You’ve seen a million different Instagram and Facebook videos on cultivating a tomato patch and taking up woodwork - but how should you really be spending your free time when your gym is closed?
As a fitness professional, you may be concerned about what your business will look like when the pandemic is over. This article will equip you with the tools for using this time productively and using it as a mechanism for innovation and pushing your business forward. So, what can a business do to improve its productivity?
1. Educate yourself through online training
While you should by no means feel guilty for taking some time out to enjoy yourself while the current pandemic is going on, there’s also some level of balance to be struck. And if you’re finding yourself with heaps of additional free time then you should consider the ways you can use this time to learn a skill.
Education is power - and returning to your gym post-quarantine with a completed online digital marketing course under your belt can only bring additional benefits to you and your business as we all return to full health. Try topping up your personal training knowledge, brush up your business skills or add another sports coaching skill to your repertoire.
Stay attuned to industry leaders and follow them on social media, ensuring you look out for any webinars or courses that they are sharing online. Sign up for emails (such as the Virtuagym emails you can subscribe in this page to receive updates on the latest news and insights for fitness professionals) and check out sites like Coursera that offer online courses from top universities around the world.
2. Consider what is working and what isn’t working
Being forced to slow down and stop business may feel like a great disappointment, but both as an industry and as individuals operating our businesses, we can use this as a time to innovate. Consider what is working and what isn’t working in your business. How do your members respond to your studio environment? Your staff? Have you considered switching out your equipment? Improving your social media presence ?
Make a list of all the things that are working - and all the things that could be improved. You should make a note of all of the services you pay for and if you’re unhappy with your current software provider, consider researching a new one while you have some free time.
Your needs will change in a world after the pandemic, so ensure that your provider allows you the touch-points and engagement methods that are crucial in times like these. Software such as Virtuagym offers not just schedules and notifications but home workouts, food tracking, and challenges.
If you switch to Virtuagym, you won’t have to pay for your management software if you’re still with another provider. To assist gyms during the current pandemic, the complete Virtuagym membership management system will be free until the contract with your current provider expires. For more details, follow this link . A dedicated onboarding team will also help you with the switch!
Because it’s time-consuming, changing software providers is something that many fitness professionals put off, even though they’re unhappy. So use this time to explore your options.
3. Implement your digital transformation strategy
Look back at what you have learned during quarantine**.** According to the biggest news sites in the world, online fitness is the future. Rather than let this cause you concern, consider it as a welcome challenge to revolutionize your business. People are now so used to working out at home, that it’s expected the digital fitness trend will only grow throughout the year and into 2021.
Look at your online offering and reach out to your clients and members to see what they enjoy. Determine the best way to improve your offering moving forward, to ensure that your members and clients stick with you long-term. Try offering your clients a digital coaching solution like the one delivered via the Virtuagym PRO+ bundle .
4. Keep in touch with clients
Before the quarantine hit, life had a tendency to be packed full with the hectic tasks that take up our day-to-day. When you’re rushing around organising employees, cleaning your studio, maintaining equipment and staying on top of classes, there can sometimes be too little time spent truly connecting with your community.
Take this moment to relish the relationships you have built as a fitness professional. Consider how you can go above and beyond to be there for your community during this difficult time. Reach out to them via WhatsApp and Instagram, not just to offer your services but also to check in. By strengthening your connections with your community now, you’ll reap the rewards in the long-run.
5. Invest in your own health
Last but not least, don’t forget to practice what you preach. Use this time to reconnect with your own health and fitness. It can be easy to neglect our own health when we’re so tied up in reaching our business goals and although your business may be your life, it’s leading a long, healthy and happy life that is the most important thing.
Spend time with family, relax, meditate, practice yoga and go on those (safely distanced) runs. Do whatever you need to do to keep a positive mindset during these anti-social times and you’ll come back to your business well-rested and stronger than ever to take on the next adventure.
