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Archive for January, 2012
Quick Fix Choreography Block Power Conditioning with Rachel Holmes
Friday, 20 January 2012 21:06
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Instructor Newsletter 19th January 2012
Thursday, 19 January 2012 06:54
0 Comments
Hi
The Fitness Pilates Next Level Tour rolled on into Birmingham this week and again we had a great time. The Grids are proving a huge success and fitting perfectly into a Functional Fitness Pilates Class. This week I will be rolling up to Didsbury South Manchester for another full house. I have 3 spaces left on Saturday’s workshop if you would like to grab a last minute place Click here
Looking at Facebook and talking to Fitpros on the workshop it really does seem like classes are booming with more people than ever trying group classes, which is fantastic news for all of us So, in this week’s newsletter I have written articles on more help with your newsletter content, steps to get on the radio, plus you have great articles from my coaching and mentoring students Claire Mockridge, Alice Ramcharren, Cori Withell and Katie Bulmer So, another bumper C2Go Newsletter. Remember to comment on Twitter use #C2go.
Kelly Reed starts the Super Seniors 2012 Tour on Saturday in Cambridge and Sunday in London with record numbers. Kelly has been working hard on coming up with new choreography and toning ideas for both standing and seated. If you would like to join Kelly click here to book on
Music - To get £5 discount of Pure Energy Music Downloads use the code Holmes12 in the check out on Pure Energy Digital
Win a beautiful Mia Tui Amelie Workout Bag – Pop over to my Blog and check out my Blog post on this wonderful bag and post a comment for your chance to win one Click here to see the post or use the code to get a 20% Discount
My Incredibly Simple Steps to getting on the radio by Rachel Holmes.
You know that it’s essential to get as much PR for your business and classes AND getting on the local BBC Radio is sooooo easy
1.Go to the www.BBC.co.uk website find your local BBC Radio station.
2.Define who your target market is and which show they will be listening to. ie. If it’s retired people Mid morning/Afternoon slots, if it’s commuters Early morning/Drive time.
3.Contact the DJ and Producer of that show saying you are the local Fitness or Fatloss or Pilates or whatever you are in your area and offer to come in and do a talk on New Year’s Fitness resolutions Or, if it’s February How to lose your love handles for Valentines day. Or if it’s Spring How to look when the sun comes out! Whatever time of year it is try and tie it in with your pitch.
4.If you don’t get a response do it again 2 weeks later – Repeat until you get a response.
5 Local BBC are always looking for local experts to come in and talk. It’s really fun and easy to do and will generate loads of traffic to your website and you can get it recorded and put it on your own website for enhanced credibility – Total Win Win!
What are you waiting for?? Do it right way
My Favourite Self Development Books by Rachel
As I’m back on tour I love to load up my ipod with audio books to listen to as I zip around the Uk’s networks.
Here’s what I am listening to right now
1.Seth Godin Ideas Virus http://www.sethgodin.com/ideavirus/
2.Charles Poliquin Podcasts – Strategies for Fat Loss http://us.cpoliquin.com/product_p/chp_podcast_3.htm
3. Brilliant Life – Michael Heppell (itunes audio books)
4.Steve Jobs – (itunes audio books)
Quick Fire Ideas for your Fitness Pilates Class by Rachel Holmes
1. Include Tri Plane Standing Sequences – I love 32 count combinations and use FP music with a slight beat. Here’s 2 combination from Fitness Pilates The Next Level Workshop.
| Leg kicks | 8 | Hold posture |
| 2 x squats | 8 | Use arm floats |
| Roll Down/Up | 4:4 | |
| 2 x calf raise | 8 | Sweep arms up to help balance |
Frontal Plane Dominant
| 2 x lateral lunges | 8 | Add lateral arms as sequence builds |
| 2 x side side bends | 8 | Add over head arms as sequence progresses |
| 4 x side squats | 16 | Wide and narrow squats |
2. Have a power word of the Class. Every class I choose a power word and use it throughout the class (and day) Words like Determination, Believe, Commitment, Positively Focus, Strong, Resolute,
3. Mix in traditional Pilates Exercises with functional FP ideas, sequences and routines .
4.Fitness Pilates music I’m using this week in class is Relaxation 10 from Pure Energy click here to download Use code Holmes12 for discount.
5. Bring back your Resistance Bands. Portable, Cheap and infinite ways to update your FP class. I love the resistance bands with handles for balance work, intensive core training and standing conditioning.
Ultimate Fat Loss Tips from KSFL by Rachel Holmes
There is SO much conflicting info around about fatloss and weightloss and, of course, we are BOMBARDED daily by the media hyping up food, products and supplements that even as Fitpros we can become confused and unsure of the right advice to give.
It’s time to start smashing a few myths and thinking outside the box. The old skool teachings of calories in versus calories out is just that, old skool, and we have so much more amazing research and information at our fingertips.
On the Kick Start Fat Loss 2012 my goal has been to do just that and smash through perceptions, deep seated beliefs and take the group though a whole new fat loss journey and pathway. KSFL2012 is an experience that will really rock your nutritional and fat loss beliefs. Balancing hormones and Blood sugar levels is the key to effective fat loss and weight maintenance.
1. Ditch Breakfast Cereals – This is the hardest myth to smash. A bowel of cereal , skimmed milk toast and margarine, coffee and banana is a common breakfast for fitpros. Even what you would deem a “good cereal” is low in protein. Eating this type of breakfast will trigger a big insulin response, elevate serotonin and you end up feeling low and sluggish and starving 2/3 hours later. Couple this with you teaching a couple of classes in between and your mind and body start to struggle. For breakfast eating protein is key, which will keep you going much longer. Eggs, meat and nuts will only give you a moderate insulin response and allow for constant blood sugar, but will fill you up and keep cravings at bay and energy levels high.
2. Fats are NOT the enemy – By all means eliminate trans fat but ensure you take in large quantities of Omega 3 Fats. Take a good Fish oil after every meal. There are numerous studies promoting the benefits of taking a regular fish oil including Cell membrane health. Lipogenic genes are turned off, which means fat storage genes are turned off, decreased blood pressure, great stress fighter and many many more amazing benefits. I would recommend Aliment Nutrition Omega Plus Finest Fish Oil. Take this and watch your nails grow and hair condition improve within weeks.
3. Load up on Green Vegetables at every meal.
4.Keep starchy carbs to post workout only and within an hour of working out.
5.Shorten your workouts, 10 minutes is fine but make them super intense that elevate your heart rate to the max. Mix in body weight training, sprints, burpees and plyometrics.
If you are interested in getting involved in my Kick Start Fat Loss Programme Facebook or Tweet me for the next groups start dates.
Gluten / Dairy free alternatives? by Tanith Lee
On all of my programs I advocate a ‘clean’ diet for at least 21 days. This means no dairy, alcohol, sugar, processed foods, caffeine and gluten. I
understand that this is a tall order for some people, I know how it feels as I’ve been there too. Having said that, there is no way that I would go back
to my old way of eating (lots of sugar, too much booze and boat loads of caffeine…… sound familiar?).
I am not an angel and I do not eat 100% clean all of the time. This clean diet is the one thing that most clients really struggle with. It puts people off signing up to my programs. I wish I
had a magic wand and I could make them experience how they would feel when they clean up their nutrition. The improved sleep, better skin, more balanced hormones and more energy.
What do we do ? I am so passionate about cleaning up our diets and I do not want to compromise my principles. I believe you either ‘detox’ or don’t. That’s how it works.
I guess we could try letting the clients removing one group of foods at a time? It would be a much slower process and ultimately they would have to do the full 21 days on
top of the staggered elimination?
To make this work for clients and ourselves we need to find out what they are scared of? Because it has to be fear that stops them wanting to try.
Is it fear of the unknown, fear of what others think, being able to accommodate a family, social events etc. Once we know what these fears/brakes are we can give them solutions.
How do we find out? We ask them!
I have also found that some clients need much more hand holding. They need shopping lists and mealplanners. I give them as much information and support as they need to make
the transition. If you help them nail this change, you have a very happy client who will keep coming back.
I was talking to a women who was interested in joining my TLC Fitness Menopause group. She sent me an email “Love the theory but know I’d be
rubbish at the practice! Can’t follow diets for the life of me… just makes me crave the forbidden and make me rebel!! …and I hate cooking from
scratch. Would not stand a chance at giving up toast, hobnobs, scones, cakes and cheese, and find eating out as a fussy vegetarian limited enough as it
is.
Son follows dairy-free and sister-in-law gluten-free diets due to allergies, so I know what a nuisance it can be finding alternative foods
(which often are an acquired taste).” She also said that she would love to have more energy and balance her hormones.
Hmmmmmmm? “Life’s too short to give up XYZ” is another reason I hear.
Surely life’s too short not to want to feel and be your very best? Again I wish I had that magic wand.
What really interested me was the way that she and many others need to find gluten and dairy free alternatives. Most of the ‘free from’ foods are highly
processed and full of non-nutritional foods. Forget the wheat free bread and lactose free milk etc . Get back to basics and you will start to feel
amazing. Yes it means change, yes it means coming out of your comfort zone.
It is only when we do those things that we experience a higher level of living.
What do you think? What do you do with your clients?
Have a great week
Tanith x
www.tanithlee.co.uk
www.facebook.com/tanith.lee
@tanithleefitnes
tanith@tanithlee.co.uk
Grab a copy of Tanith brilliant Eating Clean book its £9.99 http://www.tanithlee.co.uk/shapeshifter/eat-clean-recipe-book/
10 Ways to Create Compelling Copy for your Fitness Newsletters by Rachel
Sometimes you’re just flat out of ideas.
It’s not a matter of talent — you’ve written great fitness and health stuff in the past. But lately, when you go back to the well for a fresh idea, it’s coming up dry.
This happens to everyone – I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I have sat on a Wednesday night thinking what on Earth shall I write about for tomorrow’s newsletter.
Yet every week the newsletter gets written and produced. I know how hard it is to continually keep coming up with newsletter content, blog posts and articles.
AND if we want to grown an online fitness business that compliments our offline business it’s ESSENTIAL we get writing.
So what is the secret of pulling it out of the bag week after week after week.
Well, here are some ideas and strategies for creating quick, interesting and awesome content.
Borrow and ideas
- Create content. Find your ten favourite websites/Blogs, and then find your favourite post on each of them. Write an article listing these top ten posts, and explain why you like them. You don’t even have to think about being creative, and everyone you feature there will appreciate it.
- Ask friends for ideas. If you’re tapped for ideas, then reach out to your friends and colleagues, and ask them what they’d like you to write about. You can do this with offline friends, or ask your friends and followers on Facebook. I do this nearly every week!
- Ask your audience. You can kick the last strategy up a notch by reaching out to your audience using social media. This can be done in several ways — it can be as simple as running a “what would you like me to write about” post (which is a bit rubbish), or it can get more interesting by asking for their input on a problem, or by asking a question so that you can compile their answers into another piece of content.
- Do an interview. Write down 5 Questions and email it to 10 different people. It could be anything on fatloss, fitness, wellness, health or whatever your niche is, and your readers will be interested in.
- Solicit guest posts. This is a great source of content, and it’s easier than most people think. Think whose content you really like, and invite them to write a guest post for you. They’ll be flattered, and happy to get exposure to your audience. They’ll work hard to bring their A game, and not only will you get a great post, but they’ll happily tell their contacts about it, and bring you a few new readers in the process.
- Network with other Fitpros and swap articles.
- Use a celebrity. This is a blanket category for any kind of icon that your audience would recognise. You will see below Jayne has tied in Jane Fonda to her article.
- Find out what’s trending. While we’re on the topic of celebrity, take some time to see what else is currently trending. Visit google.com/trends, click on the “More Hot Searches” link, and pick something from the list or see who and what is trending on Twitter. See if you can write something around whatever is hot that day.
- Use Facebook – Make sure you are friends with loads of Fitpros on Facebook and see what everyone is talking about and commenting on. I get SO much inspiration from Facebook and reading what everyone is chatting about Fitness wise
- 10. Rehash an old article – Update an article you have written previously.
Bonus– Write when you do have ideas
You can fall back on these strategies when you’re fresh out of ideas and don’t feel like writing, and with a bit of discipline you’ll be able to create a solid blogposts and newsletter articles.
But that doesn’t make it easy.
The reality is that when you’re feeling uninspired, it isn’t the best time for you to do your writing. That’s why the last strategy is to do the writing when you are feeling inspired.
Write a handful of articles and keep them in an “emergency posts” folder, to run when you absolutely don’t feel like writing.
And, of course, you can use any of the ideas described in this post as a starter for filling up that folder. So go to it — start writing! But first, join the discussion …
Which of these methods has worked for you? Which one do you plan on trying first? Leave a comment below or Tweet me on @RachelHolmes
A Verbal Contract Is Not Worth The Paper
It Is Written On by Andrew Crawford
From time to time I receive emails relating to whether people are employed or self employed, if they sign a contract with one of the major health clubs.
Well……I had a conversation this very week with a Fitness Professional which lasted from Nottingham to Manchester!!!
The caller wanted to know some crucial information relating to contracts and the fact that some companies and individuals they had worked for were not paying what was due to them, even though the caller had completed all the classes and sessions months ago…!!!
Does that get you angry?
Do health clubs or other individuals owe you money?
Easy tiger……..
In addition, they said that lately there has been some dodgy contracts which some companies wanted Fitness Professionals to sign, which did NOT benefit them at all but was heavily weighted in favour of the health club.
Is this true??
This got me thinking about all the times I advised people on signing or not signing a contract and the meaning of what is stated within those contracts.
Let me state here and now… I have studied essential English Law for 4 years as part of my qualifications but I am not a Solicitor, I am not Barrister…..however, it is my duty as a Tax Adviser to tell you about the tax implications of contracts that you enter into.
Introduction
Without even knowing it, contracts are formed almost every day. Buying equipment, paying for a ride on the bus or train, taking your other half to the cinema.
Contracts are also performed every day at work.
Fitness Professionals contract to provide services to their clients.
So, why is this important to you? And the conversation I had this week?
Nature of a Contract
A contract should be an agreement between two parties which is intended to give rise to legal relations. The essence therefore, is that there has to be some offer and acceptance
The essential elements of a contract
The essential elements of a contract are:
· The parties intend to create legal relations, and
· There is an agreement between the parties signified by an offer and acceptance, and
· The agreement is supported by consideration, or is created in the form of a deed.
Terms
You will hear these terms being bantered around. This is what they mean.
An Offeror – Makes the offer
An Offeree – One who may choose to accept the offer.
Agreement
Agreement, known as ‘offer and acceptance’ is ESSENTIAL.
It is therefore necessary to identify the point at which the ‘offeree’ agrees to accept the offer made by the ‘offeror’
Contrary to what I believed years ago, most contracts do not have to be in writing though for some types there must be evidence in writing of the contract’s terms.
It is assumed by each party to a contract that there is an exchange of consideration.
Consideration is something of value the ‘price of the promise’. Your fees.
A deed is a written document which is signed. It must be clear from the wording that it is intended to take effect as a deed. This must be witnessed by a third party.
Terminating an offer
An offer may only be accepted by the offeree while the offer is still open. An offer is terminated and can no longer be accepted in the following circumstances:
· Rejection
· Counter Offer
· Revocation
· Lapse of time
· Failure of condition precedent
· Death
Accepting an offer
Any words or actions signifying the offeree’s consent to the terms proposed by the offeror constitutes acceptance.
Acceptance must be communicated to the offeror and is not effective until this has been done. Passive action is not acceptance.
Most importantly, a contract or agreement must be completed or performed in the manner required by its nature or terms.
Breach of contract
If one party commits a breach of contract the innocent party may usually elect to treat the contract as at an end.
Remedies for Breach of contract
The common law remedy is damages. This puts the injured party into the position they would have been if the contract had been properly performed.
So, if you lost money from a breach of contact then the damages awarded to you would be the amount you had lost.
Property
If you are buying or leasing a property for your fitness business it is vital that you are aware of your legal rights and obligations.
It is of great importance that you are aware of all rights and obligations that are required to be adhered to before completing the matter.
You should seek independent legal advice at all times.
So….summing up
Contract of Service – You will be an EMPLOYEE
Provided by the employer. Stipulates, job title, pay, terms and conditions, holiday pay, etc . You sign this.
Contract for Services – You will be SELF-EMPLOYED
You the Fitness Professional stipulate and agree your terms of service. Your rate of pay. Someone else signs your contract. You both have a copy of the agreed terms. You can find a copy you can use here under ‘Status’…….
http://www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com/ard/documents.asp?AID=1987&SID=11&FID=37616
Hint
Do not sign any paperwork until you have read , understood and accepted all the terms within that contract. If you disagree with any points in the terms of a contract and make a counter offer, the original offer is terminated.
Consider giving the health club or individual your ‘Contract For Services’ which stipulates your terms of service.
If a contract is not signed……..there is no agreement.
Be careful what you sign.
Development
Fitness Industry Accountants have teamed up with a firm of Solicitors to form ‘Fitness Industry Solicitors’.
On behalf of the Fitness Industry, we will deal with:
· Sports Law
· Contracts
· Litigation
· Commercial & Residential Property (Conveyancing)
· Company Law
· Wills & Probate
http://www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com/news/fitness-industry-solicitors.htm
Regards
Andrew Crawford
Ps Don’t forget those ‘LATE’ Tax Returns….Need help? Contact me quickly…!! x
Visit our website at: www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com for more FREE resources and articles.
‘Like’ our page at: www.facebook.com/fitnessindustryaccountants
Andrew Crawford can be contacted on twitter @tax4fitness or info@fitnessindustryaccountants.com
How Is Your 2012 Going? by Katie BulmerI absolutely love the January buzz!
The fire in everyone’s belly to achieve great things…to have this be THE best year ever!
We see so many of our friends, family and clients come alive with passion and a ‘can do’ attitude at the start of a new year…but isn’t it such a shame that often their fire fizzles out and this new year just ends up like the last when it comes to them achieving their weight loss goals!
So what can we, as trainers, do to help keep their fire stoked and make sure they make this the year that they reclaim their health, fitness and get their body back?
On Monday night I held a free seminar, and invited along all my clients, ex clients, friends and family.
I marketed it all through a Facebook event, to my mailing list and texts.
The title of the seminar was ‘Why You New Year’s Resolution To Lose Weight Won’t Work’.
I had a fantastic 84 people attend and I shared with them the common mistakes people make when it comes to their NYR; poor goal setting, lack of accountability and lack of information on how to do it. I also shared with them my basic nutrition principles that I use with my clients, as well as my top training tips for really busy women.
Now, I could have let them go home with this info, and hope that they put it into action, but I really wanted every single person to grab it with both hands and get some great results this year, so I did a little exercise with them that I first learnt from a good friend of mine and fantastic coach, Matt Somers.
Each attendee got a piece of paper with a series of questions, an envelope and a pen, and together as a group I guided them through answering the questions….
1. By Monday 13th February 2012, I WILL be…
2. The cost of achieving my goal is…
3. How will I feel WHEN I achieve it…
4. How will I feel if I DON’T achieve it…
5. I WILL take action now by…
6. I have made myself accountable to…
I then got them to pop the paper in the envelope, seal it and write their name and address on the front, then I collected them all in.
In doing this they have made themselves instantly accountable to themselves, me and the person they cited in question 5.
I’ll be posting this out to them, so that it hits their letter box on 13th February. This will give them real incentive not to give up on their goal!
I wanted to share this exercise with you as I’ve used it loads, it really works and can work in my situations, not just as part of a seminar/presentation.
You could use it on the first session of the course at your boot camp or weight loss group, with 1:1 clients, in small group PT; it’s really versatile.
I hope you like the idea and find it useful.
Have a smashing day,
KBC
Please follow me on Twitter: katiebulmer1
p.s. seminars are also a great way to increase your expert status and generate sales…my DVDs were like hot cakes J
Advantages of working with a niche client group
Claire Mockridge – Ante/Postnatal Fitness Expert
Hello everyone. I hope you’ve had a great start to 2012. If you’re anything like me, the New Year brings along new opportunities. I like January because it really gets me thinking about the year ahead and what I want to achieve over the next 12 months. It sounds corny, I know, but I like to set myself clear goals, and it’s only failure to plan, that doesn’t allow us to achieve them.
As you’ll know from the Podcast I did with Rachel last week (here’s the link if you missed it – http://on.fb.me/zYwOR8 ), I qualified to teach Ante/Postnatal women around 5 years ago. You might be shocked to hear that I actually teach more pre/postnatal classes, than anything else on my timetable. I have 3 postnatal classes and 3 pregnancy sessions, AND, I only work Monday-Wednesday. So, Thursday-Sunday are spent working on other projects and/or having some “me” time.
Now I won’t say it’s completely plain sailing working with a niche client group, but here are a few advantages of working with a specialist population which I hope will interest you, if you’re considering teaching pre/postnatal:
ADVANTAGES OF WORKING WITH A NICHE MARKET
- You’re a specialist: You’re really SPECIALISING within your chosen client group and you gain specific experience, knowledge and respect instantly by choosing to do this.
- You’re in charge: No, really you are. When you specialise, you get to call the shots on how you run your business, because you’re working with a niche market. You can take your classes when, where and however you want. I tend to run my classes in courses/terms of 10-12 weeks (but they’re my terms, not necessarily the “school” terms), and then I take 2 weeks leave. In fact, I take 10-12 weeks leave every year.
- You get instant referrals: If you’re working with a niche market, chances are, those that are attending your classes may have friends who could attend your classes, so your advertising costs are cut straight away.
- Clients will pay upfront and accept your T’s and C’s: When you work with a niche population, you can operate a pay upfront system without batting an eyelid, again because you are one of the only people working in this field in your area, which is great for cash flow. Don’t EVER undersell yourself when you specialise; perhaps provide your clients with a little bit of flexibility to entice them in; but, always, always, make sure you have a strict cancellation policy.
- You become a “go-to” person: When you work with a specific set of clients, you start to learn ALL there is to know about this subject area, whether you want to or not, and you’ll find clients will start to ask you questions about everything pregnancy, baby and mummy-related, for example. So, you start to find out about all of the local activities for pregnant women, and all of the services that new mums and babies access too. I have no immediate plans to have children myself, but I know a hell of a lot about anything pregnancy and baby-related, so if you’re thinking of specialising in a client group and you have NO knowledge of the area now, don’t let it deter you. I did it and still continue to educate myself about pregnancy, birth, postnatal recoveries and babies!
- You take business away from your competition: Believe it or not, I actually take business away from private gyms and leisure centres locally. These businesses don’t offer ANY pregnancy-related fitness classes for expectant women and very few postnatal classes. You’d be surprised to learn that to place your baby in a creche costs between £4-£5.50 per hour, so this is an additional hidden cost for new mums. My classes are practical, social, fun and very cost-effective and many of my clients actually cancel their gym memberships either during pregnancy or once they’ve had their baby, because my sessions offer them something that the big boys don’t.
If you have any questions about working with Ante/Postnatal clients, why not connect with me here:
Private Facebook Group for FitPros who either a) want to get qualified to teach pre/postnatal or, b) are already qualified, but want hints and tips on making their business more successful:https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/clairemockridge/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/clairemockridge1
Twitter: www.twitter.com/clairemockridge
Blog: http://clairemockridge.wordpress.com/
Jayne Nicholls
#nopainnogain
As Jane Fonda’s words echo in my ears, I am wondering if we are entering back into an era of hard and fast workouts. The popularity of bootcamps with early mornings and outdoor conditions all year round has certainly sorted out the men from the boys and the hardcore from the holidayers AND as I endure day 7 (currently) of Paul Mort’s GLP in a quest to achieve my ideal fat ratio AND get more and more determined by the day, I am wondering whether we have all been taking a long term vacation over the past few years where we ‘talk the talk’ but do not necessarily ‘walk the walk’, we have been very busy gathering information that we must now begin to put in place. Personally I have always favoured a hard and fast approach and that does not diminish as I get older (so fast in fact I had a client feint in my senior session last week, which I must say is always soul destroying! ). I have mentioned before that fear of injury holds back many instructors to prescribe less than optimum or modified exercise which rightly or wrongly does not produce a training effect nor a training result. January is a great time to monitor and gauge both the efficacy of our product and our clients reactions to what we are doing and I am convinced that the people who are coming to class right now want value for money and the results that they desire. With this in mind, I have also always said that the Group X mood reflects that of society and we also seem to be going into a NO PAIN NO GAIN lifestyle perspective. The softly, softly approach generically has not worked, giving people the credit, the means and the information then expecting them to reward their selves with a positive result has not worked out. You and I are in the perfect position to take control and organise health and fitness benefits for anyone who wants it, which is why our industry is on the up turn.
Let us know what you think: #nopainnogain TWEET NOW
J a y n e jayne@groupxtraining.com
Is this you? Cori Withell
There is lots of talk about trainers practising what they preach and if they don’t then they shouldn’t be training blah blah blah. While I agree with I in essence I think there is too strong an emphasis on the physical side of the situation. When I read the posts about the above it is all about being in the best shape, being in peak condition, eating clean all the time. Is this realistic? Is this the most important thing?
I think not.
Yes, being in physically good shape is important but so is good health, so is good emotional health and I really don’t think, as an industry, we look after ourselves well enough in this area. A lot of us are self employed and rely heavily on the money we bring in. Most of us work a crazy amount of hours, every waking hour for some of you I have no doubt. How long do you intend to carry on? When are you going to listen to your body and take a break.
You see, I think emotional well being is just as important, if not more important, than physical health. You can only keep going at 100mph for so long before you hit burn out. Before you start getting the irritating cough, then the sore throat, then the chest infection, one thing after another after another after another- UNTIL – you listen to your body and take a break.
Yes, having a successful business is very important but to the expense of our health? Surely not?
If you don’t look after you then who will look after your business anyway?
Many of us work as many hours as we can, often teaching high energy and exhausting classes and then we go off and do our own training to challenge our own bodies. When do we actually take time out for us?
Yet, how many of us, tell our clients how important it is to look after themselves, keep the stressors low and take out ‘me’ time. We suggest manicures, facials, massages, lunch with friends. How many of you actually do that on a weekly basis?
We encourage deep breathing, switching off for a few minutes every day, taking time to eat our meals, to chew our food and actually enjoy it but a lot of us seem to do everything on the go.
Does this makes us hypocrites?
Again, I don’t think so – I just think we have a priorities a bit screwed up and we need to start taking better care of ourselves so ultimately we can take better care of our clients, demonstrate a better example and something to them to aim for. It doesn’t mean you have to neglect your business, you may need to do a bit more planning and organising but ultimately the results will be worth it.
A handy thing to remember, you may want to take care of everyone else
BUT
If you don’t take care of you, then you won’t be able to take care of anyone else.
Follow me on Facebook www.facebook.com/coriwithell and Twitter www.twitter.com/CWFitness
Go relax 
To your health and happiness x
Cori x
If you would like to join Cori’s00 Mindful Health and Wellness Coaching Programme please go to http://cwfitness.co.uk/login/
Baby Bump and Running a Fitness Business … do they mix? By Alice Ramcharran, Pyramid Health & Fitness Ltd and Buckinghamshire Bootcamp
As we all know, being at your physical peak is an important part of being a Fitpro. Clients are much more likely to believe a fitness programme works if they are being taught by someone who looks fit and toned and who actively takes part in the training.
So… what changes do you need to make when you find out you are pregnant? In our industry, more than almost any other, making the decision to have a baby has far reaching implications. If you are sitting in an office every day, being pregnant doesn’t have much of an impact on your ability to carry out your job, or at least not until the much later stages, but for Fitpros, it can have an effect from the very beginning.
This is something I am experiencing at the moment, having just passed the 28 week mark and with just 12 weeks to go until baby number one arrives on the scene! If I was only going to share one piece of advice, it would be to plan, plan and plan again. As the saying goes, “You can NEVER be too organised”, and at this point in time that will certainly ring true. One of the great things about pregnancy is that you have about nine months to prepare and I think it is fair to say that you will probably need all this time to get your business ready for your new arrival.
It is only natural to want to carry on and do as much as you physically can, letting go can be a very difficult thing for a Fitpro, especially if you have built your business up over many years and the relationships are very personal to you. Realistically though, you are going to need to start outsourcing things. You can start with finding someone to do your admin, someone to take over your marketing and a trusted accountant to look after the finances. Then it’s time to really focus on building up a network of instructors who can take over your classes and keep things going for you. The sooner you find these instructors, the easier it is to train them up, not only in how you like the classes to be run but also in the culture and ethos of the company. As much as clients come to you because they want to get fit, they stay because they like you and they like your company.
I have tried to put a plan in place for every eventuality, so far I’ve been lucky (touch wood) and my pregnancy has been relatively easy so I have been able to carry on with my Fitness Pilates, Boxercise, Body Blitz and Bootcamp classes without too much difficulty. However, you just don’t know how things are going to progress so I’ve arranged cover; I’ve got plans, emergency plans and even emergency, emergency plans … just in case! My class schedules have been set out for the whole year and I’ve been careful not to impose any deadlines on anything. The plan is there … it doesn’t have a start date or a finish date … but it’s there, ready and waiting.
I know it is different for every pregnant woman and another piece of advice would be to try and take it easy. You know your body; as Fitpros we probably know our bodies better than most, so you will know what you can and can’t do. Also as Fitpros, we are probably more likely to push ourselves and perhaps not listen to what our bodies are telling us. I believe it is very important to take advice, schedule in rest breaks and admit that you can’t do everything! It’s hard, but it’s worth doing.
It’s important to take time off to have the baby and also to recover afterwards. This is why I haven’t set any finish dates on anything. In an ideal world, my baby is going to be textbook and eat and sleep when I want him/her to… but I know this ‘might’ not happen. So I’ve been sure to arrange enough cover to give myself and the baby time to get into a good routine as well as for my body to recover from the birth. I think it is important to still keep a hand in the running of the business, but I realise that things might take longer than I expect to return to normal. I’m going to try to stay away and let other people get on with their jobs running my business … but I can’t promise that I won’t be doing my bit, in between feeds and sleep deprivation permitting.
I’m also going to be adapting classes and adding new classes to the timetable for when I do head back, so that I can involve the baby in some of the classes, rather than having to put in nursery all of the time. If any of you have had a baby and been running your own business, I’d love to hear your experiences so please feel free to email me on alice@pyramidfitness.co.uk
Alice Ramcharran
Add me as a friend on facebook – http://www.facebook.com/alice.ramcharran
Follow me on twitter – Pyramidfit
Have a great day
Love Rachel xxx
My Mia Tui Bag and Win A Beautiful Mia Tui Bag
Tuesday, 17 January 2012 17:53
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I am always looking for the perfect bag.
I have a whole wardrobe full of high street bags, sports bags, designer bags, hand bags, clutch bags, day bags, you name it I have it. And I am constantly looking for a cool, structured bag for work – something that would hold my laptop, charger, wallet, mobile phones, notepads, Kindle, camera, Flip cam, CD’s, ipods, lipsticks and sunglasses case, yet still leave room for make up and more…… Because God knows, I love to cram as much as I possible can into my work bag especially if Im leaving the house early and not getting back in till late
And guess what…
I found one…
Let me introduce you to The Mia Tui Amelie Bag
The perfect bag for busy Fitpros – Check out Mia Tui Website and if you would like to get the chance to Win one of these super cool bags.
Please tell us what is be the most useful feature of The Amelie Bag and to go over and “like” the Mia Tui Facebook Page you can add your answers in the comments below and I will choose a winner.
Please comment below to win an Amelie Bag!
http://www.facebook.com/miatui
To get 20% discount of one of the Mia Tui bags use the code MT102
Quick Fix Choreography 5 Basic Hilo with Rachel Holmes
Friday, 13 January 2012 19:46
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Instructor Newsletter 12 January 2012
Thursday, 12 January 2012 07:14
0 Comments
Good morning I trust you have had a great start to the year and classes are now picking up and you are getting back into your stride. Its a perfect January with no snow, nothing on the TV apart form Biggest Loser so there really is no excuse for anyone not getting to a class or booking a Bootcamp or PT sessions. This weeks newsletter contains articles from Cori Withell, Jill Gardner, Jayne and Andrew our resident tax expert has replied to many of the questions he received after last weeks article. Please do keep your feedback coming if you are tweeting your feedback use the #C2GO and then you can find what fellow Fitpros are saying about this weeks newsletter.
January JumpStart – KSFL 2012 for Fitpros (Kick Start Fat Loss 2012)
I opened the doors to the Online Kick Start Fat Loss 2012 last Friday and it went crazy!
I have never launched anything on C2GO that sold out so fast and in such high demand. Incredible, and the group is now rocking, we are all focussed and on track with the detox and training.
I have recorded a new workout for all 14 days which the group has to complete twice per day and I am so looking forward to telling you all about the results.
I’ve made the workouts short, but hard and intense and so there is no excuse for fitting them into your busy schedule. The Facebook group is a great way to keep you motivated and I post lots of tips and feedback throughout the day.
If you missed the start of KSFL 1 and are interested in getting on my next KSFL2012 Let me know on FACEBOOK and I’ll forward you the sign up details as I will be opening up group 2 tomorrow and starting the detox on Monday.
http://www.Facebook.com.RachelLHolmes
Fitness Pilates – The Next Level
I hit the M5 excited and nervous on Saturday as I trekked down to Bristol for the first date of the FP Tour. The first date of any tour is like staring up a very high mountain and kind of wondering how you will make it to the top. Of course, I have written, practised, researched and rehearsed the material a million times but until you present the first date you never know how it will all come together.
As I’m also showcasing new products I was especially nervous and the adrenalin was certainly flowing. I needn’t have worried, the new material was really well received and everybody loved The New FP Resistance Band Workout and The Grid.
I was ecstatic driving home and so looking forward to a full house in Guildford the following day. I must say that in Guildford we had one of the most fun and chilled out workshops I think I have ever taken. It was a pleasure to teach and share new information and ideas and again we had loads of fun with the bands and Grid and the new functional sequences went down a treat.
Thanks to everybody that came along. You will able to get a 10% discount on the Reebok Bands from Escape with an exclusive discount code that will be available on Friday. I’ll post it on the Choreographytogo Facebook page so make sure you check the page http://www.facebook.com/Choreographytogo This weekend I’ll be in Birmingham and looking forward to it already. If you would like to grab a last minute place click here to book many of the venues are now sold out so check the website for all of the updated details. If you check out my Facebook you will also see the videos and pictures from the weekend.
Get £5 Discount on your Music
As I announced last week I am now partnering with Pure Energy and if you use the code Holmes12 you will get a £5 discount. My CD of the week has to be The Funky House Mix and Im also loving the New Fresh Hits so do go and check it out http://www.pureenergydigital.com/
Free Choreography Quick Fix Choreography Clips
I am doing a Quick Fix Choreography Clip every week and here are what I have filmed so far; please do comment on the page and let me know what you think.
Quick Fix Choreography 4 Power Conditioning
Quick Fix Choreography 2 Hi Impact
Podcast – Everything you need to know about teaching Pre and Post Natal Fitness Classes with Claire Mockridge and Rachel Holmes
Listen to this highly informative and interesting podcast with myself and Claire Mockridge. Its 18minutes of top advice from Claire about the real nuts and bolts of Teaching Pre and Post Natal. Claire specialising in this client group and is dominating the market in the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire here she discusses business points that you may not of even considered when teaching this client group. You can get your level 3 Pre and Post Natal Qualification with Choreographytogo as an online/distance learning qualification Click here for Level 3 Pre and Post
Click here to listen to the Pre and Post Natal Podcast with Rachel Holmes and Claire Mockridge
Packed Classes – 12 Ways to Keep your New Class Members and your Community Classes Booming by Rachel Holmes
All your advertising is paying off. Your phone has been ringing of the hook with enquiries. It’s not snowed (yet!) and everyone seems to want to get into fitness .. HURRAH!!! Happy days for community classes.
BUT
How do you capitalise on this influx of new and returning members? How do you keep up the momentum and turn day trippers into regular, loyal long lasting customers?
1.Collect every new person’s email address, mobile number and postal address via a Par Q. Input these details straight away into a spreadsheet so you can email your newsletter and class info asap.
2.Giveaway a goody pack for first timers. Network with other local businesses for freebies and info that you can put into the goody pack and include your flyers, business cards and promotional details. Include details of your DVD/Book/ or anything else you upsell.
3.Introduce people to each other. One of your class goals is to create a loyal tribe, so ensure people know each other’s name, especially if they come alone.
4.Give away referral cards and classes so your new clients can bring along friends and colleagues.
5.Educate your classes – giveaway handouts, offer discounts for other local businesses eg Hairdressers, Nail Bars, Masseurs, Physios – Create a bank of allied professionals who you can all refer customers to with a small discount.
6.Orgainse a workshop or seminar. I’ve written about this extensively in past newsletters, but to recap. Hold a free event you can invite people to. It could be something like The Truth about Fat Loss or How to Drop a Dress Size, hire a room, prepare your talk with slides and at the end sell your classes and services.
7.Package YOUR classes and services. People love to buy into a brand, a club or a theme. Make sure your class is not just another Bootcamp or Legs Bums and Tums class or Body Blitz class or whatever it is. Brand it, design your lesson plans and hand outs, create a newsletter and be clear about who your class is aimed at. Remember most people are coming to a class to solve a problem. Develop a clear brand and image for each class you teach, how it will help your customer, which problems it will solve in a step by step methodical way.
8.Offer Value – Make sure you add as much value and extras to your service as you can. Film weekly workouts for Facebook/Youtube and put them on your website. Create recipe ideas, cookery info, home workouts, food shopping information ,so you become the one stop shop for every thing health, fitness and wellness for your clients.
9.Website – You HAVE to have a website in this day and age to survive and compete. BUT don’t let technology slow you down or even stop you. Don’t let technology be a headache for you so that you procrastinate. If you want a website talk to my web designer Paul Taylor. He will give you a great quote and help you find the right package for you. You can contact Paul here pt@paultaylor.co.uk
10. Communicate your message and the right time, to the right audience. Work on your classes and services first, then communicate your message to your audience though social media, local media, ezine newsletter, hard copy newsletter, flyers, joint ventures with other local businesses, A Boards outside your venue, banners and networking groups.
11. Answer all enquiries and follow up all enquiries. If someone calls you for info and they don’t show up in class give them another call, email or text, send them some information with a free trial class pass. Always follow up your leads. This is something we often miss in fitness. We feel scared that we may be hassling or chasing people. Don’t feel like that, many people just need more information or nudge in the right direction. You must always follow up your enquiries you will find these customers may become your most loyal long lasting customers as you took the time to help and encourage them to attend.
12. Build an exclusive Monthly VIP package for loyal customers. Offer customers who pay a monthly membership unlimited classes, bill it as something elite. You could call it your Premier Club or First Class Fitness Pass or something catchy like that. Create a membership card and offer additional benefits for signing up to monthly membership.
Get your Systems Right
On my Coaching and Mentoring courses the one thing we talk about a lot is systemising your business and putting the right systems in place to make you business run more smoothly
You should have a system for:
- 24/7 marketing action from at least 5 different places to begin with (eg. Local paper, referrals, local businesses, flyers, social media)
- Building your potential client database (eg. Using ALL marketing action to drive them solely to sign up to your database/mailing list )
- Converting your database into paying clients (eg. An email series or newsletter to build a relationship with them and allow them to know, like and trust you)
- Keeping in touch with paying clients to build relationships with them (eg. An email series and once a month get together
- Promoting upsells and offers to paying clients (eg. A monthly workshop, webinar for your best clients)
A system does 3 things.
1, It takes the guess work out. If you’re following a system, you’re following a set of rules. You just follow your rules and depending on how much the system has been tested you’ll get a consistent set of results
2. From an initial enquiry to a new person attending a class you have a set procedure of what happens every time. You create the customer path, exactly what happens from initial enquiry, to follow up call, to them attending your class, to you following up with a newsletter and them finally booking a course with you.
3, You can measure it. If you can measure something you can test what makes it better or worse. So if I have a ‘system’ that I follow when I’m trying to get someone who’s inquired about coming to one of my classes to actually come and commit to a course, I can change one element of that system each time I use it and see if I get a better or worse result. I can keep doing this until my results get better and better and then I just follow the same system each time I want to get the result of someone committing to a months worth of classes with me.
Eg. A basic sales system for ANY fitness business whether its bootcamps, pilates courses, dance or PT would be:
- All Marketing Material drives people to a website where their only option is to sign up for a free report/video/training on whatever niche your fitness business is
Eg. If your niche is Fitness Pilates aimed at 45 -60 year old females the free report could be “The 5 things need to know about getting the results you want from Fitness Pilates” or you could film a VLOG and give away a free home workout video showcasing why FP will get them the results they desire and solve the problems they have.
- They sign up for that report because its useful to them
- You send them a series of emails that tells them about what you do and how you can help
them solve their problem
- In the emails you invite them to take up a 10 minute phone consultation with you where you discuss their interest in what FP can do for them.
- In the phone consultation you follow a script to find out if they are serious about signing up for a course.
- If they meet your criteria they are booked in for a free taster class
- At the end of the class they are offered a special deal if they sign up for a course of classes there and then
- If they don’t sign up they are sent a series of emails after the taster session reminding them to book for a course.
Now if I follow this exact system and 100 people sign up for the free report and 5 of those people end up booking onto my Fitness Pilates Course I can be fairly sure that if I send another 100 people to that same free report to sign up I will get another 5 bookings.
So if I want to make £1000 and my course is £40 I know I need to get 25 bookings and I need to get 500 people to sign up to that free report.
I can just follow the system and keep pouring people in at the top to get an expected result out at the end.
So all of a sudden making filling your classes and courses isn’t a dream its just a process, and you can keep going with your systems to fill your classes and course.
Good Luck!
Cooking up a storm in 2012? My top 5 add-ons to make your business grow and grow! by Jill Gardner
Hey guys! Welcome to the New Year. I hope things are going great and classes and clients are coming back in droves!
I had a great end to the year and want to continue that growth into the 2012. None of us can afford to stand still in our businesses. As modern life evolves so must we to meet that demand. Evermore people are more stressed and busy and need a more holistic lifestyle based approach to help solve their problems. My mission is to increase my brand awareness and keep networking with key synergistic businesses that will continue to help my business grow and help inspire many more to make positive changes. I have picked up some great ideas for those who specialise in fat loss and I thought I would share them with you. I hope you will find these helpful!
1. Be different! There are boot camps at every turn now and they don’t appeal to everyone. Think about your target audience. For example – why not call your 4-week boot camps a journey, mission or a course. These words are less intimidating for some and you can tailor it to suit. I use workshops each week to deliver presentations or I use a flip chart to get the information across. Try to meet all learning styles by using handouts, images and demonstrations. Taking in samples of foods or using props such as fake muscle or fat models. This again raises your profile and sets you apart from your competition.
2. Make the course so interactive, supportive and fun that they will literally bite your hand off to stay on as a monthly member (encourage this after the end of each course). Give them access to member’s only support forums via websites or facebook. Make them feel really special by giving them member’s only content and other offerings such as extra workshops or free copies of your recipe books. The key is to build a community on and off line with your members. Pretty soon they will be organising social events together and sharing their journeys! With a sense of belonging and community they will be bringing their friends and family along to join in.
3. Affiliate with as many relevant local businesses as you can to offer your members more value for their membership. By getting them discount at the local supplement store or hairdressers you can get them a special member card made up with your logo on and their name – this can be used at various restaurants, nail bars etc. My members get discount at the cookery school, local health food shops and special attention at an exclusive restaurant local to us to name a few.
4. Find a local cookery school, caterer or independent chef to set up cookery demonstrations, courses, evenings etc. You can seek the use of kitchens in the evenings at schools and colleges. Make sure your members get discount to add even more value if you choose to run regular courses. You could even base you fat loss courses here to make them even more interactive.
5. Team up with your local sport or health food shop to run shopping events. You can negotiate great discounts and free samples and use it as an opportunity to increase your profile with your local shops. Hold mini seminars on different niche topics. This is another way of building your profile locally.
So don’t stand still. Keep moving forwards. Keep networking and interacting with your members and local and national businesses. Let’s make it the best year in fitness yet!
Big love, small tummies
Jill Gardner – The Fat Controller – www.facebook.com/hateitchangeit
Transferring Your Sole Trader Business
To a Limited Company…..Follow Up
by
Andrew Crawford
After each article that has appeared in these newsletters I receive plenty of feedback……. but one especially touched me last week as I felt the words jump off the page and into my heart. With permission, I have reproduced an excerpt from it which I believe encompasses many people’s thoughts on the idea of transferring a sole trader business to a limited company.
The advice I gave back was private so will not be copied here.
I would also like to personally thank the sender of the following email, who took the effort to write to me and inadvertently helped me form the basis of this week’s article.
“I have just read Andrew’s article in Rachel Holmes’ January newsletter. Very interesting…
Now, of course limited companies have their advantages (all those that Andrew detailed but also the limit on the accountability, which is important in this day and age) but they also have their disadvantages (from my viewpoint at the very least: more chance of investigations and thorough ones at that, with consequent stress, need for the bookkeeping to be “spot on“, accounting costs, banking costs and costs relating to setting up the company).
I would be interested to know how one can calculate whether moving from sole trader to limited company is a good choice or not for them at a certain point in time?
For instance, over the last few years I have always thought that my income levels (being so low!!!) do not justify the move, but I am interested in your thoughts on this.”
Now ….confronted with this email response ..one had to act…….and fast!!!
Although the email looks simple on the face of it, there are many issues wrapped up in there, each requiring a substantial explanation. However, I will only briefly touch upon them here.
Investigations / Inspections
Based on my personal experiences in practice and the guidance produced by the Inland Revenue, whether you are a Sole Trader or a Limited Company, the chances of an investigation are the same. However….the questions is…..are we ALL equal?
Why do I ask this?
Well…..you only need to look at the notices they advertise to the public ‘hidden in plain sight’ amongst the businesses pages, journals and specialised reading material and their own ‘easy to use’ website pages…..!!!
The Inland Revenue have set themselves a collection target of £7bn to be
brought into the treasury coffers…and they don’t care which sector it comes from..!!!!
The Government, with their blessings, gave the Inland Revenue millions of pounds in order for them to facilitate this….
However, on the flip side, the Revenue do not always play by the ‘set’ rules ….
“…Our tax chief had secret lunches with Vodafone and Goldman Sachs and then handed them billions in tax breaks – while keeping Parliament in the dark!
MPs are outraged, claiming we are owed over 25 billion pounds in back taxes from these and similar dodgy deals. But the tax agency has blocked an inquiry into the scandal and refuses to release documents to shed light on why these tax breaks were ordered in the first place….”
Most enquiries are generated by computer “risk profiling” and many are selected completely at random. As a result, The Revenue (HMRC) sometimes picks the wrong targets, Even if you have done nothing wrong, the taxman will not give up and will still try hard to find errors.
There are 2 types: Aspect or Full. They start with the Aspect then if need be go into the full.
Now…..the Aspect has been having 70% success rates, so they are doing more of those…Full Enquiries can last for years.!!….they haven’t got this time….!
However, whilst the Revenue are coming down hard on you, behind our very backs they are hiding details of things they want to hide from public knowledge.
Why else would they block a public enquiry…when it is in the best interest of the public? Think about that.
“….is extremely disappointing that senior HMRC officials were not prepared to cooperate with our inquiry in a spirit of openness.
It is absurd that we had to rely on the media and the actions of a whistleblower to find out about the details of individual settlements……”
So…yes there are advantages and disadvantages to either staying a sole trader or moving over to a limited. Additional paperwork is one disadvantage of running a company however, this is more than compensated with the things you can do with a company. I did list some good ones in the last newsletter just to give you examples.
Bookkeeping / Record keeping
Not just for companies but also sole traders. The Inland Revenue have also made up new penalties if records are not up to scratch. Whose scratch? Their scratch…!!
The maximum fine is £3,000 and HMRC will be carrying out an extra 50,000 random tax investigations with the hope of raking in more cash.
http://www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com/ard/enews_article.asp?ID=2704&AID=1987&CID=1
Here is a definitive guide as to what HMRC want you to keep…I suggest printing this out and filing with you business records….
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/factsheet/record-keeping.pdf
Make sure you are familiar with the HMRC record keeping toolkit, so if you do get investigated you can simply say that you have ‘followed’ their guidance.
‘Spot On’ / Errors
The new rules on errors apply equally to sole trader and limited company….please.don’t make ANY errors on the Tax Return….Why? More penalties.
Different levels of penalty will apply depending on the seriousness of the offence. The penalties are a percentage of potential lost revenue ranging from 0% – 100%
Moving from Sole Trader to limited is a Good Choice or not?
At which point does one think of moving?
I say that when your income is such that profits are now hitting the 40% tax rate mark (Profit over £35,000) or when one gets fed up with having to fund the payment on account charge (advanced tax).
Tax Rates for companies are low at 20% up to £300,000 profit. No payment on account..!!
So there is the comparison…just in case you missed it…….as a sole trader you pay 20% tax on profits up to £35,000 then 40% on profits over £35,001 plus don’t forget the additional Class 4 tax on profits in addition to the tax compared to a company who would pay 20% tax on profits up to £300,000.
Things that make you go ummm…!!
Tax Planning
Tax Planning is individual. Not all tax plans will suit everybody, just like no weight loss program suits all.
That is why when confronted with ideas, it is up to you to consider if that particular one would suit you and can be utilised to benefit your individual situation.
Until next time…Eyes peeled …Ears Open…..
Andrew Crawford
Visit our website at: www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com for more FREE resources and articles.
‘Like’ our page at: www.facebook.com/fitnessindustryaccountants
Andrew Crawford can be contacted on twitter @tax4fitness or info@fitnessindustryaccountants.com
www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com like our facebook page : www.facebook.com/fitnessindustryaccountants
Questions to: info@fitnessindustryaccountants.com or www.facebook.com/andrewjamescrawford
Jayne Nicholls #Trending on Twitter
Hello all, because the role and the needs of the instructor keep changing and 2012 will only progress this change with us all being so much more pro active and in control of our teaching and business opportunities, I have decided to make my piece for C2GO much more interactive by using the most powerful tool at our disposal right now – TWITTER
This means that we want your reactions and opinions which is what the # is all about. So here is the formula:
· Read the piece
· Use our #phrase which is basically C2GO trending and copy it into your tweet
· Give us your tweets worth
You can then track every one else’s opinions and interaction by searching the #phrase.
Why do this? Good question – we become a much more vocal, solid, unified and serious organisation of professionals and join the other trend setters in Twitter land
So this week is all about #WouldYouSignThis
Would you sign a contract that has a clause included saying that if you cannot find cover for your class, the club can hire from an agency and you are liable to pay any part of the fee that is not covered by your rate of pay? For example if you are paid £20 to teach and need cover, the club can get me in at rate of £45 and you have to cover the £20 excess.
Is this a professional way forward or by signing such contracts are we further losing all control of our worth in a club setting where we are hugely responsible for membership sales and member retention?
So here’s the drill once again: Go to Twitter and post including #WouldYouSignThis with your view. Can’t wait to hear which way you would go on this – don’t forget to include @JayneNicholls & @RachelHolmes
Jayne Nicholls www.groupxtraining.com
Cori Withell Mindful Health and Fitness
With pressures of daily living ever increasing and the media portrayals of the costly ideal way to live, where do you draw the line? Where do you say actually I am happy with my lot and I do not want any more? I think it is far harder to achieve this sense of equilibrium than any of us truly realise.
You do not have to look too far before you are bombarded with messages along the lines of,
‘I can show you how to earn 6 figures’
‘Do you want to retire within 5 years.’
‘Be the best in your area and live the life of your dreams’
This last one really grates with me. How on earth do they know what the life of my dreams is??? I could go on but I reckon you get the gist.
Have we really become such a materialistic society that the only measure we have of success and happiness is how much we have in the bank, the fabulous holidays, the top of the range gadgets???
I am well known for my obsession with designer labels, particularly shoes but I certainly don’t measure my happiness by them! They are my present to me and my one indulgence.
I measure my happiness by how I feel when I wake up in the morning. The joy I get from small things like being able to walk 5 minutes from my house and be in the woods or walking along the River Itchen. Being able to walk the 7 miles to the next town following that river.
I spent over two years competing with local instructors trying to be better and make more money etc and it stressed me out beyond belief. Yes, I had a phenomenal couple of years and earned more than I could ever have imagined but I wasn’t happy.
Yes, I could go and buy the things I wanted and take the Caribbean holidays but it didn’t make me truly happy. Money simply isn’t everything.
So now, I have taken a slightly different approach.
I still strive to have a highly successful business that in time will run itself. I know exactly where I want to be and how I will get there – that to me is absolutely crucial. And money, we can’t avoid it. I know how much I need to earn every month to live the lifestyle I want to live but that has changed a great deal over the last two years.
So, take a deep breath, a step back and work out what you actually want and what will make you truly happy. Once you know that, the hard work begins and you can start on your plan of attack 
Looking after you and your mental health is so very, very important and one of the most overlooked areas in this industry, I am going to be very proud to announce my new online coaching programme in just two weeks – keep your eyes peeled
There will be some very useful articles and tips on the Mindful Health and Wellness Page on Facebook, why not take a look https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.249851658412867.61210.249851465079553&type=1#!/pages/Mindful-Health-and-Wellness/249851465079553
Follow me on Facebook www.facebook.com/coriwithell or Twitter www.twitter.com/CWFitness
Have a fantastic week
Love Rachel xx
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