Last week we asked CrossFit/Personal Training gyms and Cheer/Gymnastics/Dance clubs one question and got 200+ thoughtful, individual emails back.
The question was this:
What is one major Pain Point (problem/challenge) that you are dealing with right now as a gym owner?
We asked because we wanted to do a quick pulse check on the fitness industry. We asked because we always want to make sure the content we are putting out is helpful and speaking to things that matter.
Because we asked for their pain point “right now”, the responses covered the gamut of creating an exit plan to managing retail inventory to maximizing profit to paying themselves a salary. There were a few themes, though, that rose to the surface for the majority…
Getting leads, time management, and finding (and keeping) qualified staff were three of the consistent big ones.
It’s obvious to say, but if you don’t have leads coming in your door, can’t prioritize your important things to do, and have a hard time finding good people to work with you, it’s tough to run a good business. No surprise, right?
But what is a surprise is how many gym owners just allow themselves to get (and stay) stuck in the quicksand of their pain points.
So, what is your pain point?
It’s funny how that one question can evoke such emotions. When you think about your pain point, which of these feelings surface – anxiety? fear? inadequacy? being “found out” for being… you fill in the blank? frustration? hope (that if you get it figured out, your life will be so much better)? anger? These are just a few of the emotions we’ve felt as business owners. So, we get it.
Here are the responses we got, broken out by categories and percentages:
Pain points are real. We all have them. The difference between the successful and the not as successful is that the successful actually do something about those pain points. They brainstorm with other business owners to get ideas about how they are recruiting good staff, they aren’t afraid to take calculated risks and change course when the outcome of the risk isn’t want they hoped for, they make that call to a company to help them in the areas where they are struggling. They understand that while paying money out for a service will require sacrifice in the short term, it will (hopefully) produce a good R.O.I. in the long term. They know that you often have to be wise in your spending in order to make money.
If we went back and asked every person who responded, “So, what are you going to do about your pain point?”, how many do you think would have an answer?
Likely, many are stuck. And will remain stuck for far too long.
So, if that’s you and you’re stuck, what’s the best thing you can do? Stare that pain point in the face and get creative.
It most likely won’t go away on it’s own. Have that hard conversation. Get involved in a mastermind group. Hire a mentor. Work with a company who can help you get leads in your door.
We’re certainly not the only company who can help, but we are one really solid option. We’ve been there, we’ve felt the pain of running a small business, we’ve dealt with staff conflict and the pain of trying to find good people, but one of our core values is that we build a relationship with you so that we can really be “in it” with you.
Here are 5 ways we consistently offer help at no charge:
- A weekly blog on all things related to running a fitness business.
- A weekly podcast with people who are in the trenches.
- A free call with one of our team to talk through your pain points and offer ways to help.
- One of our Hub courses – the Business Checkup course – is available for free so you can see what you’re doing well and where you need to improve your business.
- Try 7 days of Hub at no charge. No strings attached. Just dive in and try it, and if you like it, keep going.
It doesn’t matter if you’re running a gym with 2-3 locations and 500+ athletes, or are just getting ready to open your space, pain points are inevitable.
There is a quote that says “Happiness is only real when shared”, which I wholeheartedly agree with. But I also believe that most pain points are best solved when shared. Find someone or a group of people to be in it with you.
An old proverb proclaims that “The counsel of many is wise.” Make the sacrifice (of time, money, or ego) and let someone else in. The smartest people in the room, know that they are not the smartest people in the room.
It’s amazing how much lighter your burden will get when you don’t feel like you’re in it alone.
This post was written by Julie Weldon (julie@321goproject.com).