I’ll never forget when I first realized my business was ‘too manual.’ I was fully booked out training clients 1:1 in my garage and had started offering virtual coaching spots circa 2014.
I had just finished a full day of clients back to back, had several emails from prospective clients, and virtual programs to update. It was 11pm, my first client the next day was at 5am.
There simply was not enough time in the day for me to operate my business effectively, and get a decent night’s sleep, and have hobbies, and have a life outside of working.
Fast forward several years, I got out of my own way, promised myself I’d no longer be the bottleneck in my own business, and rely heavily on 3 tools to keep my systems running smooth without me having to lift a finger.
Here are 3 tools that help my business run smoothly:
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Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM)
I currently use Dubsado, but when I had my gym I used Zen Planner. Depending on how your business operates, there’s a software for you that can make running your business streamlined.
With gym specific software, like Zen Planner, I was able to:
- Collect payments from clients automatically
- Post the upcoming class times
- Clients could book in and drop out of classes and sessions through the app without contacting me directly
- Whiteboard sessions (that day’s small group workout) was posted on the app
- All waivers and contracts were housed on the platform and saved to each clients’ profile
- All onboarding documents were housed within the platform
- Clients could sign up for the gym without me lifting a finger
These days, I use Dubsado, which is similar to Zen Planner without the gym specific features. Clients can book, pay, and sign contracts through Dubsado without me needing to do anything. I simply get a notification that a payment has been made and an appointment has been booked.
If you’re a busy trainer or want to be a busy trainer, you need a CRM system that can run things while you’re asleep.
2. Quickbooks
I love a spreadsheet. I love quickbooks even more. Once it’s all hooked up to your accounts, it automatically brings in all of the activity from my business bank accounts. I then go in at least 1x/month and match all of the transactions (a key part in accounting.)
Instead of having to manually keep track of all of the business transactions, or worse- not keeping track at all- Quickbooks does it for me.
It then generates reports for me, like:
- Profit/Loss Statement
- Balance Sheet
- Payroll reports
- Tax documents
When tax time rolls around, I simply download the reports and send them off to our accountant. It takes literally minutes.
Getting set up on an accounting software like Quickbooks can feel daunting, and it often is an undertaking at first.
There is a learning curve, like with anything, but once you get past that, it can and will save you hours each month. Perhaps most importantly, it will protect your peace. Can you imagine just hitting a simple ‘download’ button to get everything over to your accountant during tax time? It’s the BEST feeling.
Plus, I can login at any time throughout the year and see what’s been going on in detail without having to do any math or any extra thinking- it’s all right there for me.
3. Financially Fit
Speaking of spreadsheets, this is the one I cannot live without. Every month, (I recommend to start weekly) I plug in my business numbers for the month. The spreadsheet automatically spits out what I’m supposed to do with that money.
It tells me:
- How much to pay myself
- How much I can afford for overhead expenses
- What to set aside for taxes
- What to set aside as profit
Most small business owners I speak with don’t have a problem generating revenue. What they do struggle with is knowing what to do with the money once they have it. They either avoid looking at it at all, spend it mindlessly, or don’t pay themselves or spend anything at all. None of those ways are a way to live and none of those are money management strategies.
I recreated the exact spreadsheet I use so that other self-employed trainers and small business owners can use it just how I do.
What used to feel like luxurious “some day” things are not daily staples and must-haves in the way I operate my business. If you’re still winging it without a CRM, without accounting software, and without a money management system- this is your nudge to get those things set up for yourself. It may be quite a bit of upfront work, but it will save you thousands of hours and thousands of dollars (yes really) in the long run!
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