Leading Your Fitness Business Through the Coronavirus Crisis

Whoa!  To say the last week has been a complete whirlwind is a complete understatement.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably had a wide range of emotions as you try to understand the severity of our current Covid-19 outbreak and crisis. 

Just like you, our primary responsibility is to keep ourselves, our families, our clients, our team and our entire community as safe as possible. 

And secondly, we are working to maintain the long-term viability of our business.

Yes – we do have business systems and for that we are very grateful as these exact systems are helping us weather these challenging times.

BUT – systems can only get us so far and we are having to channel the mindset of a studio owner and leader as we navigate the days and weeks ahead.

Suffice it to say, it is not easy to stay upbeat and remain the face of the business (as we are sure you can relate). BUT, we know that we as owners are called to do this amidst these challenging times.

So… here are some action items we are implementing and adhering to ourselves. Hopefully they help you too:

1. Take a step back to understand your big picture (especially in regards to your numbers).  

In the past we have talked with so many studio owners who simply do not understand their numbers (specifically what they must bring into the business and how to control expenses). 

As we say to our coaching clients “your numbers tell a story” and if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and fully understand them you will feel so much more in control. 

We use a simple Budget and Cash Flow Sheet to understand our income and expenses.

Please access it here, and use this information to make big picture decisions about your business.

2. Stay in constant communication with both clients and your team.

Sometimes when we’re stressed it’s hard to remember that we are also the leaders of our organizations.  With minute-by-minute changes to the necessary precautions it can feel very overwhelming to sift through it and then distill it down to your team.

You will not only need to synthesize information but also serve as a cheerleader as others’ stress starts to mount too. Make your best decision and then clearly communicate with your team and clients.

3. Maintain your health and fitness.

We tell clients this all the time “exercise is good for what ails you.” Well – it’s time to practice what you preach and take some time for exercise or some Vitamin N (for nature). 

Get outside and enjoy a walk or run and let the big, wide, natural world fill you up. Last we checked the trees don’t present a threat to spreading Covid-19 and getting out in nature is definitely a good idea.

We learned of this concept called Shinrin Yoku -  Japanese for “forest bathing” a few years ago. The merits of this concept still apply! Check it out and start your own practice of “forest bathing.”

4. Find joy in the simple moments.

This weekend my daughter, Kendall created some sort of catapult carnival game that she made out of materials around the house. She worked throughout the weekend to perfect her invention and she took so much pride in getting it to work. We didn’t make her do it. We had not yet talked about the long-term implications of no school. She just followed her intuition and leaned into not having a schedule for the foreseeable future.

I also got to witness Jessica’s daughter Emery mentor a younger child in our neighborhood – teaching her math facts and helping her ride her bike. Both of these girls made my heart sing and reminded me that we owe it to our children to dig deep, find our fortitude and keep moving forward.

 5. Lean into community.

Business ownership is hard… even on the easy days. But it is especially hard when times are uncertain.  We are hosting a mastermind call on Wed. for our coaching group to stay in community during this difficult time. We plan to share strategies and discuss ways to make our businesses viable for the long term.

As such, we’d love to be in community with you as you navigate this unprecedented time.

We are offering Complimentary Business Strategy Calls (via Zoom) where we tackle your main issue and help you develop a plan going forward.

Sign up here - https://calendly.com/empower-partners/freedom-impact-strategy-call

So, what about you? How are YOU doing? Are you weathering the storm? How are you managing the Covid-19 pandemic in your little niche of the world? Post your response in the comments below and let us know. We truly do read every one! 

We wish you, your families, your teams and your business much health and strong footing in the days ahead. 

To your continued success,