Learning Center
We’ve consolidated our videos, guides, webinars and more into the AFS Business Learning Center. Browse the resources, and use the concierge service if you need help with any topic.
Harvard Business Review blogger John Coleman writes that great leadership starts “incommunity,” that great leaders act “not in isolation but with community,” and the “most inspiring leadership is that done for community” (“Leadership is Not a Solitary Task,” 2/5/14 blogs.hbr.org).
As a fitness studio owner you not only have the opportunity to create a community for your members, but to create a community for your staff.
Fitness is an industry with constant churn in terms of people coming into the mix to workout and those who fall out of fitness – for a variety of reasons. Even with more and more research showing the health and wellness benefits of fitness, many people who would benefit from it, simply don’t start.
As businesses this leaves us with the pool of people who are actually willing to make it into a gym/fitness studio/etc. The good news? Once they start, it’s easier to get them back if they fall out.
How do you change the world? I used to think it was through teaching people how to have a healthy lifestyle because if everyone understood the benefits of exercise and eating nutritious foods we’d have less disease, everyone would feel better, have more energy, live longer and be able to contribute more…you get my point.
I’ve since realized we actually change the world through marketing because it doesn’t matter what incredible information you have to share with the world if you don’t know how to share it with the people who need it.
No matter how you slice it… it comes down to two things: getting members/clients, and keeping them as long as possible.
Market research offers studio operators valuable information that can change the trajectory of their business.
Research can provide thoughtful and impactful insights into a multitude of critical elements that influence how a studio performs.
Once upon a time, you could be a generalist trainer. All you needed was a general knowledge of physical health to run classes and train people. It’s been this way since the beginning of the industry. But that’s all gone.
Take a look at some of the fads from decades past and you’ll easily see how far we’ve come in our knowledge and expectation from our trainers.
Having a strong digital presence is critical to the success of any brand, and that’s even more true in the incredibly competitive fitness industry. The biggest fitness brands not only have polished and professional websites, they also use social platforms to engage with customers to build their digital brands.
One of the key elements to maintaining a strong digital brand is the ability to run effective online promotions. The beauty of the digital age is that you can target and communicate with your core customer base with incredible ease.
While there is always a danger of spreading your services thin by chasing every market, if you have space and your studio could use some traffic in the after-school time slot, then a martial arts program for kids may be something to consider.
The majority of students in a martial arts school are under age 12 and their parents are paying $149 - $249 per month for two classes a week. As tempting as that may seem, there is some complexity in reaching and keeping this market.
AFS and MATRIX are excited to bring you this very important webinar focused on driving more revenue by having the right programming in place.
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.
There are 100 million baby boomers (those over 50), that make up about 30% of our population, and three-fourths of America’s wealth.
They are expected to live longer than previous generations. This is the largest segment in our economy with the largest percentage of wealth. They are seeking help for their aging bodies. Because this is the generation of consumption and personal gratification they are spending at “boomer levels”.
In order to maximize your website traffic, it is critical to have a web address that is short, meaningful, and keyword-rich. Fortunately, two domain extensions recently launched that are a perfect match for fitness professionals looking to drive traffic to their website: ‘dot-fitness’ (.Fitness) and dot-training (.Training).
These new extensions are the most fertile ground on the Internet for fitness professionals who are looking to strengthen their digital brand. It’s often difficult to find the domain name you want – these names are ripe with availability.
In the digital age, having a strong web presence is critical to the success of any business. That’s why it’s more important than ever to have a web address that is memorable and meaningful to your target audience.
Fortunately, two new domain extensions just launched that are a perfect match for fitness professionals looking to pump up their digital brand: .FITNESS and .TRAINING.
AFS and PHIT America have teamed up to present you with this incredibly important webinar about the inactivity pandemic - How it affects you, its impact on society and your business.
During the past 30 years Guerrilla Marketing has bred an arsenal of associated marketing trends that now include Internet and viral tactics, among others.
The key message about Guerrilla Marketing is that it levels the playing field between big business and the local entrepreneur because it is generally a lower-cost alternative to traditional marketing.
The Essence of Marketing, when dissected to its most basic element, is nothing more than storytelling.
When telling a story you are sharing information that you believe will be entertaining, important, interesting or relevant to those for whom the story is targeted.
One of the main reasons many studio operators don’t invest (much) in marketing is because they believe it’s a waste of time and money. But why is that? As a former health club operator and now as a Marketing Coach, I find that many of us, I’m including myself from back in my club days, don’t have the time to dedicate to or a genuine understanding of how, to plan and execute an effective marketing strategy.
Typical marketing scenarios at studio level are a combination of three things: inconsistent effort, unrealistic expectations at the start of a campaign, and concerns over an unfavorable outcome.
Timely, targeted marketing campaigns are critical to the growth of your business, yet many studio owners don’t even want to think about it, let alone set aside time and money for it! The reality is that daily operations keep you running from open to close and beyond and let’s face it marketing is at best, challenging.
It can also be time-consuming, frustrating, and is often confusing. Without a doubt, however, Marketing is absolutely necessary to grow a successful business.
A beautiful weather summer can be a painful season to endure if you own a fitness studio. The nicer the day, the fewer clients you see. Prospect inquiries evaporate, program sales burn out and there is lackluster enthusiasm all the way around. It’s no secret that you would rather be outside enjoying the weather, too!
For your consideration (and motivation), I’ve put together an action plan that addresses nearly every aspect of your business. The way I see it, summer is ripe with opportunities to be busier than ever, highly productive and because of this, better positioned for the inevitable; Winter Is Coming.
“Your brand is possibly your most important attribute. It defines who you are, your values, your desires, your goals and your beliefs. It is the character of your company, from the inside out and how it is perceived from the outside looking in. It must work to develop credibility and foster trust in your business.”
This is taken directly from SKB’s website, it’s our philosophy on what a brand is and it is from this place that we work to develop a visual identity to uphold the brand and execute a strategy to reinforce and nurture it.
FBA is Right For Everybody
• Trainer, Manager or Owner • Beginner or Veteran • 500-10,000 sq.ft.