make hay while the sun shines

While our Northern hemisphere subscribers bunker down for the snow and cold, our Southern hemisphere-ians are enjoying the benefits of the extra sun. There is something about this time of year that has many of our Health and Wellness business leaders reporting record increases in people signing up getting fit. The most recent Sensis report highlights that on average consumers are spending $637 per person this Christmas with the average person buying for 12 people or spending $53 per person. For families this may be up to 2-3 times more, with higher income earning families contributing a greater amount than average.

Either way, north or south, health or wellness the benefits for business owners can be as rewarding as you want them to be, as the sun (or snow) combined with the 'end or world' mentality associated with the 8 weeks to Christmas, increases in consumer spending and opportunities to make a positive difference to the health of the market.

However a lack of strategy, focus and awareness around the next 3 months could have you eating spaghetti out of a tin in January, while your mates enjoy tinned beverages on a foreign beach. So here are some tips to help you make hay while the sun shines so that you not only enjoy the moment, but the benefits of reaping the rewards of some of these seeds, with a 'considered strategy'.

- Have set availability
'Chunk' blocks of time so that you are either ON or OFF. This will make you more efficient and effective in the delivery of each session
- Clients plans for Christmas
Check in with your members and clients and get an understanding of when and if they are away over Christmas. Next confirm a January 2010 appointment with clients during December. This will allow you to project your January revenue and avoid clients dropping off on a summer crusade drinking from tins with your mates. The objective is to come back to a full diary following a well earned break
-Simplify your life
Create a set of business systems that automate appointment booking, payment of bills, client files and any other medial simple tasks. Also keep your life outside of work supportive to having good energy so that you are as consistent as the sun shining
- Get paid at the start of the month
Get your clients to pay you at the start of the month so that you can get on with business. With money in the bank you will have more time to get on with it and less time worrying about the bank balance
-Control spending
It may seem that there is a lot of money coming in however measure what is going out. Save a bit for a rainy day and keep on top of taxes and regular expenses. Set a budget and stick to it. If you can apply the same discipline to spending money as you do to your fitness regime you will have a healthy bank balance and a fit body
- Keep marketing
Typically marketing runs a 90-day cycle. So what you do, or don't do, today will typically impact your business in January. My observation of up/down businesses is that marketing moves down the priority list, as the business gets busy. Stay committed to marketing during your busy periods. Avoid a yo-yo style cash flow by keeping consistent with marketing
-Have a plan for January
Plan now for when you return in January. Consider how much you want to earn and then implement a strategy. Do the work now and join the family and loved ones and have a well-earned rest so that you can continue to make a healthy difference throughout 2010.

Our PT Plus mission is to see more health and wellness business making more money so that they can make a significant difference. By contributing to increasing the health of communities, employing more staff, providing charity support and donations and by generally practicing healthy business. As an industry we first must help ourselves so that we can serve this greater mission. Work smart during these next few months and make your own difference to your immediate community of clients, you deserve it, while the sun shines.