Well, Halloween is here and I have to admit the economic climate seems down-right scary. If you are concerned about your business – take action. The first step is to assess the situation in real terms. We just sat down and ran our numbers to get an accurate picture of our real business situation… what we are doing this year to last year and also distribution of our client loads for each of our instructors. It was really informative.
Knowing that as times get tough, people do tighten up, we are reviewing the other options we provide. What can we do, what can you do? Expanding group offerings was a natural choice. We are not just putting more on the schedule, but encouraging clients who mention cost as an issue, to put a group of their friends and colleagues together to get a set group that can progress and learn together.
We also motivate our staff to tap into their own connections and resources to promote special interest groups. We have instructors who are involved in sports, dance and schools and have encouraged them to go out and speak about Pilates and creating opportunities for special interest group classes.
Finally, we are continuing to give away Pilates. Now I know that might sound crazy, but I firmly believe in creating community and the idea of what goes around comes around.
We know that our scholarship program will soon be strained to the max, so why not find a way to reach more people into giving? In this month of Thanksgiving, we are thankful for our clients, our health, our business growth. We have created a community class where people give what they can and all of the proceeds from that class go to an orphanage in Nepal. It’s a real win-win – everyone feels good!
So if you are feeling a bit “haunted” by the economy this Halloween, step back and do a reality check. Make a plan that works for both you and your community!
- Zoey Trap, Peak Pilates Master Trainer