Cancellation policies are a must. In fact, if you do nothing more when you set you your business but charge your worth and have a cancellation policy you will likely do better than most businesses who have don’t have that but have a business plan. And with a virus spreading across the globe there will be few who are not faced with the question of canceling a session, workshop, event or something like it. So, what do you do if you have to cancel?
When your schedule already feels full it can feel impossible to work on a new goal. You want to start teaching a new class, offer a workshop or lead a retreat but you barely have time to do the admin of your business. You’re tired of saying “when I have time.” Or, “if I wasn’t so busy I’d be doing…” And, you’re feeling stuck, frustrated or anxious because you’re feeling called to grow and your schedule doesn’t have any more room for what’s next. Sound like you?
Social Media has made it clear it’s here to stay! It’s also done a very good job keeping our potential and existing client’s attention. And, its omnipresence in our lives can make you feel like you need to have thousands of followers (to get the swipe up feature) or the blue checkmark. Or, if you just find the perfect caption or hashtag then your classes will be full! Maybe you’ve considered boosting a post because it could reach 31,000 people and that would be epic…it’s only $12.00….stop! If you’re a small studio, home studio or solo instructor you likely will never need or benefit from a boosted post. And, for all Pilates teachers, social media can be super helpful. But, is it the means to the vision you desire? Probably not. So, here are some tips for using social media for your business without wasting your time.
Count how many times you say “I don’t have time,” or, “I’m too busy” in a day. How often do you feel like your to-do list grows and you have no idea how because you’re been working all day and are exhausted? Yeah, I know, it’s a lot. You got into teaching because you love it. But, the more you teach the less time you have for you, your practice, and it feels like you’re always saying you’re tired, busy and hoping to get to something to tomorrow. Routines in your morning, day and night can help this circle of stress and lack of time disappear. If you’re ready to create time keep reading.
When to Hire Believe it or not the answer to when you should hire someone is sooner than you think and before you are ready. Whether you are working for yourself or you're running a studio the truth is no matter how awesome you are you cannot do it all. At the...
Pivoting is Not a Bad Thing Pivoting, I am sure you have heard this word more often than you want during the Corona Virus Shut Down, Re-open, and potential re-closures. And, maybe you have even pivoted once or twice already? I know you struggle to know if you should...
Online Platforms When you first started teaching you may not have had the goal of being known online. In fact, it's only pretty recent that almost ANYONE could have their own digital products and be like the fitness DVD mavens anywhere in the world without being...
What is Right For You? Feeling like you should downsize your studio, schedule or client list is normal. Desiring to work on your business instead of in your business should always be your goal. I get asked often "How did you go out on your own?" "How did you open your...
Pilates is seen as an elitist and often even racist fitness modality. And, while most of its teachers would like to disagree I believe the past week’s protests have more than shed a light on where we can all improve in the effort for equality. And, while you might think that racism is not happening in your studio. Or that, you see all people as equal. Now is the time to take a step back and see are you creating a studio space that not only teaches Pilates safely and effectively. But also how are the studio policies inclusive of all backgrounds that might come through your doors? Is your staff or are you aware of micro-aggressions that however innocent you might think they affect the teachers and clients that come through your doors?
As communities all over the world begin to open up we are all taking the time to get to know more about what we can and cannot do in our businesses than probably EVER before. And, while I know you are eager to get back to your studio, clients, and figuring out how to have classes I think it is super imperative that YOU yourself have a reopening plan. Have you taken the time to make sure you are keeping the parts of quarantine that you loved and not bringing in parts of your old life that you didn’t enjoy?
How to price your services is a question that has been asked since the dawn of the service industry. And the going advice is “look at what other people are doing and then charge the same or a little less or a little more.” Most often people charge a little less. Which is the wrong thing to do because it’s a race to the bottom. Who can charge the least amount someone will always win. But, you’ll likely be the one who loses. And then, because of CV19 every fitness, Pilates and Yoga instructor had to go virtual. And thus the imposter syndrome pricing began. Enter discounts or free sessions virtually and burnout. So, what should you charge for your services that were in-person and are now virtual?
