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The 5 Biggest

Mistakes Personal

Trainers Make in

Business and How

to Avoid Them

By J.J. Flizanes

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“J.J. Flizanes is everything anyone could want in a fitness instructor – bright, energetic,

motivated, and motivating. I have watched her double her income in my workshops

3 times in the past 7 years – because she knows it only works if you work it, in business

and in life. Why struggle trying to figure out how to run your fitness business profitably

when you could learn from a mentor who’s already figured it all out and will show you

the way?”

Chellie Campbell, author “The Wealthy Spirit” and “Zero to Zillionaire” and

creator of the Financial Stress Reduction® Workshops now taught by and international

group of certified trainers listed at www.chellie.com.

.

“I have been JJ's CPA for over 5 years and I have watched her bring in six figures all

5 years. I have also seen her fall down, get up and learn from her mistakes in business

and continue to thrive. What I like about JJ is she is always doing her research and

looking for new and improved ways to help people achieve their goals. It’s not just about

the exercise; she takes a holistic approach which I admire because the integration is

critical to overall success. I am continually impressed with her wealth of knowledge. Her

passion and zest for health is infectious! Save yourself the time, money and headache

she had to go through and learn from her!"

Tina Mattis, CPA http://www.tinamattiscpa.com

“JJ is the most focused, persistent, and passionate person that I have ever met. Bringing

these qualities to coach trainers will give them the benefit of her experiences as well as

her mistakes, elevating their own skills to new heights. I have been encouraging her to

do this for years- I am glad she is finally reaching out to share what she has learned

and how she can help you make money.”

Richard Krelstein, Management Consultant

“I've known J.J. for 10 years, since she trained me to become a personal trainer. She

made (and continues to make) a huge impression on me. Her voracious appetite for

knowledge coupled with her passion for educating and inspiring others makes her an

unstoppable force. She has a quick mind for phrasing something in the most

understandable way, and for helping people obliterate their obstacles. When you are

dealing with J.J., you can count on always getting 180%. If there is something you

want to know, she WILL find the answers for you. J.J. will have so much information

and motivation for you, it is impossible not to be moved by her enthusiasm and energy."

Susan Grady, Dancer, Teacher, Trainer

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Where I started- so you can relate

I didn’t take business classes in college or high

school and I hated science and math. I got my first

certification in 1997 and the first thing I noticed

about the focus of the personal trainer book and

course was the legal stuff. I remember thinking that

was odd and why didn’t it talk more about exercise?

I also don’t remember EVER being taught HOW TO

MAKE MONEY by any certification.

I got my first job as a certified personal trainer in NYC in 1997. I

was taken through the training on how to use the equipment, concerned of

course about the fact that my certification did NOT cover this, and then

was told I would help new members if they scheduled with me. I was

getting paid hourly and I would get paid more if someone “liked me

enough to buy a package” -you know how that goes. Still no one taught

me skills on HOW to get the clients.

After being thoroughly disappointed with my fitness education, I

decided I needed more. A colleague recommended one that he thought

was the best around for true scientific information. It was NASM- the

National Academy of Sports Medicine. I was learning biomechanics,

physiology, biochemistry and mechanics. It was the first time in my life

that I was enjoying SCIENCE! I could see it and apply it in my life

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immediately. It gave me answers to the reasons behind some of the

exercises, the machines, the form and the effectiveness. I was so excited

to be interested in science that I can say that weekend changed my life!

Now I feel confident about having more knowledge and this led to getting

some clients.

I was very successful as a floor trainer, turned Pro

Trainer then turned Master Trainer. Because the

gym is an easier place to build a personal training

practice, I got referrals easily. So now I think I

know about business. WRONG.

When I moved to California and started my business in 2001, I

brought with me my desire to educate both trainers and clients. I had

become the head of the educational program at the gym I was working at

so I really enjoyed teaching trainers all that I had learned as well as

clients. But I started my business from scratch. I knew 3 people in

California when I moved here. No one knew me. I left a community where

I had a good reputation as a trainer and educator for a new life, a clean

slate and a long, hard road ahead.

I have made A TON of mistakes that have cost me

tens of thousands of dollars. I can help you

AVOID those mistakes and concentrate on what

works and what doesn’t. I didn’t have anyone who

could coach me on EXACTLY what to do and how

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when I first started so I have learned everything by trial and error.

I can help you grow a successful

business and save you time and money.

With all I have learned, this I can guarantee!

There are common mistakes we all make and

I made them – I would like to save you time,

money and heart ache.

My resume as a personal trainer includes being one of the featured

trainers in Shape Magazine in 2003 and being chosen as the “Best

Personal Trainer in Los Angeles for 2007 by Elite Traveler

Magazine’s Global “Black Book”. I have appeared on NBC, CBS, KTLA,

Fox 11 and featured in dozens of magazines and newspaper articles. I have

been a CEC provider for NASM, and have been certified and educated

multiple times by ACE, ISSA, NASM, and RTS. I was Director of Education

for New York Sports Club when the Foundation’s Program started for

trainers in 1998. I was the Account Manager for Torson, a physiotherapy

company started in Australia that brought an advanced software system to

TSI in the late 90’s. Currently, I am the Fitness Expert for Nourishing

Wellness Medical Centre in Torrance, California and am the Wellness Expert

for FKC International. I am also a finalist for IDEA Personal Trainer of Year.

If you are ready to make money more easily, create a business

that supports you and gives you freedom, I can help you. I only

wish I would have had help when I started!

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5 Biggest Mistakes

Personal Trainers Make

in Business

It doesn’t matter if you come to this with a science

background or an arts/sports background when it

comes to making money. I am a big believer in

constant science education for trainers but these

tips and points I will be making will be mostly

focusing on HOW TO MAKE MONEY doing what

you love. So let’s go over what you will need to

know to run a successful personal training business:

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1. Education:

Let’s start with yours. What skills do you

have? What are your strengths? What are

you uncomfortable with? When I started in

business running my own company, I had

already run the front desk of a gym, been a

manager of a restaurant, been an educator

for the gym, been a manager of the gym’s

educational program for trainers and been a successfully busy trainer

myself IN the gym. I figured I had sales and management training! I did,

but it’s a bit different when you are controlling the cash flow and marketing

all by yourself. You have to start out and be honest about what you know

you ARE good at and what you are NOT.

a. List here what your strengths as a personal trainer/business

owner are:

b. List here what you are NOT good at or know you are

uncomfortable with:

The places where you lack confidence and proper education are the

places that eventually bring you down and cost you time and money.

Know these upfront and plan ahead to spend some time and money

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on becoming proficient in these areas. If you ignore them, they will

haunt you- this I know. If they are things you cannot learn, you will

have to delegate them. That will cost you money as well but sometimes

in order to grow where you can’t do it yourself, you have to hire help.

That’s what WE do for clients. They hire us to help them in an area

they are not good at- we need the same in business.

Start by answering these questions:

a. What are you doing to educate yourself in business?

b. How do you try out new ideas?

c. Do you ask for feedback from colleagues/clients regarding new ideas?

d. Is brainstorming an integral part of your work?

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2. Strategy :

This principle cost me about $5,000 to learn

and about $100,000 of lost revenue over the

years. Strategy versus Tactics. A tactic is

one action you take to get a client.

Strategy is a well thought out plan of how you move someone through the

marketing funnel to a sale. Gyms have a strategy with personal training

built in- we are not taught this because we provide the service at the

bottom of the funnel and only get paid at that point. Here is the example:

Gyms offer a free week pass or more to get people in the door.

This costs them nothing except marketing because they are

already engaged in operating costs for the gym itself. To the

prospect, it’s free. Once the prospect comes in for their free

trial, they are often called by a sales associate and asked to sit

down and review pricing to become a member. Regardless of

the deal that is made by the sales person, 1-3 FREE personal

training sessions are usually included to make that person feel

welcomed and familiar with the gym. You as the trainer get

paid for this and the gym has spent the time and money to

bring you this prospect. Because of the sales person, the gym

is now getting a monthly fee from this new member. Once the

new member schedules with you, it is in your best interest to

engage them in a way that makes them want to purchase

MORE one on one personal training sessions with you in the

gym. They sign up, you and the gym make a profit. Do you

see the funnel? Free- sales pitch, bonus of training leads to

up-sale on more packages= more money for everyone.

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Having a strategy means you have a plan. As a personal trainer, you build

exercise plans for clients. You know that as they progress, so will the

exercise routine. It’s the same idea only it’s with your marketing, your

packaging and your money. I have taken (and taught) multiple

certifications, paid for business classes, marketing classes, and coaching

and it wasn’t until the past 2 years that I learned this. THIS alone would

have doubled my business early on. Start by answering these

questions:

a. Where do you want to be in 5 years, professionally? What is your vision?

b. Do you have a plan for fulfilling your vision?

c. Do you have monthly targets and strategies to reach the targets?

d. What training have you had in sales and promotion? Do you have a written strategy for achieving your sales goals for the year?

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3. Marketing Plan:

Not a business plan, a marketing plan. I

wasted a lot of time and money on trying to

create a business plan- for what? I knew I

wanted to train people, make lots of money

and have a flexible and free schedule.

A business plan requires projections and a level of thinking that for me

SKIPPED over the HOW. It was too cumbersome when looking at business

plan templates to even imagine thinking in this way. Unless you majored in

business, and sometimes even then, this is NOT the way trainers

think! I would like to simplify it all for you so you can not WASTE time

like I did! When you meet with a client, you assess their needs and their

goals. From there, you build a plan of how to get them to those goals for

them. You give them specific amounts of weight, exercises, repetitions,

and hopefully form and speed of execution. A marketing plan is the

exercise plan- the how.

First, you need to outline your goals= your vision. What do you want life

to be like? How much money do you want to make per week/month/

year? How much time do you WANT to spend training clients? From

there, you start to create the HOW. What are you offering and how will

you get clients? Marketing was done for you to get clients in the gym. You

were even helped when the sales people signed them up and offered them

the free personal training session. All you had to do was be you and

educate/train that client. When you work only in a gym, a lot of the work

is done for you. As a trainer in the gym, I didn’t notice this until I got out.

No one had taught me this….. a good marketing plan has many options

and also follows the strategy you have created in point #2. Marketing is

how you get clients and can be done in MANY forms- from free and low

cost to large amounts spent on advertising. Creating a marketing plan (like

the exercise routine) in accordance with your goals (weight loss, build

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muscle, etc) and follow the strategy you have created is the foundation for

any success on your own. Answer these questions:

a. Do you track & review sales daily, monthly, and trends? Do you have a budget for Promotion?

b. How much do you spend each year on Promotion?

c. What did you do/have you done to improve sales?

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4. Accountability:

The first financial class I took in 2001 guaranteed

that I would make money or my money back

guaranteed! I could not afford NOT to do it even

though I had 10$ in my checking account and $22

in my savings. Thank god for the credit card at that

time!

Well I doubled my income in 8 weeks by following a 3 step

process that included marketing (mostly tactics though, not strategy),

changing my belief systems and how I think, look and feel about money

and a financial tracking system. I did very well in the class because as a

“good student” I always wanted to have “wins” each week. I am an

overachiever so knowing that I had to announce my “wins” each week, I

didn’t want to come up short. I took this class 3 times in the past 7 years

and I doubled my income every time! Now you may wonder why I

took it 3 times and why once was not enough?

First let me explain that I also hired a business coach after the last class on

the first round. I had paid $1000 for an 8 week class and then I turned

around and hired a coach one on one for $150 an hour. As time went on,

and because it was expensive for me at the time, I found myself cancelling

my sessions with the coach. I was never as motivated with the coach as I

was in the class- there were more people to either impress or disappoint so

I worked harder. I couldn’t just cancel going to class each week b/c I

knew everyone else was going to show up! The stakes were higher so I

did my work. By the second time I took the class, I realized that it was the

accountability of someone expecting I would do what I said I would do that

worked for me. The class got more expensive each time I took it, but the

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accountability it provided me kept me working hard and coming out ahead

each time. This was the upside.

The downside of the class was it didn’t focus on the strategy I talked of

earlier- just tactics. As long as I kept doing the tactics, it worked. I wanted

to build systems where I wouldn’t have to tediously keep doing TACTICS.

But I learned this later.

We understand this with our clients. When they

see us, they do better. They know we are going to

ask and expect that they ate well and did their

homework. We are the accountability for our

clients. When it comes to making money- YOU

NEED THE SAME THING. When I am

accountable to someone else, I work harder and

keep my commitments- it’s the same thing we

preach to our clients or how we sell clients on

working with us to guarantee their results.

The ultimate accountability happens when you are creating a strategy,

implementing the marketing plan and creating systems that can work long

term instead of expecting to show up at the gym, do 1 workout and expect

to lose weight- do you get what I am saying?

Answer these questions to get a better sense of where you are

and how you should proceed:

a. How many years have you been in business for yourself?

b. What management positions have you held? Were you successful?

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c. What business training have you had?

d. As a business owner/CEO, what are your strengths? Your weaknesses?

e. Do you plan? How often?

f. What structure do you use to take great care of yourself?

g. Do you know where you are financially at all times?

h. What do you delegate and to whom?

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5. Financial System:

Whether you work solo or with other trainers,

the FIRST thing you have to do is to create a

financial system. Are you legally set up with

your business? Are you a DBA, LLC, or

Corporation? Knowing how you want to

structure your business legally will help you

financially plan as well as benefit.

How do allocate funds? Do you have a budget?

I know this probably seems tedious for some of you, but it is because

of this point that I made most of my mistakes. Answer these

questions:

a. Is the business profitable?

b. How well do you manage cash flow?

c. Do you pay your bills on time?

d. How do you keep track of all financial data? Daily. Monthly. Yearly.

e. Do you have and use a monthly/yearly cash flow forecast?

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f. Do you have targets for revenues and profits and cash flow?

g. Do you have a Credit Policy in place and enforced?

This might seem overwhelming for some of you and unnecessary for

others. You may be thinking, “I work on my own, why do I need all of

this?”

You may not. It depends on your structure and your long term goals. If

you decide that you want to be a personal trainer as a part or full

time business for years to come, you WILL need to know this

about your business.

Exceptions to the Rules: Like in everything in life, people point out

exceptions. For example: some of you may have a constant stream of

clients that come to you based on referrals. I have had that happen. I got

so busy with an entire family that I even started turning down other clients

because I didn’t need to work more and I didn’t have the time. You feel

like your business is doing great because the schedule is full, you are

making money and you have the perfect work/play time.

What happens if and when you lose that family? Are you prepared

financially to be without the extra income for weeks or months?

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How do you get more referrals from another source? How can you leverage

your knowledge and time and STILL make money while your schedule is

full??

There will always be an exception to the rule. But the saying goes, “you

shouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket”. And it’s true.

So rather than wait to experience this yourself, get in a bind, get

overwhelmed and discouraged, why not create your strategy and plan

NOW?

If you are ready to take your business seriously, create freedom AND

money and would like to SAVE money and time by having some help,

please look out for the next Wealthy Fitness Trainer newsletter which will

tell you when the next FREE tele-class I am doing is scheduled.

Our popular topic is “How to start or grow my fitness business on

little or no budget!”

I hope you will join me for the call- It’s free!!

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About J.J. Flizanes and Invisible Fitness

Credentials and accolades follow the name of JJ

Flizanes wherever it appears and for good reason.

JJ is an Exercise Architect and the creator of world-

class fitness programs and routines, such as the

Foundations Program for the New York Sports Club

and Invisible Fitness™. What sets JJ apart from her

Celebrity Fitness counterparts lies in her

anatomically centered routines, which protect

overworked and aging joints from catastrophic

failure. Named by Elite Traveler Magazine as

their 2007 Global Black Book pick of Best Personal

Trainer in Los Angeles, JJ has been lauded by

Shape Magazine as one of the top 6 fitness

trainers in 2003.

JJ’s philosophy is simple—to sculpt a more visibly toned body while

creating a strong and balanced invisible support structure of nutrition,

centeredness and health. The key to her unique programs is visible in her

client’s results: sleek, toned and hot bodies achieved with an eye to injury

prevention and the avoidance of joint degeneration. However the

foundation to every program lies in the belief system and the mind.

As a leader in innovative exercise, JJ is not only certified by the National

Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), but also served as a Continuing

Education Provider. JJ launched her professional career in 1996 as the

Foundations Director for the New York Sports Club, where she designed

curriculum and in-house certification for new and previously uncertified

fitness trainers. With a focus on Biomechanics, JJ is a regular lecturer for

The Learning Annex and debuts as a featured speaker for New York

Times Best-Selling Author of The Millionaire Mind, T. Harv Ecker’s Peak

Performance seminars in early 2007.

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A favorite of journalists and the media for her depth of knowledge and

vibrant personality, JJ has been featured in many magazines in addition to

the ones previously mentioned including Muscle and Fitness HERS, Elegant

Bride, Fitness Magazine, E Pregnancy Magazine to name a few. Her

television appearances include LA’s KTLA, CBS and NBC. A published

author, JJ is a contributor to the book Inspiration to Realization. She

appeared nine times last summer with a fitness tip segment on YOURLA

on NBC in Los Angeles.

In January of 2007, JJ launched her most challenging and exciting program

to date: The 90 Day Health and Body Makeover, in which candidates take

on creating a new body and lifestyle for life. Her successful training

program, Invisible Fitness, continues to inspire and create healthy and

fit bodies throughout the Los Angeles and the Southern California region:

Invisible Fitness personal training, fitness coaching, workshops & seminars

and corporate programs. For program details call 800 571 5722 x 84 or

online at www.invisiblefitness.com.