Instructor Newsletter 15th January 2015

I hope you have

had a fabby start to 2015?

Busy classes & so many folks asking about more freestyle

classes which is EXCITING!

We have access to so much great info.

New choreography, music, nutrition, class ideas,
business ideas, personal developments
it’s all there in front of us.

So much to be inspired & motivated by.

I love exploring exceptional info to pass on
in blogs & videos to class members &
here in the  newsletters.

Yesterday I was watching videos
about the new Apple watch.

Can you imagine the implications this
will have for us in the fitness industry?

Its mind blowing!


I think it will revolutionise
the way we teach fitness classes.

It will measure steps, calories, nutrition, heart rate,
blood pressure, food input, daily activity levels
& so much more.

All this amazing information sitting
on our wrists.


WOW.


We will  be able to harness all of

this data in our classes
to create the most awesome

results driven workouts & classes.

Personal technology & group fitness is going to meet
head on very soon when the watch is released.

And one of the best things about the watch is that the fitness
side of it has been created by none other than Jay Blahnick.

Many of you know Jay and will have attended his
sessions at past Fitpro conventions.

What do you think… Are you ready for the revolution?

Check out the Apple Watch Video. It’s so exciting
https://www.apple.com/watch/films/#film-design

Read about Jay Blahnick here & be
inspired he is such
a trailblazer 🙂

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This is such a huge untapped market & our

course kicked of last weekend in London with Kelly Reed- Banks.

There are so many opportunities in this nice and Kelly’s

course is extremely practical, comprehensive & user friendly.

We have created a full package including music,

20 page workbook & workshop

DVD.

This week Kelly is in Bristol and the course will be running

in Derby & Manchester

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


Exciting News on The Level 3
Online Pre & Post Natal Qualification

I have teamed up with the amazing Jenny Burrell of Burrell Education who has added additional video workshop content to the  qualification.

When you now book onto my Level 3 Pre & Post course you get 4 bonus lecture workshop videos on:

Bonus 1: Post Natal Pre Screening Presentation with Jenny Burrell

Bonus 2: Sue Croft Interview – Fantastic 1 hour interview on pregnancy,post birth, pelvic floor & so much more

Bonus 3: Bladder Health, Prolapse & Hernia Presentation

Bonus 4: Checking For Rectus Diastasis

Each video is a vital workshop for everyone wanting to get the very latest information to help serve our Pre & Post Natal Clients.

This is such a useful addition to the course & will really help you serve your clients with the very best information.

Jenny’s passion & knowledge is another level & I know how much you will enjoy these brilliant presentations.
 
If you have previously enrolled on my Level 3 course Pre & Post or completed it with C2GO watch your inbox as I  will be forwarding these videos to you for further learning.

For more information check out the course content & details.

You can connect with Jenny directly here


 


What I have been playing in class this week.

Here’s a little video of me talking about the music
I have been using since the new year for Step, HIIT, FP & HiLO

New Step It UP Freestyle Download

Check out my latest Step Download on the site

Fitness Pilates Course  in Cambridge This weekend.

We have 2 last minute cancellations on our 2 day FP course this weekend in Cambridge.

Do you want to jump on & learn to teach FP?

Heres the link to book right away.






I’ve NEVER Eaten So Much Chocolate In My Life!
By Jo De Rosa

Not everyday, but most mornings will see me eating chocolate these days. And I can honestly say that in the last year I have NEVER eaten so much chocolate!

BUT

I have not touched ANY commercial shop-bought chocolate in that time. This Christmas was the very first festive season that not a single processed chocolate passed my lips….

No processed sugar for one year.

And I feel A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

I drink ceremonial grade raw cacao mixed with homemade cashew milk, maca and lucuma powders maybe three times per week (and then meditate for an hour) and believe me there is no NEED for sugar-laden crap anymore.

This is what has amazed me so much as I’ve watched the masses eat their bodyweight in sweet-stuff this festive season: I HAVE NOT MISSED EATING THAT RUBBISH. And I never ever thought it could be so easy.

It’s just like my addiction to alcohol. It’s now been 823 days since I had a drink and I now NEVER want a drink! If you paid me I wouldn’t drink a drop of the substance that changed me, twisted me, and nearly destroyed me.

I don’t need to do it anymore, I’ve moved on and away, and my life is so much better without it. And I’m talking alcohol AND sugar here……

So we’re halfway through January now. Are you having a dry one? Or a sugar-free start to the year? How is that going for you? Are you pining away from the very thing that grinds you down? Why do we do that?! Why make it so difficult for ourselves?!

AND WHAT IF I TOLD YOU I HAD THE ANSWER TO DOING THIS EASILY?

If I told you EXACTLY what to do, would you comply with the instructions? Like a patient following their doctor’s advice, would you take the pill I prescribe religiously? Even if you knew it was guaranteed to give you a better life?

Well here it is:   MEDITATION

If you meditate everyday, check-in with yourself, and find a connection to the part of you that is whole then you simply cannot keep doing something that is not good for you. It’s literally impossible.
The thought of drinking now, of poisoning my system with a substance that numbs me from feeling connected is ludicrous.

And once you know that sugar is creating an acidic environment in your body, that it is feeding cancer cells, then why oh why would you continue to eat it?
It is a drug, and just like smoking, drinking or snorting cocaine, the cravings will pass once it’s out of your system. And when it’s out, simply don’t put any more in!



And meditate. Connect. Listen to your inner dialogue, which knows what is right for you….you cannot lie to yourself when in the meditative state.

BUT!


It’s amazing the excuses that people come up with to not do what they KNOW is right for them,

“I haven’t got time to meditate”

GET UP 10 MINUTES EARLIER

“I’m too busy at lunchtime to eat healthily”

GET ORGANISED AND TAKE A PACKED LUNCH

“I can’t meditate because my mind is too busy”
\
EVERYBODY STARTS OFF THAT WAY: YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE (that why it’s called ‘practice’!!)

“Cream eggs/maltesers/galaxy taste so good though”

LEARN HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN RAW CHOCOLATES WITH CLEAN INGREDIENTS: THERE IS NO REASON TO GO WITHOUT CHOCOLATE!  


When we meditate we are CHANGING THE BRAIN. Old habits fall away effortlessly, and new pathways in the brain are forged and secured.

It’s up to YOU to put the work in. Sit on a cushion for 10 minutes per day.

In a month you will WANT to do more. Suddenly 20 minutes of meditation is easy and you’re sitting on your cushion for 30 minutes each day. Then you realise that there is more benefit in meditation than there is sleeping so you WANT to get up an hour earlier so that you can practice: what better way to start the day?

Connected. Focused. Prepared. Perfect.

So who’s up for it? Who wants to leave ordinary behind and welcome

EXTRAORDINARY instead? Are you ready for the ride of your life? What are you capable of if you really put your mind to it?

Do you want to be 100% focused on everything that you do?

Do you want to be so focused that you get everything done that you start?

Are you ready?

Do you want the pill now?

My Online Meditation Course is the prescription I’ve written out for you. Ten weekly 30 minute classes sent straight to your inbox. Take it dutifully like you would medicine: sit for at least 10 minutes each day listening to the sound of my voice as I guide you deeper within your own mind. Be consistent. Be diligent. DEMAND that you find that time in your day, because it may just change your life forever.
Why wouldn’t you do that????


Those that have completed the course have all told me something shifted. They noticed that life got a little easier, and I ask you all: ARE YOU STILL MEDITATING EACH DAY? Have you faithfully stuck to your daily practice, or has it fallen away? If it’s ceased how do you feel now? Has the connection that you made disappeared? Is life a little more hectic again? And why did you allow that to happen if it did? I’d love to know, and motivate you to start taking the medicine again x

And for those that are ready to take the medicine for the first time then follow the link below, and WELCOME to a world of clarity, happiness and improved health. It’s time to take control of your destiny x

Web:  http://innerguidance.co.uk/product/10-week-online-meditation-course
Email:  jo@innerguidance.co.uk
Facebook:  InnerGuidance
Twitter:  @Inner_Guidance
Copyright: Jo De Rosa 2015

Are you Attending the WIFE Conference

Thanks to Rachel for inviting me to contribute to her newsletter this week!
 
I’d really like to extend a warm invitation to all of you to get involved and come along to the first all-female fit-pro conference the UK has ever had. WIFE (Women In Fitness Empowerment) Conference takes place on Saturday 7th March at the Holiday Inn in Guildford and we’ve lined up a top group of successful female presenters including Rachel!
 
There are several reasons why I believe we need an all-female conference in the industry. Firstly take a look at the speakers for many industry events and you will see the guys dominate, in fact in one event taking place in 2015 there are 20 speakers and only one of those is a woman! Next, how many of you have made a training day, conference or seminar only to look around you and realize the women in the room are heavily outnumbered by men? Now don’t get me wrong there are some pretty awesome guys in the industry but the lack of women at these events got me wondering why. I believe women have a really valuable contribution to make to the industry and I also know that women face unique challenges. The thought of bringing women together at one event started to take root.
 
Women started to suggest to me other women they admired or looked up to in the industry and various names were put forward as speakers. Rachel was one of those names and it’s easy to understand why when you consider her depth of experience and the thousands of instructors she has trained and mentored. Women need role models, I believe we all need to see successful women achieving great things in the industry and learn from their example. Women can indeed lift other women up as Rachel is demonstrating through her Kick Start Fat Loss franchise network.
 
As well as Rachel, WIFE Conference is bringing together 12 top female fitness professionals who will be sharing specific advice to female delegates on all areas of building and sustaining a successful fitness business. You will probably be familiar with many of the speakers including Katie Bulmer-Cooke who recently appeared on BBC 1’s The Apprentice as well as Charlotte Ord from ITV’s The Biggest Loser and Sky News. Lunch and refreshments are included in the ticket price of £125 because I feel one of the things we really love to do as women is talk and network, so no need to eat out of a Tupperware box in some lonely corner of the room, and the whole day is SkillsActive and REP’s endorsed.
 
I hope #WIFE2015 will be just the beginning and that the day brings together like-minded women for networking, support and inspiration. It would be lovely to see some of you there and I’m sure Rachel will be glad to have your support as well.
 
More details and tickets can be purchased at www.wifeconference.co.uk

Good Morning Good Night
By Andrew Crawford

We are already midway through the mad month where I meet myself coming back….!!

What do you mean?

Well…….As I prepare  to  go to bed, from the ‘days’ work, the household is preparing to get up, from the ‘night’ sleep…..!!!!

My body clock is playing havoc. Mind you…..when I was ‘younger’….I use to do 2 to 3 days stint without going to bed…!! Hard as……………!!

In the midst of it all this week already….I’ve had a day in Bristol….a day in London and on Friday, a day in Derby….that’s 3 days away from my cockpit. Time definitely is precious………I won’t be getting that back..!!

So once in London, I bought my usual one day travel card…..WTF….!!! ..who touched those fares??

The travelcard was now £12.00 instead of £8.90.

Now…obviously I did my calculations…….it turns out that that particular fare has increased by 34.83%….!!

Goodness knows what the other fare hikes have been.

I should have noticed this the day before because having only had one hour sleep, I missed the train from Nottingham to Birmingham therefore also missed the Birmingham to Bristol train. What did that mean?…………New tickets..!!

The price of that one ticket cost more than the return journey of my previous purchased tickets…..!!  Big Big price difference….!

The moral of the story?

Buy your travel tickets in advance and online…try avoiding purchasing overpriced tickets on the day of travel.

Even Dick Turpin wore a mask…!!

With the thousands of pounds of additional funds…..”…put some air conditioning on the underground..”

So Andrew…

Bristol, Birmingham, London Derby……what have they got to do with Accountancy and Tax??

Well….you may have guessed it by now……..Travel.

In all those cases above and whatever costs I may suffer……..I’m gonna claim the mofo against my business.

Claiming the costs of travelling is one of the hotspots the HMRC love to enquire about. They use the word ‘commuting’ so I will refer to it here.

By the way…I’ve told  you this before but it comes up in discussions again and again.

The ta x rules will deny a deduction for expenses of ‘ordinary commuting’.

Ordinary commuting is defined as travel between either:
Home and a permanent workplace: or
 place that is not a workplace (a hotel or someone else’s home) and a permanent workplace

This means that travel expenses incurred from home to your normal place of work will not be allowable.

You must remember that when these rules were written, I suspect that there was not many ‘work from home / home as an office’ type of thing going on.

Also note the word permanent because this may be an issue for some of you.

Once at work, (permanent workplace), if you travel to visit clients from there, this is not ordinary commuting therefore these expenses are allowable. Therefore office to client travel is allowable.

There is another one…..Substantially ordinary commuting

What is this?

If you attend a college and the journey to the college is substantially the same as the distance to your permanent place of work, no deduction is allowable.

What if I travel from home to a client’s premises?
HMRC will accept that this is not ordinary costs of commuting but only providing that the client’s premises constitutes a ‘temporary workplace’.

A temporary workplace is defined as a place which you attend in the performance of your duties in order to perform a task of limited duration or for some other temporary purpose.

My Advice
In summary this is the advice I want to give you.

Work from home, this will be your permanent workplace or your normal place of work. Therefore travel from home to workplace….disallowable.

Travel from home to clients premises, for one 2 one…allowable

Travel to classes…..allowable

What about Travelling Abroad
In this world of globalisation it is not uncommon for you to have to take a train, boat or plane overseas for the purpose of your business.
On occasions you may find yourself having to travel abroad to participate in meetings, attend masterclasses or research venues for future projects.

As long as you can demonstrate that these expenses, flight costs etc were incurred properly for your business, these expenses are claimable.

I would resist using the word holiday..!!

In a past case the HMRC disallowed all the plane flights…(just like in the case above) the reason was as follows.

They saw that there were 2 names on the flight ticket, and asked who the other person was. It transpired that it was the partner of the taxpayer.

It was also discovered that the second named person was not paid for their time abroad, therefore the HMRC took it that although evidenced by some documentation, that the passenger was the partner of the taxpayer and was not paid for their time abroad, therefore disallowed all the foreign expenditure and travel costs.

Sounds familiar?

Tax tip: If you have to go abroad on business…learn this….
If a partner is going with you, either pay them or put them on a separate ticket (technically, you cannot claim for them, however, ensure that the expenditure was incurred for the purpose of your business so pay them and claim the full costs…let them invoice you if necessary).

If you are attending a seminar/masterclass, have a copy of the brochure or timetable to show which classes you attended.


If you were invited abroad and you were not paid for your time… have a flier which clearly shows your name and picture as one of the speakers, then claim your travel and hotel costs.

If you are on a research trip….. have a diary and brochures of where and who you visited.

Oh…..while I’m at it…

You can claim “…Reasonable hotel and meal expenses…” on your business trips..

Here’s mine.

I think £500 is reasonable for my room at this 5 star hotel and I also think £200 is reasonable for my meal……..!!

What is your ‘interpretation’ of reasonable??

Finally

My new project is just on the horizon. I will let you know what it is next week.
 
So……..It’s Good Night from me and it’s Good Night From Him.

Andrew James Crawford

www.fitnessindustryaccountants.com
www.facebook.com/fitnessindustryaccountants
www.twitter.com/tax4fitness