Learning Center

For the last 10 years as technology has expanded into and taken over other industries our industry has seen its share come and go.

There have been some solutions we expected to change the industry, others that were the next big thing, and so many that have saturated the market without much positive impact anywhere near the scale we need it to be.

How much is a client retained worth? Let’s just say it's much easier to retain a client than it is to find a new one. It’s quantifiably more efficient, productive and mutually beneficial to both studio operator and client when the two form a long-term relationship.

In the business world, retention is defined as the ability to keep workers or customers from leaving a company. 

A couple months ago I had the pleasure of co-hosting a dinner in San Francisco with equipment manufacturer Precor.  Of those in attendance was our most recent Studio Spotlight, John Heringer from Fast Action Training in San Jose, CA.  It was apparent early on just how passionate and dedicated John was to his craft.  The following spotlight showcases John's desire to surround himself with the best and ensure his clients are always the #1 priority.

Talk to any fitness professional in the Bay Area and I can just about guarantee they know Khaled Elmasri. His enthusiastic approach to changing people's lives is evident and his desire to make others around him better is one of the biggest reasons I was excited to work more closely with him and the Nor-Cal Fitness Summit.

When I met Khaled earlier this year I was drawn to his entrepreneurial spirit. From that initial meeting and follow up calls, I've learned more about his future aspirations including where he wants to take the Nor-Cal Fitness Summit.  

According to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/networking, NETWORKING is defined as... "the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups or institutions; specifically : the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business."

SOCIAL NETWORKING is defined as... "the creation and maintenance of personal and business relationships especially online." In concept, networking is straightforward and simple. It’s the practical application that can get cumbersome.

In today’s world, many businesses opt for “debt financing” to access capital and/or assets because it can be accomplished without changing the ownership structure of the company.  

This is opposed to “equity financing” which involves ownership structure changes, usually meaning you have to relinquish a portion of your business in exchange for the funding. 

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it, keep looking. Don't settle." - Steve Jobs

I recently had the pleasure of co-hosting a focus group/roundtable with some of the brightest studio owners in the San Francisco Bay Area.  At AFS, we always jump at the chance to assemble these types of events.  It's essential that we fully understand exactly what our members are going through.  

As you may know, two domain extensions recently launched that are a perfect match for fitness professionals looking to strengthen their digital brand: ‘dot-fitness’ (.fitness) and ‘dot-training’ (.training).

These new domains allow you to create short, meaningful web addresses that stand out from the crowd and speak to your passion. Having a strong web presence is critical to the success of any business, and it’s even more important in the incredibly competitive fitness industry.