fitSpot Guru

What We Cover In This Episode:

• The key indicators that signal your business is ready for a manager, moving you from being the bottleneck to stepping back and focusing on growth [3:36]

• Some of the red flags that will indicate it is not the right time for you to hire a manager [10:36]

• Actionable advice on finding the right leader who will multiply your impact, not just manage your current chaos [14:16]

• The way that listing specific daily, weekly, and monthly responsibilities prevents confusion and ensures you hire a manager who manages, not a co-owner who creates [16:10]

• How to approach using a 90-day trial phase for the new hire [18:58]

• What you can do to empower your manager and track their effectiveness [19:58]

• Mastering the "Slim Team Model" and the essential tactics for success when your studio is owner-operated [20:34]

Quotes:

"If you bring someone on, and they don't have a playbook, you are not bringing on a manager you are bringing on a co-owner." [Nick, 11:17]

"Give your instructors a career. Give your manager a career. The more invested they can be in your business, the better work they are going to do. If they're managing four jobs and you're just one of them, it's going to feel like it's their fourth job." [Nick, 13:04]

"Some people are phenomenal followers/assistants, and the second you put them into a management position or role they will crumble, because it is not who they are, it's not how they operate, it's not where they thrive." [Megan, 14:58]

LINKS:

What Sets Top-Performing Fitness Studios Apart? BFS Network Has the Data

NetGym

Learn More About All of Our Partners (Including LoopSpark & LenzVU) & Get Exclusive Offers

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here!

fitDEGREE's Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree

What We Cover In This Episode:

• How to assess your financials by analyzing what percentage of your monthly revenue is dedicated to payroll [3:16]

• What clients really value and prefer in the studio in terms of staffing [4:07]

• What happens when you define your ideal allocation for teaching, managing staff, and business growth [6:08]

• How to approach growth and what you need to be evaluation and questioning as an owner [14:36]

• The main reasons why owners prefer small core staff over a larger one and the things to watch out for with this sort of model [17:32]

• Why owners choose larger staffs and the risks that accompany this type of set up in the studio [19:05]

Quotes:

"If you do not have a path for people to grow forward, then whenever teaching becomes a burden or a studio is willing to pay more, they are probably just going to dip out." [Nick, 6:38]

"[With[ the smaller staff you're going to want those W-2s. If you have them as independent contractors but you only have four or five instructors, that sounds scary as hell to me." [Megan, 8:24]

"You can have the same studio, the same mission, vision, values, same class formats, everything, if you are in a different part of town, it is just going to be different people, it's going to be a different culture." [Nick, 17:05]

LINKS:

Learn More About All of Our Partners (including LoopSpark, LenzVU & Perkville) & Get Exclusive Offers

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here!

fitDEGREE's Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree

What We Cover In This Episode:

• Why you must ensure every studio has the core safety tools on site [3:17]

• The key reasons that your staff should be equipped with basic emergency training [3:32]

• What to consider when building a culture of awareness and prevention [4:09]

• How to identify the non-negotiables that every studio should keep in its space [7:42]

• The importance of providing baseline training for all staff [8:01]

• The way to create clear protocols so safety becomes second nature, not an afterthought [9:11]

• A reminder to make sure to have the must-have tools on-site, such as a first aid kit, AED, and fire extinguishers [9:28]

• Why staff training should include essential certifications like CPR [13:29]

• How safety should be a core part of your communication with clients too [16:33]

• What happens when you conduct regular maintenance and reviews of all safety protocols and equipment [18:22]

Quotes:

"It is kind of a space to differentiate amongst other studios but also amongst clubs that have classes or franchises in particular…[it shows[ you're really clean and prepared for accidents to happen." [Nick, 17:04]

"We can talk about how much people hate role playing for sales. I imagine how much they hate doing role playing for safety, but there is really no way to reenact it other than getting reps in, simulated reps in." [Nick, 21:08]

"It's a boring and scary side of the business, but it is super important and it could be a differentiator for you in the area. If something happens at one place and they don't handle it so well, and something happens at your place and you do handle it well, it's going to build up a lot of trust and certainty." [Nick, 21:57]

LINKS:

Learn More About All of Our Partners (including LoopSpark, LenzVU & Perkville) & Get Exclusive Offers

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here!

fitDEGREE's Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree

What We Cover In This Episode:

• What you can do to make gifting easy for your members [4:45]

• How launching campaigns by late October can help you avoid the "holiday noise" that starts around Thanksgiving [5:33]

• The key reasons why campaigns should be designed with tight retention dates [7:24]

• What to consider when doing a gift card push around the holidays [15:20]

• How creating a referral challenge can boost engagement and get you new clients [15:40]

• Things studio owners can do to leverage Black Friday and Small Business Saturday [16:00]

• Why pre-selling January memberships can be a powerful marketing strategy [16:50]

• Final thoughts on offering an "introductory series" for new clients and what this can lead for them and your business [22:09]

Quotes:

"I think with branded material or any kind of promotional material, don't go cheap, either don't do it or make sure it's high-quality." [Nick, 12:01]

"Celebrate the studio, celebrate the small business, give back, encourage them to support small businesses instead of the large franchises in the area…take advantage of Black Friday, Cyber Monday; it's not just for e-commerce. It can also be for the local businesses." [Nick, 16:09]

"The goal is to get people started not necessarily to keep people going because if you are providing value, the value is what keeps them coming back not because they scored a great black Friday deal." [Nick, 21:36]

LINKS:

Custom Sock Shop

Learn More About All of Our Partners (including LoopSpark, LenzVU & Perkville) & Get Exclusive Offers

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here!

fitDEGREE's Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree

What We Cover In This Episode:

• Why the chat feature was removed from the FitDegree app, and how it strayed from the original goal we had for it [3:12]

• The timeline and impact of the chat feature's removal, including details on what will and won't be affected by the change [11:26]

• How studios can find alternatives for client communication now that the in-app chat is being removed [13:20]

• The best platforms for internal communication, and why they are better than in-app chat for staff [14:41]

• How to communicate this change to your members to keep the transition professional and positive [16:25]

• The way to address complaints from clients who are unhappy about losing the chat feature [17:14]

Quotes:

"The client-facing app is good enough for where it needs to be, and we've got to get back to where we started, of solving studio owner problems and focusing on that." [Nick, 6:58]

"I would rather spend those months building out something like a sub-management tool that is actually solving a problem instead of trying to force this novelty feature to work." [Nick, 10:55]

"Announcements and text messages is where you should have been before the chat, and that is where we are suggesting you go back to after the chat [removal]." [Nick, 14:33]

"This is a decision that we felt like we had to make to be a better software platform and for our studios to be better business owners." [21:38]

LINKS:

Learn More About All of Our Partners (including LoopSpark & LenzVU) & Get Exclusive Offers

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here!

fitDEGREE's Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree

What We Cover In This Episode:

• How to decide between seasonal hires or a skeleton schedule during busy periods [3:44]

• What to consider when building a streamline training plan for your team [9:27]

• Why you should use reporting tools to check last year's attendance data for better planning [11:56]

• The way to utilize onboarding cheat sheets to get new staff up to speed quickly [12:43]

• Why considering "shadow shifts" is an effective strategy when onboarding seasonal staff [13:09]

• The benefits of offering staff incentives for less desirable shifts [13:26]

• How announcing changes in your app can keep your team informed and engaged [14:50]

• Why you should consider using AI to help with your planning and our thoughts on how you can start doing this [18:05]

Quotes:

"We can decide that we want to hire seasonal staff, we can also decide we want to go down to a skeleton schedule, [but] just make that decision with intentionality [and] have a strategy behind it. If you want to go the other way next year, you can, but at least go in with a plan and see if the plan works instead of just trying to wing it and hope for the best." [Nick, 3:22]

"Just look at that historical data and decide what you need to do. Maybe you need to listen to the data and act accordingly. Maybe you need to see the data and throw a curve ball at it. [Nick, 12:22]

"I feel like it's time to recognize that you're a small business owner (16:30) and just be ready, you know? Like this is kind of the burden you have of being a small business owner, that you almost have got to put a lot of holiday plans on standby and be ready. [Nick, 16:46]

LINKS:

Episode 305: Surviving Instructor Time-Off Season

Learn More About All of Our Partners & Get Exclusive Offers

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here!

fitDEGREE's Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree

What We Cover In This Episode:

• Why standardizing the way instructors request time off is a key strategy for a smooth season [4:08]

• The reasons that building a reliable sub pool in advance of the season is an effective strategy to focus on [5:28]

• Why it's essential to over-communicate schedule changes [9:14]

• How to streamline communication and substitutions utilizing specific software [9:44]

• The benefits you'll see by proactively managing time off and requiring instructors to submit requests well in advance [12:13]

• What you can do to incentivize last-minute coverage [17:47]

• Why you should have a flexible format for classes for those times when you can't find a sub [20:50]

• Tips for preventing instructor burnout by balancing the workload among your substitute instructors [21:15]

Quotes:

"I just don't want to be bogged down on a weekly basis. So who are those members that are there consistently, that are a big part of the community, and that are qualified to teach? [Nick, 5:54]

"I always think that's a great idea, having a pool of subs at all times, but I feel like this is something that I'm pretty sure Net Gym software will automate for you. Even if you're not using Net Gym, it's a great idea to have some sort of blocking system." [Megan, 6:55]

"You might have your core people that you do rely on to cover subs, and that could be your core people in a sub pool or it could be your core lead instructors that are treating this more like a career and not just a part time gig." [Nick, 21:26]

LINKS:

Episode 304: No-Show & Late Cancel Policies That Actually Work

NetGym

Vestaboard Messaging Smart Display

Learn More About All of Our Partners & Get Exclusive Offers

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here!

fitDEGREE's Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree

What We Cover In This Episode:

• Why your studio's demand should dictate your no-show and late-cancel policies [4:35]

• Tips on how to select a penalty that deters repeat offenders without alienating your best members [6:36]

• The key ways in which waivers can be a powerful tool for formalizing your policies [9:01]

• How to use automated notifications and your client communication channels to ensure members are always aware of your policies [15:30]

• Why it's crucial for your entire team to understand and enforce your policies in the exact same way [15:49]

• The reasons that making your policies as black and white as possible is the ultimately the best strategy to put in place [19:28]

Quotes:

"Choose a penalty that deters repeat offenders without alienating members. So it's not really going to be your best members that you're thinking about with this, you kind of have to think of your worst members when you're thinking about this." [Nick 6:36]

"If you update your cancellations polices, add a new waiver, [or] if you just have studio policies in general…all of these things can be in a waiver called 'your studio policies.'" [Megan, 9:04]

"Call them studio policies, call them studio etiquette, this is how we protect our culture at the studio so we can create a welcoming environment." [Nick, 10:16]

LINKS:

Learn More About All of Our Partners (Including LoopSpark and LenzVU) & Get Exclusive Offers

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here!

fitDEGREE's Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree

What We Cover In This Episode:

• The key difference between an independent contractor and an employee to be aware of as a studio owner [6:36]

• Why having contractors in your studio might not be in your best interest and the hidden "pain points" that could arise [8:29]

• How to choose the best practices for classifying staff as either 1099 independent contractors or employees, depending on your state's laws [10:54]

• Where bartering really fits in for a boutique fitness business [15:28]

• Best practice for bartering with a contractor in a legal way [21:34]

• How to pay someone legitimately as a contractor in a common law state [27:00]

Quotes:

"Is bartering even possible? Is it possible to pull off effectively and legally, and get away with it or should we treat bartering like a bad word?" [Nick, 21:03]

"If you ever aspire to be a business that is profitable it is just one of those things, you can't really count yourself as profitable if you're not hitting the things that you need to hit to be a proper business." [26:31]

"Personal liability coverage is considered a benefit, so if you were going to do that you would have to tell that contractor they are not covered under your insurance. Either they have to operate within your business without insurance or here is a resource to go get a small trainer policy." [28:16]

LINKS:

Matt's Website & Email

Gym Ventures Website

Learn More About All of Our Partners & Get Exclusive Offers

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here!

fitDEGREE's Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree

What We Cover In This Episode:

• Why your business model should match your personal strengths and tolerance for uncertainty [1:27]

• The "Vision Test" and why a profitable studio might not be the right choice for you [2:18]

• How to approach building hype for your new studio before the doors even open [7:55]

• The specific risks involved when you inherit a studio's client base [8:49]

• What to be aware of in terms of the hidden costs involved when purchasing a studio [11:27]

• Why expanding nearby to a second locations requires an certain evolution of your business [27:19]

• Final considerations in relation to your appetite for risk [28:55]

Quotes:

"A purchase of a studio means you are inheriting certain members which could be a head start, but it also could be a gamble if they are tied to the old owner or the brand." [Nick, 9:10]

"Don't forget financial risk. New studios often have high upfront costs for build out, branding, or marketing. An existing studio may have lower start-up costs but could come with hidden issues like overdue bills, outdated equipment or staffing challenges." [Nick, 11:22]

"I really feel like it is opportunity based, but I would say if you were buying a studio you are marrying into that brand and you are just kind of keeping it afloat for the next 5 to 10 years." [Nick, 18:02]

LINKS:

Frost Training Club

Learn More About All of Our Partners & Get Exclusive Offers

Gym Lawyers

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here!

fitDEGREE's Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree