Changing roles

I’ve just read the e-myth again and realised that although I have made attempts to move away from being a technician old habbits die hard.

 On paper I have a fairly succesful business. I now only see the clients I wish to see, I have two other trainers working full time at my own studio, I am planning an extension to my premises, I am about to set up a bootcamp business, I have two therapists that work from my studio and the business takes in a nice sum of money.

 In reality I am not running my business as a business.

 This week I will set about becoming more managerial in my business and putting my entreprenerial plans into action. I have so much I know I am capable of achieving this year I’m not going to let this opportunity pass me by.

A new string to my bow

I’ve just finished off a speech that I have been asked to deliver at a national teaching conference in Birmingham tomorrow.

I’ve done very little public speaking before and obviously I’m slightly nervous about performing infront of a large group of people but I recognise the importance of this event and where it could take me and my business.

At the end of last year I sat down and worked out exactly where I wanted to take my business. I don’t want to ever stop seeing clients one on one but I don’t want that to be the only thing that I do. As my friend John Limpus keeps telling me “you need to get your message out there to as many people as possible”

So I decided I was going to set up group training sessions – these start in April, I was going to write – I have a second meeting with a journalist at the end of March and I was going to do some public speaking – one of my clients asked me to be involved in their conference.

Good things happen if you make them happen!

I may be nervous but I’m not going to bottle it. This is exactly what I want to be doing and where I want to be taking my business I can’t wait fof the opportunity.

I’ll let you know how I get on!

Two weeks off

So we’ve had 2 weeks off from Dax and I need to report back on what I’ve done. I started to write my list of what I’ve been up to and realised that I’ve done a fair amount.

In the last two weeks I have:

Written a talk that I have been asked to deliver to a large group of Headteachers at their National Conference in Birmingham next month. This is a big thing for me to be involved in and I am extremely hopeful that it will lead on to more speaking opportunities.

I have designed, had printed and am now selling all about you merchandise. My clients can now buy T-shirts, polo shirts and hooded tops from me, all of which are being sold at 2.5 times cost price.

I have been on John Limpus’ bootcamp over in Chiswick and am now starting my own one on April 9th in Highgate.

I have agreed an extension to my premises in Highgate. I will move into an extra 600 square feet of space and work will take place on March 10th.

I have sent details to my VA in India to design a new web site for me which will be up and running from the end of this month.

I have spoken to a business advisor, who was recommended to me by one of my clients and I have made an appointment to see them on Wednesday this week.

I have had an article published in ezinearticles.com – http://ezinearticles.com/?Look-After-Your-Heart-This-Valentines-Day&id=982021

 I was offered a place in this years London Marathon last week and I have been stepping up my training. Just got back from a 10 mile run earlier and feeling good!

I’ve increased my reading lately as well and bought a big stack of books that I will get through one each week for the next few months.

I’ve hit my target of 70 hours of personal training sessions per week in my studio.

I went to a friends wedding this weekend, where I was an usher, it was a great day and to top it I earned £445 while I was there (before tax but it’s not bad!)

 Can anyone top that lot?

Getting some help

It’s amazing how much you can really miss something isn’t it?

 I’ve been calling to listen to Dax on a Tuesday afternoon for about a year now and have just gone two weeks without hearing his advice. Although last year this may not have been such a big deal, this year is a bit different – I really want to make a difference to my business this time.

Instead I’ve been picking the brains of everyone that comes into my studio who is involved in business.

I’ve got some fantastic successful people that come in and see me and I have picked up a lot from them over the last few weeks. I think it can be quite easy to become intimidated by certain people just because of their success, wealth or position. But deep down their no different to me. In some ways their not as successful as me as they’ve never worked for themselves.

I’ve picked up a few things from these last few weeks. The first is to really start believing in myself and the second is to keep talking to as many people as possible.

I want to keep growing, I don’t want to stop learning and I want to learn from the best. I’ve booked a few appointments next week with business advisors to take a closer look at my business and really help me to push on to the next level.

It’s only February but I’m on course to make 2008 a fantastic year for me!

Planning

I’ve started this year with the aim of making this the most successful year of my life and taking action on as many things as possible. I realise that my business can become as big as I am prepared to make it.

 I have some great new ideas and fantastic opportunities ahead of me.

I have targets planned for the amount of one-to-one training sessions to be carried out each week, I have a new class timetable planned to cover the new studio opening after Easter, I have 2 speaking gigs booked already this year. I have started writing my first book, I have pans for a magazine style newsletter to go out each quarter. I have products being made up to sell from the studio, website and other online sources and a line of branded clothing on its way.

The ideas are there, the potential is there, it all now needs to be planned.

I have started 2008 with so much enthusiasm that I am trying to get all of theseprojects off the ground at once, meaning that I am slowly getting somewhere with all of them rather than working my way through them one by one until they are each completed.

As a result I have now completed a plan for this year. This details my priorities for the coming year and maps out when each project, product, newsletter, and target will be met.

I now can see the clearer picture. I am focusing on the most important tasks now and planning for the less immediate tasks later in the year. I now feel more relaxed about the whole situation and can see how I can achieve each of my specific goals.

As the old saying goes “failing to plan is planning to fail”

David Osgathorp

The small things are the big things

Following the call this week I have decided to take actio on one of the things Dax brought up. He mentioned that freshening things up or making small changes can have a big impact on your business.

 In response to that I have decided to update mine and my trainers uniforms. I have this weekend been out and got new Trouser bottoms and new jackets for all of my coaches. I have also ordered T-shirts, polo shirts and hoodies to sell to my clients.

I have created a back pain product to sell to my clients and am working on a drop a dress size product.

I have also been in contact with my designer and I now have new letterheads, compliment slips and appointment cards for my clients.

 These small additions will add more value to all of my clients and set my business out to be more professional than it currently is. Having put this weekend aside to attend Dax’s bootcamp workshop I feel that I have made the most of the time that has since become available to me since the course was cancelled.

I have also gone through the Magic 100 coaching programme today and am determined to make the next 100 days as eventful exciting, beneficial and action packed as possible!

google search

I’ve just run a google search on “David Osgathorp” and I got 18 results. To be honest there was nothing too spectacular in there really.

The top result actually came from Dax’s sight! Even with a name like mine I still can’t get to the top of a search list off my own back!!

I have realised I have no internet presence at all! This MUST change. Within the next month I aim to double my search results to over 30. This should be simple enough if I write an article each week and submit them through submityourarticles. On a more immediate action step I am going to review a book each week on Amazon.

I am currently reading a book each week and taking action on what I read, if I just let others know this I can increase my internet presence immediately. I also plan to join a forum and add more to my studio blog.  

I really enjoy documenting all of my action steps and giving myself accountability to you lot out there. I’m off to get more “David Osgathorp” stuff out there!

MSI

Last summer I was sat on a beach in Spain reading the 4 hour work week by Timothy Ferris. I think I was in the perfect place to be reading it and it seriously got me thinking about how I could earn the money I wanted to earn without working like a dog for it.

I moved to London in 2001 and began working in health clubs and personal training studios for a number of years before going out on my own in 2005. By the summer of 2006 I had my own personal training studio – which I had always dreamed of doing.

Sounds like a nice story but the reality is that in order to get there I have rarely got out of bed after 5:30am and also rarely been home before 9pm I have worked 7 days a week for months on end and NEVER taken more than a weeks holiday at any one time!

This is not the way to live!

Reading the 4 hour work week gave me a glimpse of how things can be so very different. This guy that has automated systems set up all over the place and businesses that just take care of themselves while he lives the life of his dreams travelling, dancing, cage fighting or whatever he decides suits his mood!

A small part of this lifestyle appeals to me. I definitely want more freedom from work but the fact is I love what I do and I want to do it for a number of years to come. What I don’t want to do is physically work for every penny I earn and worry about my loss of earnings when I take a holiday.

Dax brought up the subject of Multiple Sources of Income last week and since then I have taken some action which has had an immediate effect. I purchased some nutritional supplements which clients have snapped up. I ordered some branded t-shirts and clients have already pre-ordered them. I have created 2 products to sell from the studio and am already starting to see an increase in my earning potential.

My task now is to create an online presence and sell to a much wider audience. Watch this space…

What Can I add?

In the last few years I have spent 99% of my time developing myself to be a better coach or to let as many people as possible know how good a coach I am or how good my personal training business is.

 This has been great for me up until this point but I need to add more to my identity and more to my life.

This year I am going to develop myself as David the Entrepreneur, David the Public Speaker, David the Author and Journalist, David the Online business owner, David the guy who has fantastic holidays, David the guy with the great relationships with his girlfriend, friends and family.

How will I do this?

Entrepreneur – I am expanding the size and services I offer in my business from February.

Public Speaking – I have arranged a workshop in highgate with 3 other business owners to generate more awareness about all of our businesses. I have been asked by one of my clients to speak at a conference in March.

Author and Journalist – I write a weekly newsletter a number of in house articles and am approaching local journalists at the moment.

Online Business – I have a new website being built which will have a members area and I am putting together content for it at the moment.

Holidays – I have booked the time off this year already and will book the holidays by the end of February.

Relationships – I have cut out people from my life that I waste too much time with and get nothing from it and given myself more free time from work to improve relationships with friends and Spend as much time as I can with my girlfriend.

 By the end of 2008 I will still be David the coach bit I will also be David the Entrepreneur, Public Speaker, Author, Journalist, Online business man, Traveller and successful in relationships.

Giving myself a pay rise

I am very good at wasting money! I have to admit that although I do make sure I put money aside I am very good at getting rid of money as soon as I get it. This year will be very different. I am going to make 2008 an incredibly successful year for me and this can start now.

The simple procedures I will take action on now to give myself a big pay rise this year are the following.

I have just changed my phone tarriff which will now cut my phone bills in half and save me £75 each month.

I have paid my credit card off – I had a £30 per month DD which basically once the interest had been paid did very little to reduce my balance.

 I have cancelled subscriptions to two membership sites and 1 magazine saving myself another £30 per month.

I will put my prices up in April by £5 per hour. I currently have 70 clients per week coming into my studio. That works out at £350 per week. At roughly 45 weeks per year that will give me £15,750. Thats just now.

My aim is to have 100 hours of clients coming into my studio by the end of the year. £500 x 45 weeks = £22,500!!

 So before I’ve done anything to add to my business I have potentially given myself nearly £25,000 per year pay rise. This is looking pretty good!