Top Ten Tips From a Business Coach to Implement in Your Fitness Studio

I am absolutely surrounded by entrepreneurial supporters. I've been a boutique fitness business coach for years. I work with a business coach, and - birds of a feather - many of my friends are coaches, too. I polled a few of my respected colleagues and developed the top ten things your business coach wishes you knew. 

Think of it as a free coaching call on the house:

One: You Should Be Making Money

You deserve a business that pays you back. You're the most important member of your business, not a dedicated volunteer. If you're not yet paying yourself, we need to re-prioritize funds and re-analyze your pricing because paying yourself should not be a happy accident- it's a requirement for longevity. This is the biggest complaint I get when working with a new client, and it's almost always a relatively straightforward fix.

 If you don't think your business can afford to pay you for your work, it's time to change your pricing model, implement Profit First, and hire a coach to help strategize and manage your metrics. Remember, you can't grow what you don't measure.

Two: Everyone Needs a Coach

Speaking of tracking your numbers, no one can do that like a coach. I know this is going to sound self-serving, but hear me out. Coaches have eyes on their entire industry instead of being bogged down in the day-to-day operations. That means we can warn you of problems we're seeing on the horizon and let you in on trends before the studio down the street stumbles upon them. Every successful consultant I know also works with a coach because everyone benefits from accountability, insight, and someone to bounce ideas off. 

I often hear, "I'd love to, but I can't afford it," or see clients cut coaching as soon as the market gets tight. If your ship starts heading into rough water, do you throw out the navigator to reduce your risk of sinking? It doesn't need to cost thousands of dollars to be effective, and there are consultants for every budget. To illustrate, my husband's coach is $30,000 just to sign with her; mine is $400/month, and I have packages that start in the $250 range). Don't do it alone. Entrepreneurship is lonely enough as it is.

Three. Stop Trying to do Everything Yourself

On a recent call, my coach challenged me to outsource anything that doesn't actively move my business closer to my goals or need my personal touch- ideally, 80 percent of the work! I was floored. How can I make sure it's perfect if someone else does it? I can't. But I also can't do everything myself if I want to achieve all of my business goals.

Conduct a task audit and list everything you do for your business over two weeks. Now, delegate, hire, or delete anything that doesn't explicitly need your expertise, actively move you toward your goals, or bring you enjoyment. For example, maybe you love digital marketing - great - keep Instagram on your to-do list, but if it doesn't impact your bottom line or light you up, delegate or delete it. Your time is too valuable and limited to spend on tasks someone else could be doing. 

Four: New Clients Won’t Find You on Social Media

You'll probably feel skeptical about this, but I promise that 99 times out of 100 new clients do not find you from your perfectly curated Instagram page. "How do I get more followers/likes on social media?" is one of the first questions I receive when I start working with a new studio owner. Guess what; you don't need to. 

Congratulations! That means you don't need to dedicate hours and dollars to your social media platforms and ads weekly. Instead, spend that money and time on managing your leads or updating your street-facing signage. 

What clients will do is head to your Instagram to research:

• Will I fit in here? 

• Do the clients look like me or will I feel like an outsider? 

• What are the classes like?

• Is the studio clean and pleasant? 

• What should I expect? 

Let this be freeing. I tell clients, "likes are not currency for brick and mortar studios" every day. Post consistently, but consistency can mean weekly instead of daily for you. 

Five: Nothing is More Important Than Lead Management

I have been coaching for seven years and have yet to find an exception to this rule. If you only have 20 minutes to work on your business daily, spend it nurturing leads. Call, text, and email your clients. Send hand-written postcards and bomb-bomb videos to add your personal touch. Reach out a few times to show your clients you're involved and notice their progress. Lead management is the most significant difference between a profitable studio and one just getting by. 

Six: Automation is Not the Holy Grail You've Been Led to Believe…and Neither Are Facebook Ads 

I coached before Brandbot (et al.) was standard, and I witnessed the decrease in conversion rates that occurred once automation became mainstream. Think of your interactions with advertising. Do you feel special when you receive an automated text or mass email? Does it make you want to buy? Not likely. Sure, there will be occasional purchases, but automation does not pull the same weight as personal, customized contacts. I'd rather my clients use a google spreadsheet and put that $200-$400 per month toward their personal paycheck.

*disclaimer- if you're using automation software fully and love it (and your conversion rate is above 60%), you do not need to cancel it unless you want to.

The same can be said for Facebook ads. Yes, they were amazingly effective five years ago, but the market changed, and most small studios can’t afford the $1500+ budget required to get your ad in front of potential leads. Marketing doesn’t need to mean “throw your money into the Metaverse and cross your fingers.” Read the marketing blogs for more on this one. I am always shouting about it.

Seven: Lead with the Value and End with the "Why."

This one came up a few times as I spoke with coaches. Anytime you ask a client to take action, whether signing up for a membership or bringing in a friend, your value proposition should start with the value: all perks, outcomes, results, benefits, or special extras, and end with your why statement. 

In advertising, we often see, "for just $199, you get _____physcial offer_____", but that's actually backward. Your potential customer often fixates on the price and may even decide that whatever comes next isn't worth it. Flip that script and sell the emotion, not just the offer. 

For example, suppose you're selling teacher training. Your landing page should detail the outcome, emotional incentive (dedicate you-time, a deeper appreciation for your body, etc.), and all the value adds that come with the training first. Think about why people sign up for teacher training. It's often for much more than just the sake of the certification. That's what sells. 

Backward marketing is the most common mistake I see studios make on their websites and landing pages. Audit your site to ensure a new client can quickly determine your value propositions and resonate with an emotional catalyst.

Value Proposition= Your studio + Value + How + Why then financial investment

Eight: Unsubscribe From Your Competitors

It is easier said than done, but it's crucial. Your competitors are not inspiring you; they're getting in your head. It doesn't matter what the studio down the street is doing, and aside from ensuring your prices fit your market, you don't need to know what is going on next door. If you've been waiting for an invitation, this is it. Unsubscribe, unfollow, and focus on yourself.

Nine: Do Less and Do it Really Well

I think this problem stems from social media (which is why you should unsubscribe). So many of my studio owners are trying to do everything right now, and suddenly their fitness studio is also an event center, party planner, juice bar, and trendy boutique. Rather than throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks, zero in on what makes your studio special. Niche is an overused word, but your clients will know if you're trying to do too much. 

What is your favorite part of studio ownership? What do you do well? Which classes are your most attended? What pays you back financially? List every activity, event, subsidiary service, and sign-up opportunity your studio offered this year. Try to cut the poorly attended ones or anything taking your attention from the kind of studio you want to own. You don't need to be a one-stop shop to be a successful business owner. In fact, over-diversifying often negatively impacts your bottom line, client attendance, and personal stress level. 

You want your studio to be robust, but you don't need to do everything. 

Ten: Overnight Success is the Exception

For 99.9 percent of business owners, there is no such thing as overnight success. Rather than trying to find a shortcut, commit to the long haul. Learn to lean on discipline and consistency to drive real results. Not only will it postpone or prevent burnout, but it will also help you continue to log in and show up long-term. Don't let yourself get discouraged if you're not where you want to be yet; try not to pivot too often when results are slow. Slow and steady progress is just that- progress. 

Use your resources and free expert advice. Which one of these will you be implementing in your business this month?