couldn’t do a virtual option, for instance – and we help immediately with that. We know the best methods to implement and how to roll your clients. But then there’s the limiting belief that, “I’m not providing the same level of service, so I shouldn’t charge the same amount.” But in reality, most clients understand their hands are tied, so it’s the gym owner’s own self-limiting beliefs that can cause them to shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to maintaining that consistent revenue stream.

Q: How do you coach them out of that?

A: Basically by asking them  a series of questions to help them realize that it’s their own self-doubt that they are basing this on, and not what their clients are actually thinking. When they come to that realization on their own, then we move forward, full-speed ahead with maintaining the same revenue stream, the same cost for their services, and rolling their clients over into a virtual option. I also have them consider the flip side: If you discount your services now, then what happens when Covid is over? Well, then you’d have to raise prices on them – and they’d have an issue. More often than not, the gym owners are very happy that they did not discount their service.

Q: What’s the top opportunity available now?

A: A lot of times, the logistical pieces are so difficult for people to draw out. How do I go virtual? How do I provide this particular service? Do I provide the same programming? All the questions that come along with it can be overwhelming to businesses that don’t have the support system like we provide at Fitness Revolution. We’re able to help right away. We stay aware of what’s happening among the different states, and I coach individual businesses – there’s no plug-and-play, “one size fits all” template.

Q: What’s your advice about freezes, suspensions, and cancellations?

A: You need a policy in place outlining what constitutes a freeze, what the parameters are … Is there a financial situation, a job loss due to Covid? A freeze policy isn’t open ended. It outlines the circumstances in writing. Speaking of policies, you need to have a plan in case an employee or member tests positive or was potentially exposed. I help gym owners draft an email that says everything they’re doing, following or exceeding state mandates, etc. You want to have it ready if that situation unfolds – and be ready to roll clients back into virtual if that’s needed. 

Q: This is a smart time to stop all my marketing, right?

A: No, absolutely not. Do not stop your marketing. A lot of people have been thinking, “I’ll just pause marketing because I’m going to focus on servicing the clients that I have.” No, don’t stop. There’s a lot of businesses that are stopping to save some money. Maintain your virtual options and market to it. Make sure you clients, prospects and community stay informed about what you’re doing.

Asa is just one of our awesome Success Coaches here to help get you where you want to go. Set up a free call now with one of them to learn what we can do for you right from the jump.

No one wants to think about having to close your gym again. And we don’t want to be alarmists here.

But the sad truth is, it might come to that point. We’ve already seen at least two states – California and Arizona – order gyms closed again after a surge of coronavirus cases. With numbers also rising elsewhere, and with the wild ride we’ve all been on already, we believe it’s best to be prepared – or, at least, not caught by surprise.

So, let’s talk about how to get ready in case it happens in your state, too. 

Talk about it with one of our Success Coaches – Schedule your free call now

First: Don’t Think We’re in the Clear Yet

Having the right mindset might be the most important thing right now. That means acknowledging that you might have to close your gym again – and then developing a plan to have on hand just in case.

Hopefully, you won’t need it. And you can always change it. But the gravest mistake would be to forget about it and think it’s all in the past.

What To Consider Now

The good news is, we’ve been through this before, so we know more about what to expect. That doesn’t mean you can just automatically repeat what you did before and assume everything will be OK. 

Here are some things to be thinking about.

• Keep Marketing. No matter what. Your clients and prospects need to know if you’re still open, what your hours are, how to register for online training, etc. It’s up to you to keep telling them – and there’s nothing unethical or troubling about promoting your services. Remember that people need you now more than ever.

• Keep Your Virtual Options. You might have maintained online training throughout the crisis, even if you were already allowed to reopen. (And we know many of you have NOT been allowed to reopen yet.) If you discontinued your virtual offerings, then get them fired back up immediately. Don’t wait for the bad news to come. You want to be ready to continue operations smoothly, without having to start anything over again during crunch time.

• Remember Your Sales Calls. Whether you’re fully open, online only, or offering hybrid solutions, you still have to make your sales calls to bring people into the business as members. It’s a fantasy to think we can rely on our online sales copy to close the deal. 

• What You Know Already. You know from before how to maneuver in a challenging situation. So, apply that hard-won wisdom now before your hand is forced. You know what your income and expenses look like ideally and what they need to be under duress. You know how to manage your time and your team. You know how to consult with your landlord, tax adviser, and accountant.

• Some New Advantages. The market is thinner now, since some gyms have had to close. You should be using that to your advantage anyway – and recognize the bigger opportunity for you now to bring gym-less folks into your fold. Outdoor training might be an option for some of your members now, so consider the possibilities. What other circumstances are different now that you can shape into opportunities?

• Rely on the Basics. Keep the health and safety of your team and clients at the top of your priorities – and make sure everyone knows it. A clean gym will continue to be a powerful selling point. Focus on delivering the best experience possible; survival will come through customer service. Manage your expenses.

Again, we don’t want to alarm you here. But make no mistake: You need to stay aware of what’s happening in your state and industry so you can always be prepared. This is an ongoing challenge – and we are here to help with countless resources to get you through it. Set up a free call now with one of our Success Coaches to get your mindset right and your plan down on paper.

As a fitness professional, you’re familiar with how to develop training plans for clients. First you conduct an assessment. Then you ask about their current situation and goals. And finally you develop a map to guide them to success.

But are you doing the same for your business?

Just like those clients, you need a path to help you get where you want to go. At Fitness Revolution, we help you learn where you are with your business now, where you want to take it, and what an individualized journey to success will look like for you.

Schedule a free consultation with one of our Success Coaches now

Making a plan is liberating, not constricting. Think about it: You know how easy it is to get lost in your thoughts about The Big Enchilada, but breaking it down helps you see how to take the step-by-step (bite-by-bite?) approach. This makes it manageable while also shortening the learning curve. And remember — you can always make changes later.

Stage 1: Sell, Sell, Sell.

Your main goal here is to get clients. But you might be limited by self-beliefs like “selling is bad” or “I’m not cut out for this.” Success here comes when you have happy clients making referrals, and your consistent sales efforts are delivering consistent, although slow, growth.

Stage 2: Marketing Machine.

Now is the time to hone your marketing processes so you’re generating leads. You’re typically wondering if you’re charging enough money, and if you’re really cut out for this. You know you’re ready for Step 3 when your aligned marketing messages bring you controlled leads and you’re hitting your sales goals.

Stage 3: Systems Wise.

You’re wondering about making the best use of your time, and you want a break. You’re feeling lonely because you’re spending so much time on work, and you still feel like there are never enough hours in a day. But as you become more of a manager with documented systems in place, you develop enough business understanding that you can even take some time off!

Stage 4: Manager Leader.

This is when you really develop as a manager and a leader – growing from being a service provider to an orchestrator. You might find it hard to give up the day-to-day tasks or to have confidence in the time you spend managing. Success comes when you have an accountable team, more freedom, and time to spend on personal development.

Stage 5: Entrepreneur.

Believe it or not, the biggest challenge here is often boredom. You might feel like you’re not “breaking” new things in the business, and that your employees don’t even need you anymore. But now you have the time and money to develop your team and business further, or maybe even focus on new opportunities and an exit strategy.

We have helped countless independent gym owners by remembering that each one is unique while going through a process we know front to back. It’s probably like the way you’re proud to develop training programs for each client based on individual needs, abilities and goals. You love helping people, and so do we.

It starts with a conversation, so let’s talk. Set up a time for your free consultation with one of our Success Coaches. We’ll do an assessment, learn about your goals, and start helping you through the stages of your fitness journey.