Achieve Your Fitness Studio Dreams Faster with These 7 Goal-Setting Steps
Imagine this: It's the end of the year, and your boutique fitness studio is thriving. Your classes are consistently full, your members rave about the personalized experience, and your team operates seamlessly without needing constant oversight. Financially, you've surpassed your revenue goals, and you're paying yourself what you deserve. Best of all, you've achieved this without burning out, maintaining a balance that keeps you passionate about your business.
If you're sitting in a very different reality right now, that paragraph might make you feel frustrated or lost for where to start, and that's understandable. When you're in the woods, it's so hard to see the forest through the trees (I've heard that expression a million times and didn't understand it until I opened my first business). So, where do we start? With a deep breath, a hot tea, and intentional, studio-specific goal-setting. Here's your step-by-step guide to creating actionable, focused goals in January that will help you build a thriving boutique studio all year long.
1. Start Here: Reflect and Set the Tone for the year
My favorite way to start goal setting is to pause before diving into detailed goals and choose a word or phrase that will represent your vision for the year. This word will act as your North Star, guiding your decisions and keeping you focused.
Examples of Words or Phrases for Studio Owners:
• "Expansion" or "Growth"
• "Retention and Community"
• "Streamline and Simplify"
Last quarter, I chose the rallying cry, "Finish what I've started," and used that phrase to help me cut through decision paralysis. Anytime I wanted to start something new, I reminded myself that that wasn't the goal at that moment, and I redirected.
With your phrase in mind, take a moment to list three moments from the past year that you're proud of—moments that deserve celebration. Think about these successes:
• What made them work?
• What did you learn from them?
Questions to Guide 2025:
• Is there anything new you want to start or introduce this year?
• Are there areas of your business that could be eliminated or delegated to free up time and energy?
By grounding your goal-setting in reflection and intention, you'll set the tone for a focused, impactful year.
2. Set Studio-Specific Goals With 30% Growth in Mind
Aim for approximately 30% growth in key metrics to achieve sustainable, measurable improvements without overwhelming yourself or your team.
Examples of 30% Growth for Studios:
• Revenue: Increase from $10k monthly revenue to $13k by boosting memberships or launching workshops.
• Retention: Extend the average client lifespan from 6 months to 8 months by enhancing touchpoints, like personalized follow-ups.
• Conversion: Raise conversion rates from 20% to 30% by hiring a dedicated salesperson. Just saying, "increase sales" doesn't help you
Breaking goals into numbers gives you a clear target to track progress and adjust your approach. Research indicates that in 90% of studies, clear metric-based goals lead to better outcomes than non-specific objectives.
Plus, individuals with clear, written goals are 10 times more likely to succeed than those without them. So, be super specific.
3. Choose Three Annual Goals
Identify three primary goals for the year that align with your vision. Studies show three is a magic number- any more than three and you decrease your odds of succeeding, so these goals should be impactful enough to drive significant growth but focused enough to be actionable.
Goal Ideas for Studios:
1. Increase total active memberships by 20%.
2. Launch and fill a new program or class offering by March and grow it to 60% average capacity.
3. Reduce operational inefficiencies to save 10+ owner hours per month by creating new procedures and hiring a studio manager.
Reverse Engineer Your Plan:
Start with your ideal outcomes and work backward to identify the steps needed to achieve them. (If you need help, check out the Better Business Planning Workshop where I walk you through this process.)
4. Prioritize What Matters Most for Q1 and Break Goals Into Actionable Steps
While annual goals provide direction, quarterly goals keep you focused. Look at your three yearly goals and break them down into quarterly objections and milestones. For Q1, choose objectives that will set the foundation for the rest of the year.
Example based on New Member Acquisition Goal:
Annual Goal: Grow membership to 100 members.
Quarter 1 Goal: Net 10 new members in Q1
5. Create Monthly Goals and Track Studio Performance
Break your quarterly goals into monthly needle movers. What do you need to do each month to reach your monthly targets? Give yourself actionable tasks that support your overall goals, and check in weekly. Reviewing your progress regularly ensures you stay on track and allows you to adjust as needed. At the end of each month, assess your performance:
• Revenue: Are your financial goals on track? What is your gross revenue and total profit? What was your take home?
• Membership Growth: How many new members have joined, and are they engaging consistently? How many did you lose?
• Class Attendance: Are your classes filling up as expected?
Pro Tip: Document your progress in your planner and look for trends—both wins and opportunities to improve.
6. Stay Flexible and Accountable
You already know that running a boutique fitness studio is dynamic, and challenges will surface that require pivoting. There's a difference between making a strategic decision to change routes and just forgetting your goals by February. Make sure you save room for flexibility, but studies show that your probability of success increases to 95% when you have regularly scheduled check-ins to stay accountable. I have a plan for that- Check out the Studio Success Circle.
7. Celebrate Small Wins
Every step forward is progress. Recognizing and celebrating small wins builds momentum and keeps everyone motivated.
Ways to Celebrate:
• With Your Team: Reward milestones like reaching half your member goal with coffee or a team lunch.
• With Clients: Celebrate client successes, like completing their first challenge, with shoutouts in class or on social media.
• For Yourself: Reflect on your progress and reward yourself with something meaningful, whether it's a day off or a new pair of leggings.
Dream Big, Act Intentionally
Your ideal studio isn't a far-off dream—it's a tangible goal waiting for you to take action. By reflecting on your successes, setting intentional goals, and breaking them into actionable steps, you'll lay the foundation for a thriving studio in 2025. I know you can do it; I see studios reach their big goals every day. So, why not you?
Remember: Everything you want for your dream studio is just around the corner. This is your year to thrive!
Ready to commit to your goals this year? Get a free planner when you buy 3!
