We recently reminded our trainers to send in their vacation requests. We typically ask for this information at the beginning of the year, but we understand that things come up. As we approach summer….we are starting to get more requests for time off. We would like to have all vacation requests well in advance. This…
Employee or Independent Contractor? You NEED to Get This Right!
Do you classify your staff as employees or independent contractors? Either way, you should know the law! I just returned from IHRSA where I attended a session by an attorney who talked about the IRS crackdown on Fitness Clubs and Studios categorizing Trainers as Independent Contractors when they should be classified as Employees. All it…
Sherri’s Tips For Leadership Success
It is the unfortunate truth that many small businesses fail and so many times before they have even had a chance to start! Our industry is no exception. Throughout my years of consulting….I have found that a lack of leadership can be one of the main reasons that fitness businesses struggle. Whether or not you…
Team Meetings They Want To Attend – Get Them There!
Most people dread meetings because they perceive them to be a waste of time and extremely boring. However, a carefully planned and orchestrated meeting can be one that staff look forward to, that creates a culture for success, that offers some excellent team building opportunities and is productive at teaching your team the skills they…
Last Steps Before Hiring a New Personal Trainer
Here at Northwest Personal Training & Fitness Education we have quite a lengthy apprenticeship program that helps us decide if a potential new hire will be an asset to our team and a good match for our team. Once that process is complete and the new personal trainer has accepted the offer, and employee agreement…
Going Outside With Clients? Play It Safe.
It is that time of year when many personal trainers and group exercise instructors start taking their clients outside for workouts. Clients love getting the fresh air and trainers can keep things interesting with TONS of new exercises and adventures in the great outdoors. We have a couple protocols when it comes to bringing clients…
Personal Trainers: Employees vs. Independent Contractors?
One of the MOST common questions we get from fitness business owners/managers and from those who have purchased our Business of Personal Training System is “Should I have Independent Contractors or Employees?” Here is my answer…. Reviewing the history of the personal training industry, pretty much all of us started as independent contractors operating our personal training businesses within…
Personal Trainer Productivity Means Everything!
I have blogged about how we use productivity reports to gauge how full our personal trainers’ schedules are, as a way to reward personal trainers when they hit specific productivity goals and as a way to measure how our personal training business is doing overall. Here are 3 blog posts on this topic that will…
Does Your Team Have The Love?
Last week we reviewed some of the ways to promote teamwork within your Personal Training team. Many times personal trainers LOVE their jobs, but don’t LOVE their co workers quite as much. There can be a sense of competition between personal trainers because they are trying to “win” the most clients. We include deliberate activities…
Personal Trainers Not Team Players?
In the Personal Training Industry there is an extremely high job satisfaction rate. Personal Trainers love what they do. But the bad news is that many report that they don’t enjoy the relationships they have with fellow personal trainers in their club or community. There tends to be a sense of competition and resentment among many…