The reason I began this little novella in 3 parts was because someone who is trying to start their business asked me how I started mine. So I’ve given you the background, worked the story up to where I have just stopped running 90 miles an hour on the hamster wheel and have perhaps slowed down to 55. Still too fast, but slow enough to be able to think enough about moving forward.
I was booked as far as I could stretch myself. I now had a few boundaries, made sure I got enough sleep, ate enough, had bathroom breaks and some quiet time to just be by myself. I now think this is SO important and I feel like a human being again.
But I still hated saying no to people who wanted sessions. I was turning too many people away and they were not happy with me. It’s true that not everyone is going to be happy with every move you make, but that doesn’t mean you have to like it. There are only so many hours in the day and there’s only so far you can stretch yourself. So what’s the solution to that? Clone yourself?
Yes. It’s called leverage. Here’s exactly what I did. I found some other trainers and instructors, interviewed them, and watched how they worked. If I thought their style was consistent with mine, but with their own creative flair, I would take them on as a partner. I set it up so that we are all partners in MirZuk Fitness, as opposed to me being the big boss. ALL payments, mine as well as theirs, go through the business. A portion of what all of us makes goes into the business to move it forward. Advertisements, websites, videos, office supplies, all of this comes from all of our efforts together. It is definitely a team effort and we work so well together. We are still in the beginning stages of development, but the energy is fantastic and their is a lovely feeling of loyalty and trust that comes from working together towards one goal. Not to mention that we all love what we do.
I am making it sound super easy here, but there are definitely speedbumps in the road and lots of learning curves. It’s odd, for instance, if you’ve never done it before to all of a sudden have people working through what you’ve created and have money flowing into your business that you are responsible for. It is supremely important that everyone is fairly compensated. This includes yourself! Sometimes it is easy to forget that we have to pay our rent, too. My partners put the minimum I can get away with (25% or less) into the biz, while I put the maximum (75%). This is because, if anything goes wrong I know who is responsible. ME, not them! I’m the one steering this boat. It’s my baby, so I feel I need to put the most in. I also keep my income percentage low because it is better for the business and it motivates me to build the biz to bring more in overall. A win/win for everyone. I gave you my percentages so that you have something to base yours on, but you can switch it up however you deem necessary. I also think it is good business karma to lay out all your cards so that there are no secrets. This is how trust is built, and it is crucial to running a successful company.
You have to have impeccable records, and many coaches advise that you hire a bookkeeper so that you can stay on task for moving your business forward. Also, social media is a very important tool for most new businesses these days. It is suggested that you hire a virtual assistant to help you start yours and keep it going so that you can focus on the meat of your business.
A few books I’ve read that have helped me tremendously in kicking off the biz are:
E-Myth Mastery by Michael Gerber http://www.e-myth.com/masterybook/
Take Time for Your Life by Cheryl Richardson http://www.cherylrichardson.com/store/take-time-for-your-life-introduction/
The Answer by John Assaraf and Murray Smith http://www.readtheanswer.com/
The Millionaire Course by Marc Allen www.marcallen.com
I am influenced by Ali Brown www.alibrown.com and Kendall SummerHawk www.kendallsummerhawk.com, two lovely soulful millionaire women who love helping people but make lots of space for their lives as well.
You can find free classes online or around nyc at www.sba.gov
Good luck in your ventures!!
Your Fitness Coach,
Miranda Zukowski
Wow, Miranda. Such a candid article. Really inspiring and lets us know there is a lot more to a personal training business than just booking sessions. It’s your type of story that has been personally inspiring for my own business. Thanks