The
ahead
YEAR
HOW TO
T
WEATHER THE STORM
BY ROD MACDONALD
o paraphrase an ancient saying, “if you want to know why your business is performing the way it is
today, look at what you did in the past. If you want to know how your business is going to perform in the future, look at what you are doing today.” We are in uncertain economic
times, or so the media would have us believe. Certainly we are collec- tively being battered by having lived beyond our means with less-than- sound economic policies. But like a well-prepared ship, strong business- es will weather the storm.
FIRST LOOK INWARD
You have resources within your-
self to respond to almost any chal- lenge. You know what you need to do, but are you doing it? Your pres- ence must be felt positively day in and day out, whether you are there or not. Lead by example, especial- ly in times of crisis to communicate in no uncertain terms that you are committed to your business, your employees, and your customers.
NOW LOOK AT THE TEAM
If you have people on your team
who are underperforming, ask why. If you did not communicate clearly, take ownership for it and correct it. If the employee is underperforming, give them the opportunity to pick up the slack or let them go. Their team-mates know who is underper- forming and they are wondering
26 Fitness Business Canada January/February 2009
why you let them get away with it. Interestingly, the tough decisions (sometimes letting people go) are of- ten the right decisions. Your team has to hear, understand and buy-in to your expectations before they can be met.
BE THE SAME. OR DIFFERENT.
Whether you sell gym member-
ships, equipment, supplements, or any product or service, it is important to continually strengthen what you of- fer so that it competes favourably. You can choose to imitate already success- ful brands to ride their success or dif- ferentiate yourself to get attention. You may find it more productive to find a niche-market that you can excel in rather than compete against a com- petitor that has more resources and a stronger brand than you do. Highlight your strong products and get rid of underperforming products that do not contribute, or worse, lead to confusion or weakening of your image.
COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE
The best products and teams
won’t do much good if people are not aware of them. Your target mar- ket needs to know what you are do- ing, why, and how it benefits them. If they don’t, you may have a great product that very few people know about. Remember to not only use traditional vehicles for communica- tions such as advertising, but also new and innovative, less-costly tools such as email campaigns, word-of-
Rod Macdonald
Vice-President
Can-Fit-Pro
“YOUR TARGET MARKET NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, WHY, AND HOW IT BENEFITS THEM.”
Rod MacDonald is the vice president of Can-Fit-Pro, Canada’s largest member- based community of fitness profession- als and consumers. He builds successful work environments founded on growth of the organization through a support- ive and challenging corporate culture.
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