Get system driven in 2010

In 2009 did you get any unwelcome challenges in your business? Here are the top 7 business challenges that came as a result of being in a health and fitness business and following are tips on how to avoid them.

* Missed tax payments resulting in fines by the taxation office
* Lost phone resulting in losing appointments and client contacts
* Double booking sessions on a regular basis
* Losing training plans and test results
* Forgetting to book testing and training rooms for important sessions
* Missing rent payments resulting in lost time in phone calls and explanation
* Missing client payments that were picked up months down the track

At best these challenges are annoying; at worst they can cause severe damage to your business, finances and mental state. However by becoming system orientated you will find that a lot of these challenges are completely avoidable by setting up the correct process to increasing productivity.

Now I realise that we don't live in an ordered, structured world where events happen like clock-work. Strange, unplanned, urgent events do come up. However, if they are coming up for you on a regular basis it's time to start developing some systems. When you get an unwelcome challenge, the key questions to ask yourself if "What system/process can I put in place so that this doesn't occur again?"

At a recent conference in New Zealand I attended a talk by Casey Conrad (founder of Healthy Inspirations club chain). One of her observations of world-class businesses is that they were all system-driven. Michael Gerber author of the E-Myth focuses on developing business systems to create businesses that can run without their owners. As a personal trainer the biggest challenge to running your business is that if you don't turn up you don't get paid. However, you can create a business that runs smoothly so you can spend your time on more important things, like family, friends, your health and fitness or watching a movie.

Here are some key systems to develop in your business and personal life.

*Personal Health Systems - the process of looking after you (because you ARE the business)
* Financial Systems - to track your profit, cash flow and targets
* Selling Systems - the process of converting leads into signing on the dotted line
* Marketing Systems - how will you generate the ongoing income you desire and avoid living week to week?

In 2010 the choice is yours. Continue doing what you've always done and hope that things turn out differently; or choose to make success happen this year by developing a systems-based business. The result is that you can free up more time, earn more and work less to have the lifestyle you deserve. However you need to create some action towards making this happen.

We have one-day Business Bootcamps running in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch on February 19, 20 and 21 2010 and a 6 week Business Booster course starting the week of January 25 2010.

I will be presenting a session on developing business systems specifically for personal trainers. To find out more about Business Bootcamp and various Business Booster programs email us and we'll send you more program information.

As health and fitness experts our expertise are in helping people achieve better health and fitness. As business owners we generally make hopeless system developers. I know because I stuffed it up for years and work with most of my business coaching clients in implementing systems to free up time. So stick to what you are good at but learn to leverage from the benefit of what systems create.

Dave Liow