By Andrea Savard, Certified Two-Brain Fitness Business Mentor
Follow any professional athlete closely and you’ll see something special. People like Mat Fraser, Tom Brady and Serena Williams think, prepare, practice and execute their craft on a different level.
So is your business still running like an “amateur” or are you on the level of the all-time greats? Here are four ways to answer that question.
Hobby Business or Professional Operation?
Simple love of a sport won’t pay your bills. It’s the same in business. Sporadic efforts, fuzzy focus and a “mom-and-pop-shop mentality” are signs of an amateur operation.
Turning pro takes discipline. When you flip the switch, things will feel different the moment you walk in the door. Every piece of the business is fine tuned and intentional: Staff are well trained and dressed for success, the business is exceptionally clean, and it’s clear that someone has a detailed plan for everything.
Long-Game Commitment
When the going gets tough, many amateurs throw in the towel. We regularly hear the phrase “I don’t need this anymore” as people leave the industry.
Pros do what they do to put food on their family’s table. So when challenges arise, they dig deep and renew their commitment to win. They find a way to persevere, and they move forward with fierce determination. 2020 made it very clear what side many people were on, and the true pros are still here in 2021, while many “casual entrepreneurs” are gone.
Work Ethic
Amateurs work hard; pros work hard and smart. I spent the better part of the last 25 years in the sport of boxing. In the early days, I used to think being a “pro” meant showing up every day and trying really hard. But I know that isn’t true. It’s not enough just to show up and work. You have to work on the right things—the small but important things, the fundamentals, the things that really move your business forward. How much time do you spend on these things?
One Coach or a Coaching Team?
As an amateur boxer, I had a world-renowned boxing coach who took me to the Canadian Nationals. He knew elite boxing but was only average in areas like nutrition, injury management, sport psychology, and strength and conditioning. Pro athletes have performance-enhancing teams of coaches, specialists, supporters and mentors who guide them to success.
Is your business running solely on your efforts as owner or does your operation have a full performance-enhancing team to help you succeed? Two-Brain Business is that team for thousands of gym owners worldwide.
Want to Turn Pro?
Looking over the success of the top gyms in the Two-Brain family, I see many things their owners have in common: a willingness to revisit the basics no matter how strong the business is, the wisdom to seek a coach, and the humility to consider that the current way might not be optimal. The top gym owners in the world are committed to constant improvement as entrepreneurs, and their businesses reward them because of it.
Is it time you and your business turned pro? If so, we can help.
