It’s a toughie, deciding what you should put or keep on your timetable for January, especially this January in particular.
I’ve had a lot of messages from instructors over the last few weeks wanting to talk through what their next steps should be, so I wanted to consolidate the things we talked about to make it easier to decision-make.
I know it's tough being the decision-maker, I'm right there with you, but it's important that you build the life that you want and are able to help folk feel fit & healthy in a way that is in line with your goals and skills.
1. What are your ultimate goals?
If you see yourself teaching online v teaching in the community, this will shape what you choose to do with your virtual offerings after Christmas. Likewise, if you have a burning urge to teach a certain class style eventually, then what you put on your timetable now will gradually funnel your clients toward that. For example, let’s say eventually you want to teach weights, then perhaps some Booty or abs style bodyweight classes would be a great addition to start that journey. Take 5 minutes and a notepad and write down where you see your classes going, working back from there may help you outline what your timetable needs to look like now.
2. What is your profit/loss on each class?
Yeah yeah, I know, we don’t like to talk about money. But we can’t critically evaluate where we are and what we can financially sustain unless we have a clear picture of what is going on in our Stripe account. If you have a membership model this may be a little more difficult to decipher, but using your class numbers will definitely help with that decision making.
3. What is costing you the most money?
It could be a venue cost, equipment cost, professional fees. If something is costing you more money in the background but isn’t bringing in the revenue, this might be something that you need to bear in mind as you put together the ultimate timetable. Would changing venue help reduce those outgoings?
4. What do your clients want/need?
They might be asking you loads of questions about improving their core strength, but yet you have nothing on the timetable to help them with their goals. Ask them for feedback but also ask them about what their goals are going forward, then you’ll get a clearer picture of what matters most to them and how you can help.
5. What is taking up the most time?
It might be that the class you cannot wait to teach is taking up the most type, In prep, in set up and so on. If it’s heaving, then that’s no biggie right? But what if it’s the quietest thing on the timetable, taking the most time to pimp and the hardest class to get people back in to. Taking a class off the timetable doesn’t mean that it is gone for ever. You can re-add it any time.
6. Is there a better way of ensuring the classes get a fair shot?
For example, would courses work better for that class type so you presell the spaces and then there are no refunds or rollovers if a class is missed. Could you be using your booking system more effectively? Does it have extra functions that you’re not maximising to keep that consistency? Have a look around your booking system and see if those client retention tools can help you give the classes you have on now a fair shot at filling up!
In group ex, and fitness in general, we have a tendency to make a lot of decisions based around guilt. We don’t want to upset our clients by dropping a certain class, we feel like we are cheating on a class concept if we change it slightly or if we need to put it on hold. You cannot run a business based around guilt. No doubt, you came into this industry to help people. If you have 2 people in the class and it’s losing money, you are spending yours to run it. That is COOL if you are minted and you can afford it. It’s NICE to help people. But if you’re not a secret millionaire, then running a class that doesn’t turn a profit not only affects your life and your wellbeing, but it also affects your ability to run other classes that could help more people. Being able to get some more bodies in your classes, means more people falling in love with fitness and THAT is why you got into this in the first place.
I know it's a tough time to make decisions at the moment as we REALLY don't know what this January will look like, but as long as we are the boss, we have control over what we offer and how we help people... and that's the cool thing about being an entrepreneur. If you want to know more about our Fitness Library and how we can help you supercharge your resistance classes, just give me a shout. Our website is in maintenance right now but it will be up and running again asap.
