26 July 2012 Instructor Newletter

At last the Olympics are here…..It’s holidays and it’s sunny, so the perfect mix to make community classes take a nose dive…boo….. If they have don’t fret, we knew this would happen, so it’s time to start planning your September and year end quarter. This is anction packed newsletter so grab your pen and your ideas book and start underlining ideas that come to you as you read, and, make sure you read right down to the end as every article is designed to inspire and motivate.

The Fitness market is going through that change again. There are always peaks and flows as new trends start to gain traction and older, established programmes begin to level out and become part of the mainstream.

 

Instead of looking for “What’s next” look at your business and see what’s working,  what needs a revamp and what needs ditching.

Historically, we know that fitness for most people is not easy. You DO need to keep things fresh, vibrant and exciting, and that includes your class names, marketing and content.

Have a cool look at what you would like to offer in Autumn. Only teach what you love and are passionate about, if the passion has gone so will your class numbers.

I’ve been planning lots of exciting events, workshops and tours and as you read down you will see Kelly and I have created a brand  new tour called The Ultimate Toning Project Workshop. This is something unique and different and bridges the gap between mind/body and conditioning classes. It’s all about the Group X experience, with a more chilled out vibe. It’s aimed at your customers who probably won’t do HIIT Training or Bootcamps or really hardcore high energy but want more than Pilates and want the latest nutritional information.

World Fitness Pilates Updates day. Put 4th November in your diary and join Kelly and myself as we take you into the Fitness Pilates future. A full day of new material, workshops and class content. Join us for Fitness Pilates – The Future, The Prop Shop, Plyometric Fitness Pilates  and Flow Motion. I have 50 spaces on the day and it’s a one off day held at Derby David Lloyd. The club is a 1 minute walk from Derby Train Station and is a really accessible venue. Check out World Fitness Pilates Day Details.

Small Group Training

Last weekend Katie Bulmer and I held the first SGT Workshop in Derby. It was yet another inspirational day designed to arm you with everything you need to know to run a successful SGT program.

We identified who is your SGT customer, how it works, how to find a niche, program design, results and maintenance plans. In fact you walked away with the complete A to Z and nitty gritty of how successful you potentially could make SGT.

In my opinion there are many untapped demographics and population groups that just haven’t been targeted effectively in the Health and Fitness market. With SGT you can carve out and dominate if you identify a current niche and choose wisely.

The beauty of SGT is you only need between 5 – 7 people and once you have created, designed and written your programme the work is done and all you need to do is rinse and repeat.

Have a look at your business model. You may teach Group X, Offer PT, You may even do Bootcamps so SGT sits somewhere in the middle. It will appeal to a different type of customer. How many times at the end of class does someone pop over to ask you about PT?

How about leveraging your time much more efficiently and creating a cool SGT brand and format.

You could begin to upsell SGT to your existing customers who are looking for a more personalised service and desire, quicker more measurable results.

Here are My Essential Steps to SGT.

1.Identify your target market – You need to look around you and listen to the news and current affairs. Only last week, 2 gold mine pieces of fitness news was being talked about on the national media. One was how the UK is the most sedentary nation and has the fastest growing obese population and the other group on the rise is new mums having their first baby between 40- 45. Two massive populations that are not being catered for. SGT for those with 4stone + to lose and SGT for 1st time Post Natal mums 40+ who may be struggling getting their pre baby figure back.

2.Name, Brand and Create your product. In this day and age every programme you create needs to be branded and marketed professionally. Take the time to create how you brand will look and feel.

3.Marketing – Run a guinea pig group first to get testimonials. Ask the trial group to all pay you by cheque and that they have to COMPLETELY follow your instructions and attend the sessions. If they do at the end then rip up their cheque in return for videos, testimonials and pictures that you can use when you kick the group off.
Press – Create a social media strategy, update your website to take bookings, have an extensive FAQ section, flyers, posters, word of mouth create your marketing campaign.

4.Build huge value into your product. Create an up-sell product funnel of DVDS, Books ,members only page on your website, home workouts.

5.Choose a day and time to suit you and which appeals to your niche market.

6.As you only have a small number per group finding a venue is much easier – you could do it at client’s home or you home. As we know, most of the large venues around the UK are taken but there are a multitude of small space meeting rooms, rooms above shops, if you ask around and look carefully.

7.Value – You have to communicate in your marketing the true value of your SGT. Don’t sell SGT on time, sell the result, sell the benefits especially if you are a Group X Instructor and want to upsell SGT to your class members.

8.They have to understand the benefits and results of SGT or they won’t understand WHY SGT is more expensive then attending a class.

I would love to hear your views and Ideas on SGT you can Tweet me @RachelHolmes Katie and I will be launching our online Small Group Package in the next week.

 

Jayne Nicholls

Having just had another fantastic and probing conversation with my US favourite Bobby Cappuccio, it has made me think hard about the questions, who are we? and what exactly are we doing? It seems to me of late we are all eager to be somebody, something and someone else, and in our effort to emulate others, we may be in danger of losing exactly who we are.

I think that it is always great to have goals and look forward in order to achieve new and great things. In fact it is our aspirations that as self employed/lone traders often keep us on track, because let’s face it, no one will ever give us a promotion, pay rise or elevated title.

We need to consider that our work is done on the ground floor influencing the health and fitness of the general public. Right now how many of us focus on the health as well as the fitness. Fitness is just a tiny percentage of what is available to us as professional fitness instructors.

So what else is available to us and how can we offer it as a trade for money earned?

I think the key is in PACKAGES. Along with fitness we have so many things to invest in and capitalise on whether this is in large, small group or 1 to 1.
Wellness
Weight Management
Nutrition
Age related health
Health & Wellness for special populations and niche markets.
We can offer this information not only in class but in the following mediums:
Calls
Parties
Health & Wellness seminars
Community lectures
Testing and sampling evenings
1 to 1 interviews
On line questionnaires

In fact depending on the amount of time that you have to invest in creating a new and more diverse you, the possibilities are endless, as long as they involve working in the environment and with the people that you have cultivated throughout your working career.

The proof is in the package!

j a y n e – www.groupxtraining.com – Check out my new website

Pushed out of your comfort zone!
By Paula Denvir

I had been working as a Fit Pro in England happily going along, regular work with a good client base. Everything changed when my brother died of cancer.
I no longer believed in my job, my life and wanted to run, run away far from anything that reminded me of my brother.
So we as a family upped sticks and moved to Spain, hubby, kids & dog in tow.  Exciting but scary, both leaving regular work to no work. Putting the kids into a Spanish school system, leaving their friends made me feel very guilty.
However, this change was good, good for all of us, it gave me back my hunger and passion. Starting from scratch, what do I do, what do I know? I started doing local community classes and waitressing getting to know the locals. I built my own niche Belly dance Fitness which went down a storm. My mobile business was taking off but I was driving miles trying to find appropriate teaching venues, I had to put my roots down and find a suitable venue for myself.
By chance I was offered a unit located outside La Manga Club, 73 square metres of my very own. I had to do it, had to take this chance and see what happens, Healthy Wellbeings was created February 2012. Opening my own studio was something that I never ever in my wildest dreams thought I would do.
I’ve never worked so hard in my life and realise that everything I had in the UK I took for granted. Unfortunately I was involved in a car accident June 2012 having to take 10 weeks off not good when starting a one man band business. However, I came back in September stronger and more determined and so did my clients.
The idea of living and working abroad my sound fabulous, romantic even but it’s a long, hard slog. You have the language barrier, yes ok my Spanish is coming along slowly, missing friends, clients. You have no financial safety net, jobs are very hard to come by.  However, it has made me a better, stronger, determined individual that wants to push and build my business.
This year I made a decision not to teach all hours but to try and shape, mould my business. Which is very hard as my client base is very transient, the majority go home from April to October and I then have to rely on the holiday makers. So I decided to join Rachel’s mentoring programme to improve my on and offline business and haven’t looked back since.
This pushed me further out of my comfort zone, every week I am learning something new on how to develop my business forward and improve my confidence.
I am sure that friends think that I spend my time pool side sipping Mojitos (non-alcoholic) teaching the odd class or going to the beach. Oh my days you couldn’t be further from the truth. When I do get my Sunday Me days down the beach with my family this is where I can catch up with them in between playing bat and ball.
Life is a journey, it is what you make it cliché or not.

I am so glad I took myself and my family on this journey with my brother in tow. I have my health, enthusiasm for the job I love and long may we all continue pushing our boundaries even further.
Much love.
Paula
http://www.facebook.com/paula.denvir.9
www.healthywellbeings.com

Why Implement SGT Into Your Business by Katie Bulmer

Hi C2Goer’s

I wanted to start by saying a hugely big thank you to everyone who came to mine and Rachel’s Small Group Training Workshop on Saturday in Derby. Thank you for all the energy you brought (especially for the 2 hour practical session!), and thank you for all your lovely feedback.

So for everyone who missed it, here are my top 7 reasons why you should implement SGT into your business and product matrix right away…

1. It is NEW…very few people have jumped on this, and you could be the first person in your area. This high end personal service will set you apart from all the other fitness services being offered in your town.

2. Customers are ready for it! The last few years in fitness has seen a surge in big class numbers in classes such as Zumba as well as in boot camps. While this is great for the instructor and creates a buzz in class, the customer gets very little if any personal attention, and in a quest for results this is exactly what they need. They are looking for the next wave in fitness, the latest concepts and programs.

3. It is flexible. Both in terms of time and venue. You don’t need a huge hall, instead you could use a meeting room, or hotel function room, or even work with a group of friends in their home. You can run SGT at anytime of day- early morning, school-run-mum time, lunch, evening…whichever time slot works for your niche.

4. It bridges the gap between PT, bootcamps and group X, and draws upon the best elements of each. It offers the results and personal service of PT and the buzz, camaraderie and accountability of a group.

5. The set up costs are low. You can use purely body weight training, like I do in The Little Black Dress Club, or you could choose to work with kettle bells, bands, hand weights, balls….but because you have a small group you only need to by a small amount of equipment.

6. Because it is results driven, the job satisfaction you get from delivering this concept is immense, whether the results be postural, fat loss, fitness or well-being based.

7. It works for all niches. Whether you work with post natal, pre natal, older adults, women only, men only, fat loss, fitness, teenagers…you can create an SGT program for your niche.

Keep me updated on you SGT progress.

Tweet me @KatieBulmer1

KBC xxx

Supplement Your Mood by Cori Withell

First and foremost try supplementing to enhance your mood through your food!  Here are my top foods.

1) Fish – 70% of the brain is composed of fatty acid molecules so when you eat omega 3 rich foods you are feeding your brain a similar component, happy brain = happy you.
2) Berries – crammed full of antioxidants to help keep our cells healthy and support the immune system, essential if we are fatigued through stress and/or depression.
3) Oats – they sooth nervous exhaustion, debilitation and depression.  They are high in protein and iron which fights fatigue, contain magnesium and zinc which are fabulous for fighting stress and contain high number of B vitamins which increases serotonin production.
4) Nuts – high levels of zinc to combat stress, folic acid helps with depression, vitamin E which helps to lift your mood and more!  For depression – brazils, hazelnuts and cashews.  For stress – almonds, pecans and brazils.  For chronic fatigue – brazils, pecans and walnuts.  All raw and unprocessed, off to buy brazil nuts then!
5) Broccoli – I have broccoli with everything!  Too many benefits to list here but according to John Hopkins University, just 2 tablespoons per day will have a significant positive effect on fatigue, anxiety and stress.
6) Tomatoes – among many benefits they contain folate, low levels of foliates thought to cause irritability, insomnia, depression and muscle fatigue.  The right vitamin C concentrations help combat stress.
7) Parsley – packed full of B vitamins which are known to help fight depression.
8) Figs – high in potassium which according to BMA can aid concentration and ease feelings of stress and depression.
9) Avocado – do I really need to say why!?  High in omega 3, they also increase the body’s ability to absorb and use carotenoids.  These are powerful antioxidants  that help to protect the body from potentially damaging compounds.
10) Honey – Manuka is the ‘bees knees’!  High in antioxidants to help us fight against that run down feeling that often accompanies stress and depression.

Some mood busting recipes coming to you shortly 😉
If you want or need to go down the supplement route, this is for you 🙂
There are many, many more supplements that you could take but these are the top ones for me.

Anxiety, nervousness and tension – vitamin B complex, magnesium and 5-HTP.
Depression – vitamin B complex, 5-HTP, SAMe, DHEA, tyrosine and omega 3.
Down days – vitamin B complex and tyrosine.
Fatigue – vitamin C and theanine.
Fuzzy thinking – omega 3 and ginkgo
Anger – omega 3 and zinc
Poor memory – phophatidylserine, phosphatodylcholine, ginseng.
Moodiness – vitamin B complex.
OCD – Inositol and DMG
Panic attacks – magnesium and inositol
Insomnia or disrupted sleep – GABA, 5-HTP, tryptophan
Stress – ginseng, rhodiola, vitamin B complex

Remember you are welcome to join my private Facebook group if you need a little extra support https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindfulhealthandwellness/

Health and happiness x
Best wishes
Cori x

Facebook   www.facebook.com/cori.withell
Twitter   www.twitter.com/CWFitness
Blog    www.cwfitness.co.uk/blog

 

Ultimate Toning Project – With Kelly Reed-Banks

Hi guys

Hope you are all well and having a great summer, I am really pleased to announce my new autumn workshop tour which is the Ultimate Toning Project.

This is like no other tour I have created, It’s focus is on delivering beautiful toning exercises, ideas and sequences in a more relaxed, gentle but precise environment.

I have spent the last few years focusing on exercises that will beast your clients and because boot camps have been so popular, I have wanted to give instructors as many exercises and ideas that could be put into Boot camp style classes.

I feel now that its time to connect the mind and body and enjoy workouts with a fresh, new age feel.
Participants need information on health within our exercise sessions as there is so much conflicting information out there which they may read on the Internet or in magazines, surely the best place for them to come for information is YOU, their fitness instructor!

So this workshop will explore health & wellness within each section, to give you and your participants new age information to compliment a more softer and gentle approach to your conditioning exercises & classes.

The first section is – The Full Body Toning Project which will last 90 minutes

Within this workshop I will be delivering the latest conditioning and toning exercises using resistance tubing. This piece of kit is so versatile and so many clubs and instructors own then and are often not utalised!
I will be focusing on multiple muscle sequences and routines that flow. Using exercises that will link the mind and body though engaging combinations which can be adapted for beginners to advanced.
I will be re-inventing old skool body conditioning exercises putting these together to give a full body workout with a new skool twist. This softer approach to training concentrates on precision of movement and technique and is a beautiful package. to offer your participants something new on your timetable.

The next workshop is Lean Legs

So many people still do not train their legs effectively, or think if they do they will get ‘bigger’. They don’t realise that by training this area you are working the biggest muscle groups in the body so actually help to burn more calories and reduce fat. Also so many peoples back pain comes from the fact they do not engage the glute muscles properly or understand the important role the glutes play in healthy backs.
I will be exploring the anatomy of the lower body and the most effective way to train and condition this area.
Using a variety of techniques, you will gain new exercises for the glutes, inner & outer thigh and right down to the foot and ankle. I will be mixing ballet and dance style training with a Yoga and Pilates feel to give the ultimate conditioning programme for this targeted area.
This session will ideally be performed barefoot and explain the benefits of working barefoot.

Session 3 is – Slimmer Abs – Abs are made in the kitchen

So many people ask -How do I get slimmer abs? Its the question we get asked every single class. A lot of people rely on just exercise to focus on this area and unfortunately do not get the results they desire!
I will be discussing the role of food choices, quality nutrition, eating clean and identifies simple strategies your class members can implement.
I want to show you how easy it is to help your classes make the right food choices and gain the most benefits.
This session is half theory and half practical and once we have discussed the role of food we will concentrate on the huge variety of core training exercises that are available to us and how to package it all together in results based workout.

Finally the day will finish with Blissful Stretch and Relaxation.
Blissful Stretch is chilled out session of positivity. Using a variety of stretch techniques the perfect class for busy, stressed out clients. We will be using the resistance tubes to aid some of our stretches as well as enjoying a deep relaxation session that will leave your participants floating out the door, feeling amazing and wanting more!

So if any of the above tickles your fancy, get yourself booked on to a workshop near you! This tour is ideal for any group exercise instructors, Yoga or Pilates instructors who want to offer something different in their classes, small group instructors or personal trainers.

I’m so excited about bringing these ideas to you and giving you a new niche that is positively yummy to teach!!

Looking forward to seeing you soon

Much Love Kelly xxxTo book The Ultimate Toning Project click here

 

 

Vikki Scovell

Hello Beautiful people!  This week, I have several thought-strands; work, treats, and summertime, but they are loosely related, and I hope that they make sense to you!

It’s that time of year again.  Class numbers plummet, a sunny evening slaughters numbers in usually packed classes.  People are busy, holidaying, or hot and bothered.  Meanwhile, you have a living to make.  I get a huge cry at the beginning of July; don’t go on holiday, don’t stop teaching, we luuurve you, we need you.  2 weeks later I turn up to watch the tumbleweed blowing through the hall, as one cowering newbie looks at me with terror-stricken eyes at the thought of being trapped in there alone with me for a whole hour.  Being self-employed is tough.  You never really get a break, or feel like you can’t take one; there is always stuff to be doing, but your day can be fractured between classes, travelling and training.  Sometimes no matter how hard you work, the financial pay-out is slim, and the odds stacked against you.  You have to keep going, keep paying the fuel and hall-rent bills regardless of end-of-term plays which wipe out 50% of a class, and the intervention of perfect barbeque weather/flash-floods, and snow.  The holidays are a problem (I have renamed the short ones Bank(rupt) Holidays; they always fall on my biggest-earning days.  People’s routines are destroyed and they drift away; there may be some natural wastage among your client base as people eat themselves out of their lycra, never to return.

Pants.

For the self employed, the boundaries of the working week and the holidays are dangerously blurred.  Working from home also can get very jangled, with a quick break away from the computer turning into a full-blown mammoth laundry fiasco, or a lengthy meditation on the contents of the fridge.

Recently, I have looked into what I am doing, how I am using time, and what I can do to structure it better.  My Iphone has revolutionized ‘dead-time’ spent between PT clients, my lap-top goes everywhere, and I always have a pencil and notebook in my bag to brainstorm or write.  I have had to re-think a thing or two, and make money where the demand is, and that doesn’t mean my demands, but other peoples.  Some time ago, a lovely Bootcamper asked for an early Saturday class.  I think my reply went along the lines of ‘I would LOVE to, but unfortunately my Saturday mornings are fully-booked with an appointment with my hangover.’  My personal definition of ‘weekend’ would be; a 2 day space created by the deity to reward me for my 5 days of selfless toil, saintly wonderfulness, and dedication to the fitness cause.  The allocated time must be spent in contemplation over many glasses of cold pink wine, all work MUST be ignored, and my week’s achievements celebrated with heavenly meals, and little bowls of yummy stuff I shouldn’t really eat (but I deserve it).
Ok so rewind to the previous 5 days of ‘hard-graft.’  How many of those hours were put to focused good use?  Oops; not all of them, but maybe some of them.  Does dancing in the kitchen to extremely loud dance music constitute training, or contribute to the business?  Erm, not necessarily.  Is staying up until 2:30am on FB and Twitter conducive to a productive following-days work?  (Squirms a little) OK no.  At the end of the 5 days, were all goals reached, all plans acted on?  (Wriggles slightly) Nope.  How many excuses have you made for not being completely on it?  Oh yes, I can do that one; I have zillions and squillions.  How many are valid?  Oh leave me alone………….

So how is the dictionary definition of WEEKEND doing?  Oh lawks; time for a re-write.  Weekend; a 2 day space in time which has not been gifted to be by the cosmos in gratitude for my dedication and adherence to my work ethic.  Neither is it a law of physics that this time should be spent in pure abandonment of the week’s usual behavior, and evading the reality of dead-lines, responsibilities and goals.  This time can be used to stay on top of things, and that goes for evenings too!

I suppose it all goes back to childhood; clean your room and you can have a 10p mix-up.  Now I’m grown up (?) I tidy all the sodding rooms, and go to work, and spend every cent I earn on ungrateful small-people; SO WHERE’S MY TREAT?  A 10p mix-up just ain’t gonna cut it.  Bad childhood patterns were reinforced back in the day, when Friday heralded a weekend of hedonism, high-jinx and rowdiness; again a treat for….. hmm not sure, maybe for having got out of bed at all for the last 5 days.  These days that is as unlikely as finding Nirvana in a 10p mix-up, but the old patterns are there; long day; glass of wine.  Hard day; time to relax.  Well NO!  Glasses of wine and relaxation become extremely un-relaxing the next morning when stuff just hasn’t got done.

Anyway, time to re-group; we work hard, we deserve a treat, but we need to use our time effectively.  Working in this industry, and being self-employed, puts a lot of pressure on, especially at this time of the year: but work has to be done, and done well.  Furiously over-working is exhausting and counter-productive.  How useful are you to yourself and your brand if you are injured, stressed and exhausted?  On the flip side, are you actually working hard enough when you can be?  Is your time being used effectively so that you can do other stuff?  If there are no clear boundaries in your working week, the edges will blur and you will lose focus.  It’s a tough time of the year for us; what can you do to make it productive and positive?  Focus; cut out the dead wood, consolidate classes, put some new content into your time table, or take time out.  The twenty-five quid you made in a ¾ empty Zumba class is a drop in the ocean, but the time could have been spent getting ready for September-December or beyond; each one of those 25 squids could be worth 250 squidoos in two months’ time.  Do you need to re-asses your attitude to evenings and weekends (maybe not; it’s probably just me!)?

So here comes the ‘don’t get me wrong’ bit.  I am not advocating working yourself into the ground or suggesting that you do not deserve down-time.  I’m just saying that in my experience, the time I spend endlessly explaining how busy I am, could be better spent being busy.  I have to draw up a timetable to organize myself, and separate the week into work, and not work, or it all gets hopelessly muddy.  Just because I am working from home does not mean that ‘home’ should intrude on work.  I have had to go where the demand is, and open up Saturday morning sessions (which the lovely lady attends faithfully), bank-holiday classes, more evening work (all paid in advance), and full-working weekends.  But I have also scheduled in me-time, and desperately tried to break the unhealthy pattern of feeling that I have earned a reward, when actually I have been 60% nose to the grind-stone, and 40% staring into space.  I have also given-up working for other peoples businesses on Rachel’s advice.  Even if it brings money in now, it is detracting from building my brand, my business and my future; I cannot afford to earn money for other people.  My recent experience on the 19 Day Fitness Business Course, and 1;1 mentoring with Ms Holmes have actually meant that I AM earning money at this dead time of the year.  All the moments in the car on my Iphone catching up with social media have created a stronger brand, a firm fitness community, and I am not suffering so badly from the usual summer drift of clients off into their sunny gardens.  The tumble weed is busy aimlessly circling through someone else’s Zumba class, and good riddance to it.
Vikki Scovell @fitbite

Yvonne Radley

As you know I have worked in the media industry for more than 20 years and have written for papers like Daily Mail, Telegraph, The Sun and The Mirror as well as the women’s magazine market including Bella, Chat, Woman and Take a Break.
I now work in the fitness industry and was named The Most Promising Fitness Entrepreneur at this year’s FEB. It is after this event that I decided to fuse my two careers and now I am representing some of the biggest names in fitness with Yvonne Radley Media.
I am currently working on a couple of exciting projects with Rachel Holmes and all I will say is WATCH THIS SPACE!
As well as getting my clients in the news/media I am also launching two new products to help fitness professionals raise their own profile and their business profile.
I’ve been really busy working on my new start up media pack which is coming out soon, offering fitness professionals a bag of tools to get their businesses in the media spotlight. This includes a press release template, a list of contacts, and insider tips on how to get onto TV, radio, in magazines and newspapers as well as many other features.
Plus I have launched a register of fit pros which you can sign up to for free, I just need your name, email, mobile, place you trade, fitness specialty or niche. Anytime there is a national news story about your particular interest I can offer your details to a network of journalist contacts I have gained over the last 20 years who are based up and down the country working on TV, radio, press and online.
If you would like Yvonne Radley Media to raise your profile the first step is to get in touch email me yvonne.radley@yahoo.co.uk outlining your project.

M25, A12, A13…G4S…G20….!!!
By Andrew Crawford

Be afraid..be very afraid..!!

Tomorrow is the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. All roads lead into London.
The car park…known as the M25, will be bursting to capacity. Once leaving at junction A12 or A13 there will be even BIGGER queues. I drove past the Olympic village and thought…..”I would rather fly than compete with road rage drivers…it will be absolutely heaving…!!”
My immediate concerns are with G4S security.

If one week before the biggest games this country has ever seen or hosted thus far, you “just realised” you were 15,000 men short…..you’re having a right ‘Steffi Graff’….

That is not what frightens me…..it’s this…….”15,000 + Government Soldiers”

Something just ain’t right….I can feel it..!! (What are they expecting????)

Let me tell you a true story that will illustrate my point.

Years ago when I was ferociously firm fit feisty fine flirty female free, I did security for an old college friend of mine. We called him ‘The Cornel’…why?…because he was regimental  with great English diction gleaned from his public school and military background.
He got together expert martial artists, ex para troopers, ex-SAS , ex-army boys and myself ex-cited, to form ‘Impact Security’.
Each Saturday evening we would kit up (all black gear, 10 eyelet steel toe capped boots, black tops and bottoms, puffer jacket and black beret) and meet over there in West London to get details of our ‘operation’ for that evening / morning. Typically…all these operations were out of London.
Now…this is where it gets exciting……..
Our main job was security. Securing premises, money and to ensure no undesirables entered the events with ‘weapons of mass destruction’, ‘pills and potions of mind destruction’ and any other stuff that is naturally grown and cultivated….. (Government picks and dries these naturally grown plants, rolls it up, puts it in fancy coloured boxes and calls them pretty little names like ‘cigars’ or ‘cigarettes’……where they are not earning a fee from unboxed pretty named naturally grown plants, they refer to them as ‘illegal substances’…aka marijuana, herbs, wacky backy,  spliff, ….etc)
Any way…..
Our search criteria was thorough ….any objects found were placed in plastic bins where they could be collected on exit.
Imagine our surprise therefore that when we made internal inspections …there was ‘stuff’ circulating freely inside the event..!!!
How could that be when we had a supposed ‘ring of steel’ around the event??
Then it hit me…………..
“….It was already inside…!!!….” our role was merely to stop outsiders bringing their stuffs inside whilst the organisers enjoyed non -competitive ‘trading’ …!
So…….whatever is going to happen, is already built into the infrastructure of the Olympic Stadium……….allegedly..!!
The G20 Officer got off!!!……using ‘reasonable force’ which led someone to die at the scene….Makes no sense…WTFF…!! (neither does that…lol)
So Andrew….
What has the 2012 London Olympics and HTF did that get in here?..do with Accountancy and Tax?
Well…at the Olympics we will be entertaining worldwide visitors whilst at the out of London events, they were entertaining clients.
What about you? If you ‘entertain’ your clients or prospects, is that cost deductible?
The HMRC says that entertaining is specifically disallowed.
So how do you get around…..I mean legally avoid the entertainment trap?
First                                                                                                                                                             & nbsp;                                    ly, I tell my clients NOT to use that ‘E’ word anywhere near their accounts or book work……it sends shudders down my spine…brrrr…!!
Ask your clients to come to a presentation of your new fitness programme or new product or service. Tell them to be armed with questions. At the presentation you provide wine and nibbles. Your client accepts this in consideration for their time to come to your presentation and the time taken to come up with their questions. Wine & nibbles….deductible.
Where it is ‘customary’ to provide refreshments as part of your normal business activities and your clients know that this is part of the cost of your expensive service…..then these refreshments (teas, coffee, pims, brandy and champs) are deductible.
Where you are having a launch of your new fitness fatloss book and the cost of refreshments is ‘minimal’ in contrast to the cost of the hire of the venue….then cost of the refreshments is deductible. Ensure that the main purpose of the event is the promotion of your book….!!
Supposing you have freelance or self-employed instructors working for you…? The cost of feeding them in a staff meeting ‘over lunch’ is deductible.
I kept it short today….didn’t want to bore the….off you…on the other hand…lol
Finally…..if you’re gonna watch the opening ceremony, I’ll be joining you and this momentous occasion…
Oh…..If you see Usain…say hi for me…!!!
Regards
Andrew Crawford
www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com
www.facebook.com/andrewjamescrawford
Twitter: @tax4fitness

I think I’ve found my niche – twice!
By Claire Mockridge
Ante/Postnatal Fitness Expert

Good morning C2Goers!

I hope you’re well.  As you know, I’m a FitPro who’s worked with over 850 pregnant and postnatal women (and their babies!), so I guess you could say my niche is Ante and Postnatal.  I’d say I have two niches though – more on that in a moment.

I’ve worked pretty hard to get to where I am now.  Currently, I teach just 10 community-based classes a week from Monday-Wednesday, and I suspect a lot of FitPros would LOVE to have my timetable.  “How can you just work 3 days?”.  “I’d love to have 4 days off a week, how did you manage it, Claire?” are comments I often receive.  I’m here to tell you, my scheduled is not entirely out of your reach, so don’t lose sight of it if it’s really what you want, ok?

In the early days, I was teaching a community-based class every day, and to be honest, my timetable got trimmed down quite organically.  A class on a Thursday got scrapped off the schedule, and then numbers started to dwindle in my Friday classes, so that then left me just working Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  I’m certain, with a bit of wangling here and there, you could get a Monday or a Friday off, to enable you to have at least 2 days off together.  Now is the time to make some changes if “time” is what you value.

Back to niches now though….  I believe one of the other reasons why my business is so successful is due to my strengths in marketing.  Advertising is actually something I enjoy doing.  I’m good at, and my strengths in this area bring me results because all of my pregnancy and postnatal classes are full, with waiting lists in operation, so I must be doing something right!

If you have your Ante/Postnatal qualification (or studying it now), and you simply don’t know where to start when it comes to marketing and advertising to this client group, you’ll be pleased to know I can certainly help you:

Over the last few months, I’ve been busy putting together: “Getting BUMPS on seats” – Pregnancy Marketing Manual!   It’s now available exclusively for FitPros, Ante/Postnatal Specialists and Pilates Instructors.  See www.clairemockridge.com/maketing for details.

“Getting BUMPS on seats” contains 9 different sections and you’ll receive marketing hints, tips on pricing and packaging your services, notes on client retention and why it’s so important, how to write killer newsletters, sample lesson plans, how to prepare for your first pregnancy class (eek!), webinars, YouTube videos, sample lesson plans and much, much more!

For a detailed list of what’s contained in “Getting BUMPS on seats” and who it’s for, watch this YouTube video: http://youtu.be/NO7Gt_OnvAI,  or listen to this audio file: http://soundcloud.com/clairemockridge/getting-bumps-on-seats/s-gBKXb

Join my Private Facebook Group here for more information: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/clairemockridge/

Or, connect with me here:

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/clairemockridge1
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/clairemockridge
Blog: http://clairemockridge.wordpress.com/

Have a wonderful Thursday Enjoy the Olympics!

Love Rachel xx

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