You're a failure.. and that's OK
The other day I read a blog about a Trainer & Studio Owner out of the US. His story touched on something that occurs so often to Studio Owners that I felt compelled to weigh in on it and share a simple message..The other day I read a blog about a Trainer & Studio Owner out of the US. His story touched on something that occurs so often to Studio Owners that I felt compelled to weigh in on it and share a simple message..
The backstory is, this trainer was a marketing, selling, and training machine! He was operating a good business in a single location. All the locals knew him and his family, he was great in the community and he was gradually building a business to make a healthy profit every month...life was good.
In fact, it was going so well that one of his clients recognised this and asked him to open up a second location in a health club that they owned 1,000km away. I'm sure you'll agree this is the ultimate compliment a Studio Owner can receive. You think to yourself, 'wow someone wants to invest on my business, it must be good!'
In fact, it was going so well that one of his clients recognised this and asked him to open up a second location in a health club that they owned 1,000km away. I'm sure you'll agree this is the ultimate compliment a Studio Owner can receive. You think to yourself, 'wow someone wants to invest on my business, it must be good!'
So, the trainer agreed, he drew up partnership papers with his clients and the personal training studio was built out within his client's big gym.
At this point, I stopped reading and shook my head..
I knew what was coming next. I have the luxury of experience and in this situation, it's priceless. I'm sure if this guy had his time again, he would sit this one out. As I read on, it was an all too familiar story that I've seen and heard before. Unfortunately doing what this fella did comes with certain risks and repercussions.
To summarise the rest of the story, the trainer was struggling to get clients for this new location and the same marketing funnels and Facebook ads that he used to fill up his first location were not working in the new venture.
His clients who owned the big gym were hoping that he could make their location as successful as the original studio he owns... but nothing seemed to work and the frustration was mounting.
SO, WHAT WENT WRONG?
For one thing, this guy was the "secret sauce" in his original location. HE is why the studio was so successful. People around town knew of him and he'd done a great job over the last while building a name and reputation for himself.
On the other hand... no one in the second location knew him, liked him or trusted him and that's a BIG factor in why his ads, offers and marketing in the big gym wasn't working.
On top of all that he went into somebody else's struggling business and everyone was hoping that he'd be the knight on the white horse to save the day... that's a lot of pressure.
SO HOW DOES HE MAKE IT RIGHT?
The good news is there are 2 options...
1. Stick to your guns, get to know the new community, start from the ground up and develop a presence. This can take months and sometimes years. Think about how long it took for you to develop your first facility and have it humming along, now replicate that time frame again. Of course, the time would be shorter for system development and administration, but the time invested in the community would be the same.
My suggestion:
2. Pack it up, shut it down, and focus on your thriving business in your original location.
If he doesn't do this, he risks losing his clients from his first location (due to the fact he's not there) and then having 2 struggling locations vs one thriving stand alone one.
So, although option 2 looks like the more logical option, it's not always the one people take. Why you ask?.. Because it seems to some like they are failing. Well, failure is a state of mind..Failure is only failure when you stop and never restart.
SO HOW DOES HE MAKE IT RIGHT?
The good news is there are 2 options...
1. Stick to your guns, get to know the new community, start from the ground up and develop a presence. This can take months and sometimes years. Think about how long it took for you to develop your first facility and have it humming along, now replicate that time frame again. Of course, the time would be shorter for system development and administration, but the time invested in the community would be the same.
My suggestion:
2. Pack it up, shut it down, and focus on your thriving business in your original location.
If he doesn't do this, he risks losing his clients from his first location (due to the fact he's not there) and then having 2 struggling locations vs one thriving stand alone one.
So, although option 2 looks like the more logical option, it's not always the one people take. Why you ask?.. Because it seems to some like they are failing. Well, failure is a state of mind..Failure is only failure when you stop and never restart.
And whoever said that failing was a bad thing?
Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because his editor felt he 'lacked imagination and had no good ideas.' We all know what happened as a result!
Steven Spielberg was rejected by the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts multiple times. He went on to create the first summer blockbuster with 'Jaws' in 1975, has won three Academy Awards, 4 Emmys, 7 Daytime Emmys, and his 27 movies have grossed more than US $9billion!
As a 24 year old, I worked 16 hour days and slept on the floor of my PT Studio for the first 12 months after opening. To me that was a learning experience and one I am now glad I went through. I now have a multiple 6 figure Fitness Studio, about to open another one, and own successful online Fitness Businesses.
As an entrepreneur and risk taker failure is part of the education process, and you have to embrace it.
You fail, retreat, regroup, retry with a new plan, new location, new offer, new way or whatever it takes to make it happen.
But if you keep doing the same thing over and over again even though it's not working - that's just insane!
Listen, I'm not going to keep a business open if it's not making me money. If it's making me money but it's causing me stress and and anxiety then I'm going to try to fix it and if I can't then I'm shutting it down and going back to the drawing board.
So I want you to know and accept the fact that failure is part of being an entrepreneur. And you've chosen to be an entrepreneur by starting up your fitness business.
Plus, as an entrepreneur you have a responsibility to make smart decisions when a business is failing - if you can't fix it, then shut it down, regroup, and go at it with a new plan.
Never let your emotions or ego get in the way of doing smart business.
Yours in Fitness Business Success,
Ben Dulhunty
Owner
Smart Studio Solutions
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