321GoProject

May 22

Thriving Despite…

By 321go | Business Help, Clay Weldon, Leadership | No Comments

You fill in the blank. You’ve got that thing – maybe multiple things – weighing you down. Big time.

It’s got you really frustrated, so much so that it’s consuming your thoughts and making it hard for you to be productive.

Maybe your marriage is not what you thought it would be.

Maybe your kids are making bad decisions and you are worried about them.

Maybe your finances are putting incredible stress on you. The burden on your shoulders is heavy.

Maybe you are at a point in your life where you just thought it would be different… Better for sure.

Maybe your business, your baby, is eating you alive, or… maybe you just can’t seem to figure it out. Everybody else around you seems to be growing. Why the heck can’t something you are trying just work?

Life throws many things your way and you are expected to juggle them all. So what if you are not?

Are you depressed? Tired? Frustrated? Just plain worn out?

You are living on this roller coaster ride that you would gladly exit. One day is great, tomorrow not so much. The pattern is exhausting. You long for some consistency in your life.

If just this or that were different…

So, the big question for you:

Is it possible to “thrive despite” what you have going on?

This thought has been circling in my head for some time now. I am not going to lie. It’s been really rough for me as well. I am pretty sure you can relate. Sure, there have been many good things that have happened and are currently happening, but overall, its just been a tough consistent grind.

An entrepreneur’s road is certainly a lonely one.

You head out on a trip and drive a hundreds of miles without seeing a gas station. You begin to run on empty and become stressed and desperate.

Then you see it: off in the distance, a gas station, where you can fill up. A glimmer of hope. You make a stop.

The old guy behind the counter sees your frustration and tells you to head a different route where more gas stations are along the way. To fill up, get refreshed. You listen to his wise words and go in that direction.

You could have easily kept your initial route filled with more stress, big stretches between stops and refueling, but you don’t. You make a change. Something inside of you says enough of what’s not working.

So can we Thrive despite our circumstances? Can you Thrive despite your circumstances?? You tell me.

What if we stop blaming the people around us? Our wives, our kids, our families, our partners.

What if we take responsibility for our actions?

What if we go a different direction?

What if we decide to get up a little early and make sure our day is planned out?

What if we change our daily habits if they are not working for us?

What if we stop waiting for life to just happen to us, but meet each activity, person, loved one with a sense of purpose and positivity.

Your business is not where you want it be. You are tired, I get it.

So what’s your plan? No, seriously. What are you going to do to change it? I know you’ve tried many times, but it hasn’t worked. Ok, then time to do something different. Seek out help.

You can’t be successful alone. We weren’t meant to live this life alone. It’s too tough. Find people you trust and share your frustrations with them along with your successes.

Can we and will we thrive despite…? Yes, 100%. It’s about taking responsibility for your attitude and action.

You don’t have a good marriage? Stop blaming your spouse and worry about changing yourself. Your marriage may not improve, but you will. Guaranteed.

Are you working too much and don’t have time to spend with your kids? Change that pattern this week. Work will always be there. Your kids won’t. They need you. Start with blocking off 1-2 nights a week you will be home with them. Whatever it takes, make it happen. You will be empowered and will most likely affect other parts of your life.

Your business stalled? Not thriving? Ask yourself, will anyone else come in and rescue you because they love it as much as you do? Heck no. It’s your baby.

So you’ve got two options: Sell/Close it down OR put a stake in the ground today that from now on you will figure out what has to be done to grow.

It’s all about attitude and a burning desire for change.

I read this somewhere: A burning desire backed by faith simply means deeply, passionately wanting to get somewhere and knowing – not hoping, not wishing, but knowing that you will get there.

You’re at Point A. You want to get to Point B. It’s just the in between that you need to figure out.

Let me let you off the hook. You don’t have to go it alone. There are friends, coaches, services, around you that can help. We’re only one of them, but we’re definitely a good choice. The gas stations that are not so far apart on your journey, but can keep you refreshed, filled up.

The worse thing any of us want is to get to the end of our life and say, What if?

Surround yourself with people who have been where you are, experienced the struggles you are going through, and are Thriving Despite…

Want to see how we can help? Schedule a free call with us at your convenience here.

May 15

Help… I’m Stuck!!

By 321go | Business Help, Don Moss, Leadership | No Comments

You’ve opened your gym in the last year or 3 years ago, got some members and now… you’re stuck.

You just can’t seem to break through some invisible member mark (20, 40, 100) and you don’t know what to do.

If you haven’t already, try out some of these tips to get your membership train back on track:

Beginners Welcome! – This should be front and center on all of your websites, FB, and any kind of marketing. Remove that intimidation factor associated with CrossFit as often as you can. Post pics of just normal people doing CrossFit.
Use Facebook – If you are on The Hub and haven’t already watched social media expert Josh Sturgeon’s videos about Facebook marketing, stop what you’re doing and do this now! It will unlock the mysteries of an effective ad campaign on Facebook and focus your ads (and money) on the audience you want. Priceless!
Create a Facebook Private Group for your Members – Make sure you are friends on Facebook with all of your members and they’re in this private group that you create. This is a great alternative way (besides newsletter, email, etc.) to spread info about upcoming events, deals and just general info. It also allows your community to converse with each other and share successes. Be sure to make this community reflected of the culture that you’re wanting to see in your gym.
Tag Away and Post on Timelines – Once you are friends with your members on Facebook, try and get some good pics of your members and then put them on their Facebook timelines. Don’t spend every class being a photographer but just take a few seconds to snap some pics. Pick the best ones, post the pics on their timeline, make sure you mark the location as your box and say “Good Job!” or just something positive. This is FREE marketing to all of their friends and will likely start a lot of discussions about them doing CrossFit and loving your box. It’s a GREAT way to get others interested in your box.
Capture info – Make sure you have a visitors log at your box (paper or digital) which will allow you to populate your member management system (Zen, FrontDesk, Wodify, etc) with new contacts. Also, you can have a contact form on your front website page which leads to a landing page for a free ebook on fitness or nutrition (321Go has a ton of these). You can capture names and emails this way as well.
Get the word out – Take all those contacts you now have and make sure they’re on the distribution for a monthly newsletter or general emails with pics from past events, news about upcoming programs and your intro program or nutrition or personal training. Get the word out on anything you want to promote. This will make sure you get in front of them again at least a few times a month with news about the awesome things your box is doing.
Reviews – This can set you apart from the competition. Would you be more willing to try a box with 3 good Google reviews or one with 20 good Google reviews? Pick people inside your box who love it. Ask them to do a quick Google, Yelp or Facebook review (send them the link to the reviews to make it easy) on your box because you think they’re awesome and you want others just like them to fill the place. They’ll dig the fact that you think highly of them and will usually be more than willing to rave about you in a review.

It’s all about Momentum… Give these tips a try, stay consistent and then watch as you breakthrough that sticky member mark!

If we can help in anyway, we’d love to have a conversation with you. Schedule a free call with us here.

Don Moss is the Founder and former Owner of CrossFit Apogee and a 321GoProject Business Coach. He has been interviewed and featured in The Box Magazine, Box Pro Magazine, on 321GoProject and Box Pro podcasts and on CrossFit.com. He is a true lover of people and the community mentality of CrossFit. His goal is to help owners make smart decisions, see their businesses succeed and their dreams come true. For questions or to talk about 1-on-1 consulting, reach out to him at Don@321GoProject.com.

May 08

How to Create a Marketing Strategy You Feel Good About

By Julie Weldon | Business Help, How To, Hub, Julie Weldon, Marketing | No Comments

If there’s one thing that is consistent in running a business, it’s that everyone wants more clients, more members, more customers, more people buying what they are selling.

But, the reality is… more people in the door is one of the hardest things to actually get.

And it’s called marketing.

For many business owners, marketing is a mystery. What works? What doesn’t? If it works for the guy down the street, why isn’t it working for me?

The key to your business success lies in how effectively you market your services.

You run an event, it needs to be marketed. You create a new program, it needs to be marketed. You want more members, you’ve got to market to get them.

So, how do you get your message out there in a way that people want to bite the hook?

Create your Marketing Strategy.

Why does a Marketing Strategy matter? The short answer is: because it saves you money.

In marketing, there is strategy and there are tactics. And there is a big difference between the two. Often, we see business owners doing the latter. In hope of attracting new members, they throw a bunch of things at the wall, hoping that some of it sticks. Problem is, all that takes time, and money… and sometimes lots of both.

John Wanamaker was famous for saying, “Half of the money I spend on advertising/marketing is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.”

Creating a marketing strategy before you begin executing on the tactical things allows you to think through your plan and apply your limited marketing budget more effectively.

Some of the benefits of creating a Marketing Strategy include:

Peace of mind from being proactive, rather than reactive with your marketing efforts
Confidence in knowing you are prepared
Structure in your business so that you can budget for what’s ahead
Organization for your team so they know what’s coming

How do you begin creating your Marketing Strategy?

First, it’s important to spend time getting in the head of your potential client. Who are they? What do they value? When you can get clear on the specific factors that drive their choices and behavior, you will be that much closer to planning events and communicating in ways that speak to what they will buy.

Once you understand who you are messaging to, get out a calendar and think through the next 3 months. Look at the holidays, and see what events you can plan around the holidays. Decide what challenges you want to run, what specialty classes you want to offer, and what events you want to host both for your members and to attract new people in the door.

Once you schedule these in your calendar, list everything you need to do to make each one of those things happen. Focus on one event at a time, starting with the ones that are scheduled to happen first. Answer questions like… How are you going to promote it on social media? What do you need to order/reserve? Who can you bring on board to help you and delegate things to? What email automation do you need in place to ensure good communication, leading up to the event and afterwards?

For the month of May in Hub, we are focused on helping Hubsters create a Marketing Strategy so they can realize the benefits listed above. If you’re all over the place with your marketing and never confident that what you’re doing is achieving the results that you want, join Hub. For only $99, you can get in there where we’ll walk you through step-by-step in creating your Marketing Strategy.

It’ll be the best $99 you’ve spent in a while, trust us.

If you’ve got questions, we’re always happy to jump on a call with you. Use this link to schedule at your convenience.

May 01

4 Things to Maximize Your Chances of Success in Your Business

By Julie Weldon | Blog, Business Help, Financial Help, How To, Julie Weldon, Leadership, Marketing, Starting a Gym | No Comments

We’ve all heard the sobering statistics from the SBA that only 50% make it to the five-year mark and just one-third get to celebrate their 10-year anniversary.

If you’re reading this and you’ve made it to your 2 year mark, your 5 year mark, or maybe even your 10 year mark… huge congratulations! We all know getting to any of these milestones is no small feat.

Because, let’s be honest… the road of an entrepreneur is never an easy one.

It often feels like going on a hike… barefoot, through a densely wooded mountainous forest, at night, with no flashlight, no food or water, and certainly no cell phone reception.

Even for the ones who seem like they have it all together.

What about the road for those who don’t make it to the 5 year mark? Or, maybe even a better question… for those that do? Starting a business and staying open 5 years is a monumental undertaking.

We’ve spoken with countless gym owners who are tired. We’ve spoken to ones who look like they’ve built a huge business because of the number of members they have, but they’re not profitable. For those people, business isn’t fun, it’s stressful. These owners got into the business because they loved helping others, and now it’s turned into the exhausting business of well, running a business.

So how can you make sure that you’re in the small percentage of folks who actually succeed and don’t get burnt out along the way?

Here are a few of the key things based on our experience:

1. Pay Attention to Your Cash Flow. This is the number one sinker for small businesses. Most people who start a business aren’t a “numbers person”, so they don’t ever really have control over or understanding of their numbers. Huge mistake. As a result, they don’t pay themselves, and are constantly focused on not having enough.

Suggestion: If this is you, stop putting this off. Commit now to focusing on getting comfortable with and knowing your numbers. First things first, order a copy of Profit First today, and set up your business using this financial system. It will get you in control of your numbers, have you paying yourself right away, and radically change your cash flow challenges. But, be prepared to work the system. There are no magic bullets!

2. Have a Marketing Strategy in Place. You would never (or very rarely) start a vacation or a building project without a plan. So, why do so many small businesses open their doors without a plan for how they are going to grow? Many owners we talk with are years in and haven’t created a marketing plan. Working without a plan will only get you so far. With so much competition rising up, those who have a plan that they’re executing on will be the ones who get out in front of the pack.

Suggestion: Join Hub. For the month of May in Hub, we’re focused on helping all Hub subscribers develop and execute on their Marketing Plan. We provide the how to, templates, courses, resources, and the expertise needed to ensure Hubsters are focused on the right thing.

3. Surround Yourself with Other Like-Minded Owners. A strong, supportive group offers you the ability to positively change. To see what others are doing, and use their experience to make changes in your own business, can be a game changer for your business. It gives you the accountability to actually make the changes. And then it provides encouragement and high fives when those changes happen.

Suggestion: Again, join Hub. Our Hub subscribers have come together to form one of the most powerful communities of gym owners that exists in the industry. They are quick to say that our private Facebook group has been one of the biggest benefits of being a Hub subscriber. It’s a safe place of question asking, idea sharing, and high fiving. Just being a part of this group is worth the price of admission. To take it a step farther, you can apply to join a M3 (Momentum MasterMind) group. These are small groups of 6-8 like-minded gym owners who meet weekly. They are led by a 321Go Business Coach and are all in similar places in their business.

4. Admit What You Don’t Know and Get Help. Another big reason businesses fail is because of the incompetence of the leader. This is not meant to be a derogatory statement at all, it’s just that many gym owners aren’t equipped to run a business. They just don’t know what they don’t know. And none of us know everything. But, the ones who admit what they don’t know and are willing to invest the time and money into really learning and applying what they learn are the business owners who will be around for the long haul.

Suggestion: Find a business mentor, join an accountability group, listen to podcasts, read blogs, and become a part of a motivating and inspiring FB group. The resources are there, you just need to tap into them. Invest your time and money in ways that will grow your knowledge, and ultimately your business.

Your business is your baby. Your creation. It’s everything to you. It can become everything you dream it to be, you just have to choose the best ways to invest in it. And then, execute on what you learn.

We very much want you to succeed. So much so that everything we create and offer here at 321GoProject is geared towards that. Want to jump on a call with us? Click here to schedule one. We’d love to chat!

The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from everyone else. – Brian Tracy

Apr 24

Have You Lost Your Why?

By Julie Weldon | Blog, Business Help, Hub, Julie Weldon, Leadership | No Comments

We all start something – a new business, a new hobby, a new adventure – because we love it. In the beginning, our vision for success often consumes our thinking, our conversations, and our activities. And it’s incredibly fun. We’re inspired by just the thought of success. Everything is new. People encourage our vision. Things feel like they are coming together. We’re going to get to live our dream.

And then…

Reality sets in.

Maybe it’s 6 months down the road, or 6 years, but life happens and we’re sitting alone wondering what in the heck we’re doing. Those encouragers are nowhere to be found. Money is hard to come by. The days are long and our energy is low. The newness has worn off. We have no idea how to get more people through the door. The business is running us and keeps demanding more and more of what we don’t have to give. Some days, maybe most days, it’s just too much.

This weekend we had a gym owner post in our private Facebook group. “Really excited to be here! We hit a major boom for our gym around 4 years ago but in the process of growth we lost our way and more importantly our WHY! The gym was regular for 2 years before it started to drop off. We took the plunge with the Hub to give us a clear direction and to simplify the complication we caused in our business. Actually to say I’m excited is an understatement.”

This got me thinking…

How many gym owners out there have lost their way and their why?

How many of you started out, excited to help people and do what you love, and are now just going through the motions – tired, discouraged, lonely, on the verge of burnout? You didn’t realize when you started out that you’d have to be a marketing expert, a writer, a therapist, a toilet scrubber, a financial whiz, an event planner, a social media poster, a floor cleaner, a videographer, a lease negotiator, and the list goes on.

Now your business – that thing that used to be a fun dream to think about – feels like a massive burden. Where once you only wanted and expected the best, now you’re satisfied with good enough. Your purpose is nowhere to be found. It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. People are counting on you and it feels like too much.

You may even be considering closing up shop.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

We have created a community that is honestly like no other in the industry. We’ve been involved in the CrossFit / fitness world long enough to know that it can be tough out there. Where can you go for answers to your questions that won’t make you feel like an idiot? No matter how successful we are, we have questions (or we should). We all need a safe place where those questions can be answered.

We spent the last year and a half developing Hub to address all of the above.

We know that many gym owners can’t afford one-on-one business coaching or a high price tagged monthly service. They just need something that won’t break the bank to get them going in the right direction.

If this is you, Hub is your answer.

Our goal with Hub is to create a welcome oasis from noise and offer a source of knowledge and camaraderie for the affiliate community.

And it’s working. Check out these recent comments we’ve gotten in just the last week…

“I just wanted to give a big SHOUTOUT for Hub and this amazing group page. Since joining in January, I have gained focus, understanding, and direction in how to make the business into my vision. Upon numerous business systems created and marketing strategies developed, my most proud accomplishment is converting my members to new membership options.”

“The hub has helped us tremendously:)”

“I can’t tell you how much I have learned in the last 4 months! It’s incredible, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come in these next 4.”

Because we know that every dollar spent is one that doesn’t make it into your pocket, we want you to try before you buy so we’re offering a 7 day free trial of Hub. No commitments needed, no strings attached. Just jump in there and try it out. If you like it, keep going. If not, just cancel.