Hey, Bedros here,

… hope you’re liv’in easy

Trainers always ask me if there’s still room in the market place to grow an online fitness info business. My answer is always; “Yes, IF you’re passionate about the topic you’re going to teach”

And here’s a great example of that. Travis Stoetzel, an all around awesome guy, and member of my 100K Fitness Info Mastermind group hit is first $1,000 day recently – that’s a BIG thing and usually when you hit your first $1K day, more days like it seem to follow. Here’s Travis’ journey in his own words. I hope this will inspire you and get you to Never Stop Dreaming…

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My Journey To Living My Passion Online

It all started out when I got my first job as a personal trainer back in 2006 at a large corporate gym.

At first, I felt on top of the world and I felt that I had the BEST job in the world, but then I quickly realized that the corporate fitness world was NOT for me.  I hated how things were run, I was always pressured into selling, and I couldn’t train just the people I personally wanted to train.

After researching online, I found a “Fitness Boot Camp” that Ryan Lee was putting on so I made the fast decision of booking a trip (with money I didn’t even have) to Stamford, CT to attend his fitness info boot camp where my eyes were first exposed to the power of online fitness marketing. But,  I still didn’t quite get “it” yet as I was still caught up in finding a way to get out of the corporate gym arena.

Not long after I got back home,  in order to get out, I did more research online to find an answer and that’s when I first stumbled across Zach Even-Esh and The Underground Strength Gym.  I quickly identified what it is I wanted to do…  Build up my own hardcore strength gym!

So, I quickly booked a trip out to see Zach at his Underground Strength Coach Certification with again, money I didn’t even have and put it all on a credit card.  Needless to say, when I got back to Omaha, I was determined to make things happen to get myself out of the big box gym scene and into my own hardcore strength facility.

My best friend and now business partner Joe, quickly found a spot to open our own hardcore strength gym and within a few months, The Forged Athlete Gym was born and I was my own boss training the people I loved to train.

I was in heaven.

Continue Reading NEVER Stop Dreaming

You might be doing do this and didn’t even know it.

When I first started my personal training business
I didn’t take it too seriously

…I’d get client through word of mouth, train them
and keep the money.

Pretty simple formula.

Pretty lousy one, too.

It wasn’t till I got serious about my business and
started planning out and applying the systems
that business really took off.

Funny how it was easier to operate five systematized
and organized training facilities then one that was
was operating on the principal of controlled chaos..lol.

What reminded me of this story from my past was a
Facebook message I got this weekend from a trainer
who (in his own words):

“for the most part I’m successful, but I feel like I’m
operating by the seat of my pants and can’t help but feel
that the bottom is going to fall out sometime.”
Continue Reading Promotion VS Process

A couple days ago I told you about the simple and archaic marketing system that I used in my five facilities to grow our training business.

The External lead generation systems we used were lead boxes and direct mail pieces.

Internally we used email marketing to “warm” up the list by delivering high value content crafted to educate, entertain and to build rapport, trust, and liability – then we followed that up with low barrier offers which produced a big influx of new clients.

The CORE of the marketing in my facilities however were all based on the Three ‘R’… Retention, Referral Generation, and Re-Activation.

And as promised I have the Re-activation Trifecta sequence for you… the same one I used and the same one my coaching clients have gotten solid results from.

This is something I thought about packing up and selling for $197, but I’d rather give it out to our community and see you get a few of your past clients back.

So without further ado, here’s the low down…

1. This is a three step proccess. It works best when you use all three steps.

2. The purpose of each of the three steps is to force multiple each other.

3. Don’t focus on trying to make money on the front end – just focus on getting your former client in on a very special offer, giving them the “wow” experience, and converting them into on-going clients.

Step one of the three step proccess is the snail mail.

Step two is an email follow up four days after mailing the snail mail.

Step three is a phone call follow up the day after the email.

(this is typically where you’ll close the client on the introductory offer)

Continue Reading The Re-activation Trifecta

Building a lucrative personal training or boot camp business is relatively easy these days.

Trust me when I say this…

…I operated five personal training facilities averaging $45K in monthly revenue each, and never had a website, google for SEO or pay-per-click, and the word “Facebook” didn’t even exist let alone targeted leads from Facebook and all the cool and crafty viral stuff you can do on “the facebook” these days.

All I had was an email list, lead boxes, direct mail and word of mouth in my personal trainer marketing arsenal. But we did well, really well, even with rent at $16,000/month in a couple of my locations.

Back then, (and by “back then” I’m talking about 1999 – 2003) the core of my marketing rested on the three R’s:

- Retention

- Referral Generation

- Re-activation

I’ll explain it in detail for you in just a moment…

Sometimes I think I had an advantage over you back then because I didn’t have a ton of marketing stuff to pick and choose from. All I had was all I had, and so I had to make the most of it since there was no new shiny marketing object to turn to.

Continue Reading The Three R’s of Building a Massively Successful Personal Training Business

There is a ton of information that is needed when starting a fitness franchise. One of the most important aspects is deciding which type of fitness franchise that you want to open. All fitness franchises are not created the same. There are essentially 4 basic types of fitness franchise; globo-gyms, personal training franchises, skeleton franchises and  fitness class franchises. This article will serve to educate you on the four main varieties and how to choose which type is best for your needs.

Globo-Gym

This type of fitness franchise has the huge floor plan, all the amenities that are available and large staffing requirements.  Typically when people think of joining a gym they picture these types of facilities. They are a popular depiction of a gym in the movies and on television which is what makes them the most memorable.

The problem with starting a fitness franchise with a globo-gym format is the initial cost. The floor plans are huge, which means the cost of space can be double to triple of other fitness franchise formats. They have all the amenities. Amenities are nice, don’t get me wrong. A sauna, pool, hot tub, tanning booth and indoor running track all have their benefits. When constructing a building a gym these amenities can add up to costly construction numbers and after the gym is open they can be very expensive to maintain.

Typically globo-gyms do well if they can maintain steady numbers and if they can maintain their facilities. I have seen many of these style gyms that have not been maintained properly and suffer because of it. If not operated correctly with the right amount of staff these gyms see high attrition rates.

Continue Reading Why all fitness franchises are NOT created the same.

Ever wonder why the big fitness franchise is always so busy and the stand-alone operations seem to lack the same volume of members? Here are 9 reasons that 9 out of ten clients would rather go to a fitness franchise than a no name fitness center.

1. Consistency

A branded franchise is going to be able to provide a client with a level of consistency that no independent center is going to be able to provide. Most people when joining a fitness center want some level of predictability. Before they even open the door they want to know what to expect. This is a popular reason that most people choose a fitness franchise over a no name fitness center.

2. Trust

People begin to trust certain environments and they develop a level of trust through brand recognition. Having a name that people across a region or country have heard of is an important element in building trust with clients. People simply trust a franchised operation more than they trust a no name operation. There is a sense of accountability in a recognized name.

3. Popularity

The popularity within the community is often a reason that people choose a fitness franchise. Many people choose a fitness facility based on the recommendation of their friends, family and coworkers. Since franchises tend to have more than one location, they are recommended more often. Franchises are recognized more often because of the large amounts of territory that they control. This makes them immensely popular and is a primary reason they are chosen over the no name facility.

Continue Reading Why 9 out of ten clients would rather go to a fitness franchise than to a no name fitness center

You have decided that a fitness franchise opportunity is the franchise opportunity for you. The fitness industry is a growing industry and you would like to become a part of it. The problem is that now you can’t decide which franchise would best fit your goals and needs. Here are a few things that should be considered when choosing if a fitness franchise is the best opportunity for you.

• What type of fitness establishment do you want to own

If you picture yourself running boot camp style classes then there is a franchise opportunity for you. If you want a large amount of equipment with small staffing requirements then there is a fitness franchise out there that will meet your expectations. One of the best ways to determine what type of establishment you want to open is to sit and write a business plan. Matching a business plan against a franchise disclosure document will be a good way to make sure that the partnership will be beneficial to both parties.

• How involved do you want to be with your franchise

This element is directly related to the type of franchise that you want to open. The level of involvement that you choose for yourself is going to determine what type of establishment you open as well as how you hire employees. If you absolutely hate book keeping then ensuring that the franchisor has book keeping elements involved with their systems may be a good step. Or you may have to hire an accountant. Figuring out your role will enable you to adjust your plan to meet your goals.

• What amount of money do you want to invest initially

The initial investment may determine who you franchise with. Typically a large family oriented gym is going to have more amenities and more equipment. This means that the construction costs and fees for equipment are going to be much higher than if you were to open a franchise based around exercise classes which typically only use a limited range of equipment. Determining how much you want to spend to get the doors open will help you in choosing a fitness franchise opportunity.

Continue Reading What’s the best fitness franchise opportunity for you?

It can be hard to know exactly what to look for when choosing a bootcamp franchise. There are so many elements to a franchise that it can be easy to overlook important points and over analyze the points that may not be as important. The following 8 areas should be examined by anyone considering franchising a boot camp.

• Franchise fee

Look at the franchise fee. The franchise fee is the fee that the franchise charges each month for you being able to use their name and their business resources. There are typically two structures used when charging a franchise fee: fixed rate and percent of sales. Each structure has its own unique challenges. When dealing with a fixed rate franchise fee, the fee does not change. This means that in months where sales are lagging or membership is down the fee may become a burden. The problem with a percentage of sales structure is that it is like being taxed for being more profitable. Deciding which structure is important to you and how much you are willing to pay is an essential step in deciding that you want to franchise.

• Marketing support

Every franchise is going to have some type of marketing support. Choosing the right bootcamp franchise may hinge on the exact nature of the marketing support that they provide as well as the pay structure of that support. There are usually three price plans for marketing support with franchises. Pay-per-click is a lead generation tool in which you pay the franchise per click in a lead generation type of scenario. Some franchises choose to charge a percentage of sales for the marketing budget. This can be both good and bad depending on how those marketing tools are used. Finally the most flexible are marketing payments that allow the business owner to determine their monthly marketing budget and then they design the marketing around that budget.

Beyond paying for marketing a good bootcamp franchise should do some basic marketing things for you. Market research, search engine optimization, landing page construction and social marketing integration are all services that are provided by good franchises. If a franchise does not provide some of these basic marketing materials then it may be best to consider another option.

• Operations support

Does the franchise provide daily operations support? Do they provide you with policies and procedures and operations training? If the answer is yes then the bootcamp franchise that you are considering is probably a good one. If the answer is no then you should continue to look for a franchise that provides these basic support elements.

Continue Reading What to look for before signing up with a bootcamp franchise

Starting a personal training franchise can be an overwhelming task. It is important when looking at the franchise opportunities for personal training that you look at key elements. The key elements of the franchise should determine if the format fits what you want. If you have already established a business plan, outlining what you want from your personal training business, then comparing it to the franchise statement may be the easiest way to tell if the franchise fits your goals.

There are 5 key components that should be examined when determining if a personal training franchise fits with your goals: Format, investment cost, preopening support, marketing support and equipment support are all very important aspects of franchising. Let’s take a closer look at why each element is so important when opening a franchise.

Format

The format of the personal training franchise is an essential element to examine when starting a personal training franchise. If the format of the franchise includes you visiting client’s homes and you are not comfortable training inside a client’s home then it is a format that you should not consider. If the franchise format calls for you to carry equipment around in your business vehicle to different locations and this is not something that you can picture yourself doing, then it is not a franchise that you should open.

If all you want to do with your franchise is host classes then you should make sure that your franchise has that opportunity available for you. If the personal training franchise does not contain group elements then it would be a franchise that wouldn’t make you very happy in daily operations. The different elements of format must coincide with the vision that you have for your personal training franchise.

Continue Reading What to look for and how to select the right personal training franchise for you.

When looking for a personal training franchise opportunity there are important questions to ask that will ensure you have selected the right franchise. Before you begin your search you should have a business plan that shapes your vision of the personal training business that you want to own. When you have done this sitting and comparing the franchise statement to your business plan will be a great way to know whether or not the personal training franchise is right for you.

Does the business concept match?

If you have written your business plan then you have a solid idea of the business concept that you will craft. The question is whether or not the business concept of your business plan and the concept that the franchise has crafted match. This is probably one of the more important questions to ask yourself for a two reasons.

1. Happiness

If you have envisioned a business in which you host fitness classes and the business concept of the personal training franchise opportunity is one in which you train individuals then you will not be happy. If you want to train individuals and the franchise is for boot camp style classes you probably won’t be happy.

1. Flexibility

This concept will not be flexible. When you purchase a franchise you are buying the business model. You cannot change the model at will because of franchising contracts. If your vision is vastly different then the franchise statement then you should find one that better fits your goals.

What are the financial features?

You need to know the financial features of the personal training franchise. If you are unaware of the sales, profit, cash flows and return on investment then it is likely that there are gaps in the research you have done or in the information that the franchise has provided. If numbers provided by the franchisor are vastly different from your business plan you may need to find a way to reconcile these differences.

What is the current business position?

It is important to know and understand the current position of the franchise. If the franchise name is considering bankruptcy then you should avoid this franchise. Likewise if they have a negative reputation with either their franchisees or if customers consistently provide negative feedback about the personal training provided by the franchise then it is probably not a good franchise.  Customer service and financial security are just two important elements of the business position that you need to know prior to franchising.

What are the major achievements of the franchise?

Achievements of a personal training franchise opportunity are an important component to determining whether or not you should consider aligning yourself with that franchise. If a fitness franchise is listed in Forbes as one of the fastest growing franchises in America then it is probably something worth investing in.

In the same token, looking for achievements is not the only thing that you should look for. If the franchise has had negative achievements then it is something that you need to know. If they were listed in Shape as the worst personal training franchise then you probably won’t want to partner with that franchise.

What is the competition like your area?

If you are considering a boot camp style personal training franchise then it is important to know what the competition is like in your area. If there are only 1 or 2 competitors in your area then it is likely that you will have a good source of revenue. This principle works the opposite way as well. If there is an overabundance of competitors in your area then it may be good to look at another personal training franchise opportunity.

Is there room for growth?

Determining whether or not the personal training franchise opportunity has room for growth is imperative. Being in a position that has a growth cap is not wise. If there is room for expansion and growth then there is the potential to keep a thriving business booming. You do not want a personal training franchise to hinder your ability to grow as a business person and personal trainer.

What is the return on investment?

Any franchise should have an estimated return on investment. The return on investment is how quickly you begin to make money after your initial investment is paid back. Because ROI formulas differ depending on the situation it is wise to investigate how it is calculated. Asking the franchise how they determine the ROI can be a great way to determine if it is a good calculation. If there is no projected return on investment or it is very low this could be an indicator of a shaky business model.

What are the franchise costs?

Determining the franchising fees is important when considering a personal training franchise opportunity. If the franchising fee is high, like 50% of sales then it is a franchise you probably do not want to invest in. Franchising fees that are set up on a fixed rate tend to favor the franchisee rather than the franchisor. Considering a franchise with a fixed rate fee or a low percentage of sales is best. These two types of franchise fees will keep the most amount of your money in your pocket.

How much flexibility do I have?

Asking how much flexibility you are given as a business owner is important in determining whether or not you want to partner with a franchise. The amount of flexibility needed for the arrangement to be good for both parties will depend on your personal preference. If you want some creative control in the processes and training regimen when that is something you should make sure is in the franchising agreement. If you want every step to be handled for you then it is important that you sign with a franchisor that will take care of processes and training curricula for you. The important element here is picking the option that works best for you.