As this image shows, it’s taken 7 years & counting 😆
So here are 7 things I wish I knew when I started…
1️⃣ Include VAT from the get-go!
Or in other words, charge more
And it’s crazy to think that when I started I charged £200pm for “Done for You” ads management
I see this almost every day in fitness businesses, where they’ve just picked a price without doing a deep dive into what they really should be charging
2️⃣ Set Expectations
You’ll know this one, a client joins & wants to drop a stone in a week or 3 stone in a month
In order to make the sale, we awkwardly nod, knowing it’s never going to happen
These days, we share the worst-case scenario, so when we do overdeliver, they are blown away
3️⃣ Take Charge Right Away
I remember one of our first clients, he came across all confident & said to spend £100pd
I went with it, one month later £3000 down & not a single sale made
Did he phone the leads: NO! Did he email the leads: NO!
To be honest, I’m not really sure what he did
These days, we set the rules for clients to ensure they have success with us 💪
4️⃣ KPIs!
Omg, I wish I knew this stuff before I started hiring staff
KPIs make it so much easier for you to hold staff accountable & perform
But also make it super easy for you to get rid 👋
Fail your KPIs 3 months in a row & that could very much be the end
5️⃣ SOPs
Sorry for all the acronyms today 😆
But getting this one in place now allows me to be right here in Turkey
Not having to be glued to my laptop, answering questions & helping staff get things set up
SOPs give the staff a clear idea of what needs to be done, how to do it & FAQs if things aren’t going to plan
6️⃣ Let Go Sooner
This will always be hard
I never had it when we had DKnine Fitness in Southampton
But I knew almost from the minute go in Cardiff with FitHub30 that I needed to be out as quick as possible
This doesn’t mean you are leaving your business, it just means you start releasing certain elements of your business to others
7️⃣ Find People Better Than You
Once upon a time I used to think I was the best at running ads, saying that, I still think I am 😆
But what I have now is an expert team who know more than me on many other things
Like, I walk into meetings now & they have new SOPs, systems, ideas & even implement new strategies
Allowing us to get better & grow quicker
So there you have it…
7 years ago today, I said I was going to get my first 5 clients
Today, we work with a few hundred clients each week across our services 🤩
You got this 💪
David 🙂
