Instructor Newsletter 17 January 2013

Middle of January is upon us like a runaway train and so is the bloomin snow. I’ve written about it in past newsletter but it still always leaves the community Instructor with a heavy heart. So, just to reiterate again (and I’ll probably be doing this again at some point) get your snow policies in place, film some home workouts for people to do, make sure you have everyone’s mobile number for last minute emergency texting and don’t take any risks. I know it feels awful to cancel and leaves you sick to the stomach but don’t risk pranging your car, having an accident or risking life and limb, getting to a venue to teach 2 people is not worth it and will cost you more in the long run. Make the decision early in the day to cancel and move on, don’t beat yourself up or fret about cancelling – it’s out of your power. Be sensible and safe at all times PLUS everyone will understand and I promise everyone will come back next week, they really will. Have faith in your abilities and remember to stay positive.

Rekindle Your Passion

We, as human beings are all like satellite transmitters and receivers. You may consciously be saying one thing to yourself and to everyone around you, but if your subconscious believes something different, then that is being transmitted to the world and people will pick up on it unconsciously as well. It is so crucial to teach and promote what you really, truly love, believe in and feel passionate about. If your heart has gone out of a particular class and even if you are the best actress/actor, subconsciously your participants will pick up on it and they will start to drift away. Take a few minute to think about what you totally love to teach and the message you want to convey to your participants and if you need to make some changes then do it now. The beauty of being self-employed is that you can alter your course and take a different path, we are all continually growing as teachers, educators and coaches and our situations change and life evolves. What suited you perfectl y last year may not this year, whatever you do don’t get stuck in a rut, identify what you love and follow your passion. On Phil Richards workshop last week he spoke about the Heart and the Brain connection which I have become so interested in and how important it is to go with how you really feel. If you passion is dwindling for something I wholeheartedly say “Make the change”, more people will be attracted to you and what you offer. I guarantee it.

Music Corner

Continuing on the passion tip. We all know how the choice of tunes in a class can totally make or break it and I never thought I would love the high energy music on Pure Energy’s Dance Days and Clubs Nights CD by Martin Jenson as much as I do. It’s such an uplifting and energetic mix. I teach advanced choreographed HILO every Thursday to a packed group at Virgin – the numbers are always high, rain, shine or snow. I love putting the choreography together, it’s like teaching at a convention but this mix had us all at fever pitch. I can’t recommend it highly enough if you like your tunes fast and furious.
Click here to see Dance Days and Club Nights

Kick Start Fat Loss Updates

35 KSFL live clubs launched this week. It’s been an incredible journey, as I have been training, coaching and mentoring the franchisees since September, and, although many of the team had been running trials, it was the big launch last week and wow, its been ground breaking.

We have some big competition with the established weight loss brands but with social media, clever marketing and networking diligently in the community we can get the KSFL concept out to the general public. KSFL Ireland launched on Tuesday with 3 packed classes and a dedicated Men Only KSFL has attracted a ton of media attention.

Cooking from scratch, balancing hormones not counting calories, shopping local using local butchers, grocers and fishmongers plus the KSFL HIIT 30 Workouts are now making headway across the UK. PLUS with yesterdays horsemeat fiasco, the public is slowly starting to realise that highly processed food could actually contain “anything”…….we really have no idea what goes into these products.

I’m blogging daily on the KSFL website and the KSFL Facebook page, which in 2 months has grown from 300 to almost 3000 Likes. You’ll find loads of meal ideas, food updates, home training workouts, articles and updates so do pop over to the page if that interests you  Click here  for the FB page

This week we are welcoming on board Jill Chester who is based in Cumbria and Helen Pybus who will be running KSFL in Norfolk. Helen has 141 people already waiting to start which is fantastic. Its exciting times and although we have a long road ahead educating, empowering, teaching and coaching I believe 110% we can do it. Every movement has to start somewhere and we are changing peoples attitude and education to health and fitness one person at a time.

The KSFL Home Workout DVD is now featured and selling well on Amazon. Yvonne Radley is working on PR as the press interest in KSFL is starting to grow and snowball. The magazine was downloaded by almost 16,000 people so we are slowly moving forward and gaining interest which is so exciting.

There will be a springtime KSFL Nutrition Roadshow and  if you are interested in becoming a franchisee then please email me as soon as you can RachelLHolmes@aol.com

Someone asked me to describe how I came up with KSFL and I thought about, it and realised its the culmination of my entire 26 years experience and knowledge in the fitness industry to date.

Are your community classes working…….Don’t panic YET by Rachel

If numbers are low in a particular class and you are only breaking even or making a loss, then cut the class, change the class name, move it to another time or DUMP IT……BUT NOT YET! It’s too early…way too early yet.

Community people haven’t got back into the swing yet, they are being bombarded by fitness messages from every angle, many haven’t been paid and FEBRUARY is ALWAYS better than January.

a. Use Facebook and ask people in your area what they want. Don’t make the mistake of thinking, I “Think xxxxx” would work, ASK on your email database or on Facebook and find out what the needs are in your area. Look for another angle, a new market or a new client base that health clubs and leisure centres aren’t hitting.

b. Marketing – Did the flyers and posters you used work? Did they get new faces or lapsed people into your classes or PT sessions. If they worked – brilliant, keep going and continue with that theme, if not it’s rethink time. Printing is SO expensive instead of making flyers have shelf life and printing special offers and dates on them, direct people to your super dooper website where all your most current class information is, then you don’t get stuck with 1000’s of flyers that have gone out of date.

c. Do a complete reckie of your business including spending. Streamline what you do. Petrol costs are rising again so take this into consideration when travelling to and from classes. Work out all your outgoings and then look at cuts you can make.

d. What IS making you happy and what’s becoming toxic? Dump the toxic classes. As soon as you do, you’ll feel better and new opportunities will jump in your path. Clear away the toxic stuff first.

Marketing
1. Is your marketing message getting across – your message has to be clear, concise and consistent
2. Have you worked out your USP – who do you attract.
3. Your personal branding and how your position yourself is critical – Get professional photos done, look the part, dress the part, be professional but let your personality come through in all your marketing material.
4. Carry your branding through on Facebook, Twitter, your website, your Business Cards.

Jayne Nicholls

Has anyone else got hooked into what is the most uncomfortable Celebrity Big Brother ever? Spencer and Heidi, are they real people? Do they breathe the same air as others?

When my dad used to say ”what is this world coming to?”, I would roll my eyes, but ”what is this world coming to?”

I saw this post on Face book today:

CROSSFIT.
I feel like there’s no middle ground when it comes to this type of training – you’re either a diehard believer/practitioner or you are appalled at their seemingly reckless methodology.
What is it about Crossfit that generates such a divide?

Its not just Crossfit that elicits such a reaction, it seems that so many new and exciting programmes get pulled apart by other fitness professionals on their journey through the ranks of popularity. Even Zumba has been called reckless and dangerous at some point over the past few years. What do you think?

What makes new exercise methods no matter what they are a threat? I experienced this when Les mills came into the industry but soon realised that its business model was fierce and it was going no where. there are more Crossfit courses running than anything at present, so do instructors revel in the methods that are more diverse and elicit a reaction?

Would love to hear your thoughts. jayne@groupxtraining.com

Special Dates Yvonne Radley

Hi C2Goers – there’s a couple of special dates coming up in January and ones you can capitalise on to get yourselves some publicity.
They both revolve around Mondays and the first is Jan 21st when it is Blue Monday – the most depressing day of the month. It’s all because of the wind-down from Christmas, people are still struggling financially and the credit card bills start arriving, the weather is miserable, they’ve broken New Year resolutions and it’s a long, long time until the next Bank Holiday.
The next important date is Jan 28th and in contrast this is Happy Monday – the first happy day of the year according to mental health experts.
Depending on what level of publicity you are comfortable with you have several options.
You could just mention them on your own Facebook and Twitter accounts and give people tips on how to cope with Blue Monday or how to enhance Happy Monday.
You could call your local radio station especially if they are talking about it on air. Your local BBC station is the best bet for this.
Or you could send a press release in to your local paper the week before offering your Top 10 tips on how to cope with Blue Monday and how to make the most of Happy Monday.
Whether you run a studio or you are a one man band you are all professional fitness instructors and the media is interested in what you have to say. So be brave this January and put yourself out there.
Yvonne Radley
Big Me Up Media
(next media coaching course starts February) http://www.yvonneradleymedia.com/coaching-products/
Yvonneradleymedia.com
@yvonneradley
E:Radley@yvonneradley.com

To do or not to do – that is the question!!!!!! Sally Ghafoor

You know the feeling in the pit of your stomach when you glance at your to do list or in most cases, think of writing a to do list. Do the “to do” lists become “to do” lists about “to do” lists?

We did a survey at Fitness Business Hub and 85% of those asked cited that the reason they couldn’t get organised was because they felt completely and utterly overwhelmed by the tasks they have to do
.
Running a household, getting to classes, social media, projects, kids hobbies, work, house errands, book-keeping can all become just too much for everyone, and the to do list, either written or in your head, piles up and up!

The problem is then that those urgent tasks that need doing slip through the net and you end up fire-fighting your tasks; only doing tasks that if you don’t complete you will have problems. How many of you right now are still thinking on doing your tax return as deadline day approaches? How many of you start doing a task and midway through check Facebook, Twitter or your emails? This is when that devil called Procrastination sets in.

So here at Fitness Business Hub we have a plan for you and a free worksheet for you to download – Organise your to do list.
It is very simple really.
Download our “Storm through your to do list” (Got to Facebook like our page and sign up for your get it for FREE) It’s free just like us and sign up here https://www.facebook.com/FitnessBusinessHub/app_197602066931325

1. Spend 15 minutes brain storming – everything you have to do, write it all down.
2. Divide your to do list into home and work.
3. Pick 3 tasks that are most important from each list (we will call them the essential 3)
4. By each of the essential 3, estimate how long it will take you to complete each one.
5. Go to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/fitnessbusinesshub and make yourself accountable, tell us the three things, business or home you are going to complete
6. Download our form and enter your essentials into our Essential 3 worksheet. (FREE if you liked our Facebook page)
7. Look at your first essential, set a timer of your estimated time it will take you to do it and do nothing but that task, then move on to the next one.
8. When you have completed all 3 on each form, go back to your post on our FB and give us a progress report.
9. As per our form have your success treat.
10. Go back to your “Storm your to do list form” and list your next essential 3.
Before you know it you will be the most organised person we know!

www.facebook.com/fitnessbusinesshub

Fat Controlling Carrot Cake by Jill Gardner

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you are all busy and full of enthusiasm for another year of helping people get fitter, happier and stronger!

I had an amazing day working with a chef and delivering a fat loss seminar at a cookery school on Sunday. I loved how receptive people were to what I wanted to share and how much fun I had getting to know people and cooking with them.

This interaction is helping me grow my business massively but also I have learnt that I excel when in front of people, talking about what I am most passionate about! Real food and ditching the beige, dead stuff! I know I would get out of bed to do this every day for nothing if I could! So getting paid to teach the course is a dream come true for me. What would be a dream come true for you?

I want to share the recipe with you! This fat controlling carrot cake has no flour or sugar in. You can omit the cream cheese topping if you are avoiding dairy or use an alternative to top it! Let me know how you get on with it and feel free to share it with your clients. My cook books are coming very soon, so make sure you keep in touch either via Twitter, Facebook or my newsletter!

Ingredients
Prep 10 mins Cooking approx 30-40 mins
1½ cups almond flour (ground almonds)
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp freshly grated orange peel
3 eggs
2 tbsp coconut oil melted
¼ cup Xylitol
1½ cups carrot (grated)
½ cup chopped pecans / walnuts
Method
Use a silicone muffin mould.
In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon, Xylitol (dry ingredients)
In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, oil (wet ingredients)
Stir carrots and nuts into wet ingredients.
Stir wet ingredients into dry.
Scoop into a muffin mould.
Bake at 325° for 30-40 minutes (check half way – knife should come out clean when tested).
Cool to room temperature
Serve

Topping
8 oz light organic cream cheese
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon xylitol
Place cheese in bowl.
Add lemon juice and sweetener and mix thoroughly.
Spread on cakes.
Big love, small tummies!

Jill – The Fat Controller www.hateitchangeit.co.uk www.facebook.com/hateitchangeit @itsjillgardner

Hi there C2Goers,

I hope you’re well and you’ve had a good week so far. Did the snow affect your classes at all? We had a reasonably thick coating here in Nottingham and it did keep a few of my new mums away from driving their cars/pushing their buggies to class, but all in all, my classes ran smoothly, without a hick up.

Today, I’m writing about dealing with writers block. It happens to us all at some point, doesn’t it? You section out a few hours in the diary to get your Newsletters written/Blog updated, and no matter how hard you try, your mind goes blank and you’re staring at a great, blank white screen on your laptop.

Here are my top tips:

*Keep a log of what your previous newsletters have been written on, and scan through previous topics for inspiration.

*When you’re in a creative mood, have an ideas session where you write down themes or ideas for your newsletter articles, ready to refer to when you’re feeling a bit under-inspired.

*Write a series of articles on one theme eg losing weight around your mid-section. So, you could do one along the lines of “What foods help lose weight”, “What exercise helps you lose weight”.

*Go for lists eg Top 5 FAQs about xxxx, or Top 5 tips for xxx.

*Refer to your course manuals for technical information, statistical data and ACSM guidelines and jazz these numbers up into an article.

*Re-hash something you’ve previously written eg I’ve re-written “What happens to the abdominals during pregnancy” is pretty much the same article as: “What is abdominal separation?”

*Think seasonal eg “how to stay motivated to train in the winter months” etc.

*Tie something in with a news story eg Kate Middleton’s pregnancy, How we became addicted to sugar etc.

*Throw in a recipe idea – my clients love these!

*For something a little different, record a SoundCloud audio file. I recorded one for my clients the first week back at class and I received many comments for doing so.

*Make a positive a negative ie instead of writing about “What exercise helps you lose weight….”, turn your piece on its head and title it “What exercise doesn’t help you lose weight…”.

*But more importantly, the best source of information is to answer some FAQs that your clients have asked you in the last week at class.

And there you have it! Have a great writers block-free day and let me know what you’re writing your next Blog post or newsletter article on.

Claire Mockridge

Twitter – @ClaireMockridge
Facebook – /ClaireMockridge1

You Take The High Road…and I’ll Take The Low….
By Andrew Crawford

With the demise of Blockbusters that brings the latest victim of the High Road, quite possibly because of the internet, to four…..

We had Jessops, Comet, HMV and now Blockbusters. If you are still in business today ….on the Low Road …well done. You have done better than these well-known high street brands.

Why is that?

I have always advised that there has never been a better time for the small man…or woman…to be in business.
This is because you can change, adapt and make changes to your business and business model almost immediately. These BIG Corporations take literally MONTHS or years to change things. Not for you. If you are worried that your competition has set up a Bootcamp on the High Road, you can simply set one up on the Low Road….. better, slicker ..the same or different equipment (the next week) Competition should bring out the BEST in you….#easypeasy.
As a Consultant, I saw this first hand. When recommendations were submitted after a thorough Business Audit it would take 6 months to a year to implement.
Why?
Committees….sub-committee…work task force..red tape, blue tape…general bollotics..!!!
I will tell you this for nothing……..
It was all PLANNED.
Think about it……there is no way that established businesses like these could suddenly OVERNIGHT go in administration. Someone KNEW. Someone PLANNED. Someone made some CASH……
If I got some independent Forensic Accountants together and looked at the operations and activities of these 4 establishments say up to 2 years ago, including share dealings, asset stripping, bonus payments, selling and transferring of shares, purchases and sales, analysis of the bank accounts and any other low down tactics employed in BIG organisations like these, we would dig up more than you, me or the man on the street will ever know ……or be aware of…!!

Can you remember the collapse of Enron I think it was…..the shredding of paper, destroying files etc….what were they hiding? We will never know.
So Andrew….
What has the High Road the Low Road and I’ll be there in Scotland before ye and the planned collapse of those 4 establishments got to do with Accountancy and Tax?
Well…you must plan for success in your business.
Developing the Success Reactions Habit

How we react to outside situations plays a huge part in how successful we are. It determines the work we do, how much money we have, the friends and place we live.

Someone who cannot take criticism in their work because their habitual pattern is to feel offended, loses out big-time. Other people can often make some worthwhile contribution to anything we do, even if it’s only adjusting a minute detail. The successful person listens to suggestions, but only takes on board those ideas they like or agree with.

Developing the habit of being continually alert to how you automatically react to any given situation will highlight any negative habitual patterns that you need to change.

Make sure you always react positively, in thought, words and actions and you will increase your rate of success in every aspect of your life! Develop the habit of responding.

10 Start Up Questions

These are the questions to ask before statrting your venture

1. Is there a demand for your business?
It is vital to research your market before you begin. Who is likely to buy your product or service? Where do they live? Is demand seasonal? How much will people pay for it?

2. Have you assessed the competition?
Examine the firms in your area. Can you compete with their price, service and quality?

3. Are there special licences or legal requirements for your business?
Contact your local authority and relevant trade organisations for advice.

4. Do you have suitable business premises?
A desk in your own home and/or a storage space in your garage may be all you need.

5. Do you have the right equipment?
You’ll probably need a desk with a phone, and a computer and vehicle are also useful. Don’t forget your ipad, iphone or Galaxy S3…!!!

6. Have you contacted the tax man?
Once you move beyond selling the odd item for private sale, they will need to know what you are up to!

7. Do you have capital to put into the business?
You may need cash to buy equipment, and to cover yourself until you turn a profit. Use your own savings, ask friends and relatives, or get a cheap bank loan, if you can.

8. Have you set up a bank account?
Credit payment facilities are useful too.

9. What will your business structure be?
You could be the sole business proprietor, operate with a partner (you will need to draw up a partnership agreement) or set up a limited company. The easiest way to do this is through an accountant or company formation agency, for a small fee. You may have to hire staff too or keep them Freelance.

10. Have you produced a business plan?
It is vital to set down on paper what you are doing, with cash flow and profit projections. Not only useful for yourself, a business plan is vital when obtaining bank loans, as it shows you have done your homework.

Below, you will find a list of essential items to include in your Business Plan. I gave this to a FitPro this week who use it to raise cash for their business. These are the broad headings I regularly use when formulating a comprehensive plan.. Under each heading are sub headings. I didn’t reproduce them here as it would be too long. You can find the comprehensive Business Plan Structure and the Business Plan Guidelines here…..

http://www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com/articles.htm

The Business Plan Structure
Cover Page
Contents Page
Executive Summary
Business Background
Aims & Objectives
Products & Services
The Market
Marketing
Sales
Financial Plan
Opportunities & Threats
Timetable & Deadlines
Appendices

Finally

My condolences goes out to the family of the pilot who crashed into a South London crane. Even with over 12,000 flying hours…..accidents do happen.
Especially to the unsuspecting innocent victim walking to work who also perished.

Then I find my mind wondering across the pond to our brothers and sisters in the USA and the new gun law proposals being signed. Have you ever thought that when and if they eradicate certain guns from the ordinary civilian, who may use them to protect themselves, the only people left who can carry and use them are the law abiding law enFORCERS?? #noresistence springs to mind.

www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com
www.facebook.com/andrewjamescrawford
www.facebook.com/fitnessindustryaccountants
www.twitter.com/tax4fitness
www.fitnessindustrygossip.com

Wishing you a wonderful week

Best Wishes

Rachel x