4 Ways To Use Online Tools To Grow Your Business And Serve Your Clients

4 Ways To Use Online Tools To Grow Your Business And Serve Your Clients

by | Apr 25, 2020 | Business Planning, Coaching, Flow, Mompreneur

If you want to grow your body-centered in-person practice, at some point you hit a wall with seeing clients one on one. You only have so many hours in a day and only so many clients you can see in a day.

If you want to grow your body-centered in-person practice, at some point you have to figure out a way to leverage your expertise outside of your one on one time. You can expand horizontally by adding staff and growing the number of clients your business works with one one one. Or you can grow vertically by scaling your expertise.

One of the most organic methods to grow vertically is to begin to systematize your process, utilize online tools to create new tools and resources for your clients, and new income streams for your business. You can use online tools to work virtually one on one or in groups, create products and courses, reach new markets, and establish yourself as an expert in your field. 

There are several ways that you can begin to use online tools to leverage your expertise to reach new clients and further support your existing clients.

1. Create an E-Book– One of the simplest ways to get started leveraging your business online is to package up your expertise into an E-book that you can sell online to create a passive income stream.

2. Create a Virtual Workshop– A virtual workshop is a great way to try out using virtual delivery tools and leverage your one on one time into virtual groups. You can focus on tools and techniques that you already use and put them together in a new way to help your clients learn a new skill or introduce new clients to your work.

3. Create an Online Course– Creating an online course allows you to package up your expertise and sell it online. In an online course, you will package up your knowledge in a way that guides your clients through a process to solve their problems or achieve their goals.

4. Create an Online Membership- If you offer tools or techniques that help your clients with ongoing needs, you can provide a recurring online membership model. In this model, you can have a combination of online content and virtual coaching and instruction. Clients pay you every month, and you continue to add updated content to support them.

All of these options help you leverage your expertise in new ways and start to grow your income and impact outside of your in-person work. So how do you know which one to choose? And what is the first step to get started?

Which model you choose will depend on what you offer and the needs of your clients as well as how much tech set up you want to get started. So your first step is getting clear on the specific needs of your clients, choosing how to apply your expertise online, and choosing the right technology that you would like to use to deliver your online service or product. 

To get started with this, download my FREE Guide below or schedule a strategy session below to pinpoint your top opportunity to start growing your business online.

All the best,

 

Dawn

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My Top Four Studio Models To Limit Your Overhead Risk And Grow Your Business

My Top Four Studio Models To Limit Your Overhead Risk And Grow Your Business

by | Apr 23, 2020 | Business Planning, Coaching, Gyrotonic Movement

Are you considering starting a studio but have some fears about taking on the risk overhead? Or maybe you are considering shifting your studio business model to lower your overhead expenses? 

Owning a studio is a fantastic way to create community space around health and wellness, develop a team to grow your mission, and invest in your business. But overhead vulnerability is also very real. And having a studio space does require taking on financial risk. But the financial risk can be mitigated if you choose your model carefully and align it with your goals. 

There are many ways to limit your financial risk when if you want to start your first studio or if you want to change your current studio model to mitigate your overhead risk while you continue to grow your business. 

I have had at least four different models for my movement therapy practice and coaching practice over the last fifteen years. Now, just a disclaimer, a big studio model was never in alignment for me. My goal with all of my studio models was to create a collaborative space where I could grow my practice, support, and learn from others and minimize my overhead risk while maximizing my resources and profit. So all of the models I suggest are aimed more towards the solopreneur or collaborative space model, but they could also be useful for larger studios.  

So here are the top four models I love for creating and growing a studio without a lot of overhead risk.

1. Renting a space and subletting to other complementary practitioners- In this model, you will have at least one or more other practitioners who want to come on board and make a commitment to sharing the space with you. My first space in Minneapolis was specifically a rental space. I was the one with the name on the lease, but I had several Gyrotonic Instructors, a Pilates Instructor and a Reiki Practitioner helping to pay the rent and creating a community. The benefits of this model are that you can easily cover most of the rent each month, and you get to have a leadership role in creating the look and feel of the space and the community. 

2. Subletting from another Complementary Practitioner or Colleague- In this situation, the roles reverse. Rather than you holding the lease, you are the subletter. Subletting decreases your financial risk and space responsibility, and you get to benefit from the resources of the studio you are renting from and focus on your teaching. The downside of this is, although you have less financial risk, you may often pay more because you can’t offset your fees by renting to others. And in the end, it is not your space, so you have less freedom to create the kind of environment that you like.

3. Bringing your equipment to another studio and getting paid as a contractor- This model is one of my favorites. For years, I had my Gyrotonic Equipment within a physical therapy clinic. I operated as a contractor, but the PT clinic paid me more in exchange for bringing my equipment and adding value to the physical therapy business. The benefits of this were that I had a direct referral source and niche working with their clients. I got to learn a ton of working in an integrative medical care setting, and I was able to benefit from the branding, marketing, and resources in their space. The cons were that I had to fit within their brand and didn’t have a lot of choice about how I wanted my space to look and feel.  

4. The home studio- This may seem like the most straightforward option with the least financial risk, but it also has a lot of drawbacks. It is challenging to market your business and take on new clients because of the vulnerability of brining people you do not know into your home. Also, sometimes it is challenging to create the best experience for the client, depending on how conducive your home life is to creating a studio environment. Also, sometimes the work/home life can get blurred and make it challenging to separate work and home life. I see this model work best with people who have established client bases that they can comfortably bring to their home. And then grow with a slow trickle of referrals from trusted sources. 

So how do you know which model is the right one for you? Which model you choose will depend on your business and income goals, your niche, your comfort with risk, AND your personality. But in the end, whatever you chose, your model can always be changed. In my fifteen years of business, I have changed my studio location and model 5 times, and each evolution has helped me to grow and evolve my business in new ways.

So which one appeals to you the most? Are you looking to start a studio or transition your current one to a new model?

If you want to chat about what your top opportunities are for your new or evolving studio business, schedule a strategy session below!

All the best,

Dawn

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WordPress or Squarespace- How To Choose The Best Website Software For Your Business

WordPress or Squarespace- How To Choose The Best Website Software For Your Business

by | Apr 21, 2020 | Business Planning, Coaching, Flow

 

A website serves many purposes in a business. It is a tool for your customers to find you online, a hub for them to connect to your products and services, a tool for content marketing, and it can even serve as a membership site to build loyal customers in your business.

There are a variety of software options available to serve your business needs at whatever stage you are at with your business. And the top two that I recommend are Squarespace and WordPress. So how do you know which software will best meet your business needs?

I have spent ten years designing websites for my own business and the businesses of my clients, and there are three top questions I have my clients consider when choosing a website software.

My Top 3 Questions to Choose Your Software

 

  1.  Do you want to DIY, hire a web designer, or do a combo (meaning you have someone set it up for you and then show you how to use it)?
  2.  How much upkeep are you willing to do or pay someone to do?
  3. Is it essential for you to have maximum flexibility of design and options for scaling your business website and are you want to get set up for the long game? Meaning…

-Do you want to build out your blog content to gain long term organic search traffic?

-Do you want to have unlimited design possibilities to utilize as you grow?

-Do you want to branch into e-commerce and membership sites without switching to a second platform?

-Do you want to be able to have more than one website without paying for more hosting?

DIYer…

If you are a DIYer and want minimal upkeep and want to get moving with a website without considering potential future needs, you can get started simply with a Squarespace site. Squarespace charges a monthly hosting fee (usually around $20/mo) but gives you ready-made templates to get up and running quickly. You can use Squarespace to get started with blogging and even get started with password-protected pages to use for client resources. The limitations of Squarespace are in the options for developing your design choices, creating a membership site, selling products or services (they charge a fee), and creating multiple sites (you have to pay for hosting for every site).

 

Long Game Growth….

For those who want more long term design options and growth possibilities, WordPress is one of my top choices. WordPress is an open-source software and has endless possibilities for design and growth. With WordPress, you pay for hosting and your domain name and the theme you would like to use, and the software is free. Your hosting account you can be used for more than one website installation, so as your business grows, you can add sites or even hosted pages for specific domain names that you use. With WordPress, you can add e-commerce, membership sites, and it is the best software for optimizing your organic search optimization on your blog.

The negatives with WordPress are that it can have a higher learning curve to get started using it, the software needs to be regularly updated, and you need to make sure you have the right hosting services to protect your site. I have heard a lot of comments over the years on negative experiences with WordPress security. These issues can usually be solved with the right hosting plan, making sure the software is updated and security services.

For WordPress, you want a hosting plan that provides a free SSL for your site, automatic WordPress updates, regular backups, security, and site optimization. My top two choices are Siteground and WPMU. Siteground has some great deals for getting started, and they offer add on services to make sure you monitor your site for security. WPMU service comes with a suite of plugins that keep your site running well and updated automatically! And you can host up to three websites.

If you are going to the WordPress route, I recommend using the Divi theme. It is an easy to use visual builder that you can quickly learn to use yourself. Similar to Squarespace, it comes with hundreds of templates that you can use to get started with a beautiful design quickly.

I have personally used WordPress and the Divi Theme for over ten years, and it has served me well as my business has grown. Using WordPress has provided me unlimited possibilities for design, hosting multiple sites without paying more for hosting, and even starting a membership site.

But if you are looking for a quick way to get started with minimal upkeep, Squarespace is your best bet!

To learn more about getting started online with your business, download my FREE Guide below or schedule a strategy session below to pinpoint your top opportunity to start growing your business online.

All the best,

 

Dawn

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How to PIVOT Your Wellness Business Online For Long Term Sustainable Success

How to PIVOT Your Wellness Business Online For Long Term Sustainable Success

by | Apr 9, 2020 | Business Planning, Coaching, Embodied Wellness, Embodiment, Mompreneur, Money Mindset

To say that the last month was a game-changer is an understatement. All of our daily lives and businesses have been affected in some way by COVID-19. And as time moves on, some of these changes may become permanent, and we may not return to “the way things were”…at least not in the same way.

We will, however, eventually go back to giving hugs and shaking hands, moving, and meeting in person again. But when we do, the landscape will have shifted, and we will have evolved and adapted, and the innovations we create during in time will, in part, become part of our new normal. So how do we move with the change and evolve our in-person businesses?  

The word PIVOT came to mind for me back in early March, and it has sprouted as a catchword for business owners to shift their services online.

The call to PIVOT your business and shift your in-person services online or create new products and programs meets the temporary need for physical distancing. And it offers an opportunity for brick and mortar businesses to envision a new approach to delivering your services with location freedom and a worldwide market.

I know many movement professionals and wellness practitioners that have made the quick shift to transfer their in-person services online.

For some people, this switch has gone relatively smoothly and has allowed them to continue serving their clients and keep revenue coming in their business. For others, switching to virtual is challenging. They struggle to replicate aspects of their in-person work that do not transfer well to virtual, or they are unsure of how to create the same value virtually as they did in person. 

Whatever camp you are in, it is clear that virtual delivery is here to stay for the time being and will change the landscape of how we do business in the future.

So how can you approach your pivot online NOW to stay grounded the value of your work and continue to create and evolve a sustainable business structure going forward?

So what is the best way to pivot online now to sustain your business? And how can the metaphor of the pivot guide your strategy to make the temporary shifts that also support you to evolve your business long term?

Let’s look at what a PIVOT is. 

A PIVOT, in movement terms, is a rotation around an axis. The pivot is a change of direction, but around a GROUNDED AXIS. And the central AXIS of the PIVOT is PIVOTAL. The person performing the pivot is shifting around an axis to align to a different point on the circle. 

To perform a pivot, you first ground into our core, then shift your eyes and focus on the direction you would like to pivot and then move your body to align to your focus.

This metaphor can help you during times of change by guiding the sequencing of your strategy in alignment with your core purpose and long term goals. How do you PIVOT on your AXIS to both sustain and evolve your business?

1) Stay grounded and connected to your physical core, your energy, and your practice.

  • Deepen your practice, keep breathing and moving and stay healthy in mind and body so you can have a clear account and continue to bring your best self to your life and business. 

2) Anchor into your core purpose- align your values, mission, and purpose. 

  • Get grounded in your core purpose, so you continue to anchor into what you value and the impact you want to create so you continue to take action in alignment with what you want to create.
  • How can you deepen your purpose by expanding your potential market and impact online?
  • Continuing to stand in the creator shoes will keep you in an empowered place and allow you to continue to lead and serve others at your highest level.

3) Hone in on your core value equation to align your messaging and service to the evolving needs of your clients?

  • How are the core problems that you solve for your clients the same, and how have new issues or goals emerged during this time? Is there a unique niche that you could tap into online?
  • How can you shift the messaging of offers you already have in place to meet the new and evolving needs of your clients?
  • How can you position your online services as a “new” level of service rather than a replacement for in-person work to leave space to both evolve online work as part of your model and return to in-person work in a new way?

4) Create a Core Strategy to shift your evolving business structures to BOTH sustain your business during the pandemic and to evolve and grow your model to move you towards your long term goals. 

  • What new business systems, structures, and service models can you create now that will sustain your business and keep you moving towards your goals?
  • And how can you evolve a long term business strategy that leverages your online work to elevate your in-person work?

With these point in mind, anchor into the bigger question of the pivot:

How can you BOTH allow your strategy to PIVOT while you stay grounded in your AXIS? How can you can powerfully co-create the evolving new normal in a way that deepens your purpose and leadership, expands your impact, and sustains and evolves your business?

How can you pivot in a way that allows you to stay the course AND navigate the changing path?

Let me know how these lands and what has worked for you? And what success and challenges are you having?

Join the conversation in my Facebook group for Body-Centered Business Owners Online.

Want to brainstorm in person (virtually:) Sign up for a Brainstorming Session to unpack the top opportunities for your business growth right now!

All the best,

Dawn

 

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5 Steps To Become A Gyrotonic Instructor In One Year

5 Steps To Become A Gyrotonic Instructor In One Year

by | Jun 1, 2019 | Business Planning, courses, Embodied Wellness, Embodiment, Gyrotonic Movement, Gyrotonic Teacher Training

Are you a health and wellness coach, movement practitioner or therapist who is looking for a new approach to holistic movement with your clients?

Gyrotonic training attracts people from all walks of life. I have had dancers who want to share their love of movement, elementary school teachers, professionals in other careers that want to make a career change and instructors from other modalities like Pilates, yoga, physical therapy and massage therapy that want to expand their skill range and people who just want to go through the training for their own personal development or to have equipment in their home and to work with family and friends!

If you LOVE movement, and enjoy helping others to understand how their bodies move and how to move to their fullest capacity, feel good in their bodies and in their lives, then becoming a Gyrotonic Instructor may be a great fit for you.  In this blog post, I am going to give you the simple 5 step process to become a Gyrotonic Instructor and tell you how you can get started.

To get started, before you even enter the teacher training process, you will need to have a minimum of ten sessions with a certified instructor to familiarize yourself with the introductory material and to prepare your body for the training. This will also give you the opportunity to get a good feel for the system and make sure that it is right for you!

So, what is so unique about the Gyrotonic Method?

The GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® is made up of two methods, the GYROTONIC® Method and the GYROKINESIS® Method. This blog post will focus on the Level 1 Gyrotonic Method Training. The Gyrotonic Method is a holistic system of movement that can meet a variety of health and wellness goals to help you move without pain, develop flexible strength with minimal impact to your body and cross-train for specific sports like Golf, Tennis or Dance.

Exercises are based in three -dimensional movements that help you to align and strengthen your core and move your body as a whole with fluid, flexible strength. Movements integrate breathing principles, mobilize and decompress the spine and joints and work all the major muscle groups synergistically for a full body workout.

The Gyrotonic Method is an apparatus-based method that utilize a unique pulley tower system that offers supportive resistance to the body in all ranges of motion. The level one teacher training process is taught on the pulley tower system. Other specialized equipment like the Jumping Stretching Board, Leg Extension Unit and the Ladder, offer a variety of exercises for developing strength, flexibility, balance and coordination through fluid movement and are available as advanced training courses for Gyrotonic Level 1 Certified Instructors.

My personal practice with Gyrotonic has evolved as a Movement Therapist to working primarily with clients who are transitioning from Physical Therapy and need specific exercise modifications to help them create a new approach to movement. I bring my expertise and experience from working in a physical therapy clinic and as a movement therapist and somatic coach for 15 years to help my students empower their clients to use the Gyrotonic Method to connect to their bodies and find their home in movement.  As a Master Trainer, I teach the first three courses in the Gyrotonic Teacher Training Process.

 

The Gyrotonic Level 1 Teacher Training Process

The Gyrotonic Teacher training process is a combination of four courses that usually take from 9-12 months to complete. All courses must be completed with certified Gyrotonic Pre-Trainers or Master Trainers. You make take each course with a different instructor or all courses with one instructor.

Introductory Sessions

As I mentioned earlier, the first step in the Teacher Training process is to have ten introductory sessions with a certified Gyrotonic Instructor to familiarize yourself with the work and prepare your body for the training. The training is intensive and demanding and you will want to be familiar with the movement before you begin.

 

The Gyrotonic Pre-Training

The first course in the Gyrotonic Teacher Training program. In the Gyrotonic Pre-Training you will learn the fundamental exercises of the Gyrotonic Level One Foundation Course with a focus on individual execution of the movements and understanding of the principles. At the end of the pre-training you will be able to put together a full Gyrotonic workout to lead your self- practice routines. The Gyrotonic Pre-training is a 6 day/30-hour course that can be broken up into two, three-day segments. The pre-training is taught by Dawn Strom or another certified Pre-Trainer.  After you complete the pre-training you will have three months to enroll in and begin the next course, the Level 1 Foundation Training.

 

Level 1 Foundation Training

In the Gyrotonic Level 1 Foundation Course you will learn how to teach fundamental exercises of the Gyrotonic Level One Foundation Course. This course will focus on deepening your understanding and communication of Gyrotonic principles as well as introducing teaching tools and cueing. Upon completion of your Gyrotonic Foundation Course you will be able to teach an introductory session to a new client. You will then enter your Apprenticeship period where you will practice progressing clients through the level one material as well as continue to develop you own integration of the material through self- practice. The Foundation Course is taught by a Master Trainer and is a 12 day/60-hour course that can be broken up into three four-day weekend segments. After you complete and pass the Foundation course, you can continue into your apprentice period.

 

Apprentice Review

After you complete your Foundation Training you will have a 6-12-month apprenticeship period where you will teach a total of 60 sessions, 30 of which must be completed before your apprentice review course.

Once you have completed 30 sessions you will sign up for a 6-day/ 30 hour Apprentice Review Course with Dawn Strom or another licensed Master Trainer. During this time, you will review material and learn any material that was not covered in the foundation training. You will have time to ask questions about your teaching practice. After finishing your apprentice review, you will complete the remaining 30 hours of teaching and then you will go on to your final certification offered at a variety of locations in the USA and in Europe.

 

Certification

After you have passed your apprentice review and completed your hours, you may sign up for your Certification offered through Gyrotonic Headquarter at a variety of locations in the US and Europe. This is a three day course. And upon completion of the course you will be a licensed Gyrotonic Trainer.

 

Cost of Training

The cost of the Gyrotonic Teacher Training process is divided into a combination of course fees and studio fees.

  • The course fees are determined through Gyrotonic Headquarters and are the same regardless of which Master Trainer you work
  • The Studio where you take your course will also have a fee that will cover the costs of using the studio space and may also apply for travel costs of the Master Trainer teaching the course. Studio fees will vary based on
  • You should check with the individual studio hosting the course for a complete list of fees. For a complete list of general course fees click HERE.

 

Continuing Education

Once you are a Licensed Gyrotonic Trainer, you will need to complete continuing education requirements every two years and pay a licensing fee to renew your license. For more information on continuing education requirements, click here.

 

How To Get Started

So now that you know a little more about The Gyrotonic Teacher Training Process, you may be wondering whether it is a good fit for you? If you are interested in joining one of my level 1 foundation trainings, click HERE to schedule a discovery session. I would love to talk with you in person and help give you the information that you need to make the best decision for your career.

To see a list of our current scheduled courses, click HERE . Please let me know if you have any questions!

I hope to see you in one of my courses!

All the best,

Dawn

GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® Specialized Master Trainer

Embodied Biz Planning for Coaches Expecting Their First Baby

Embodied Biz Planning for Coaches Expecting Their First Baby

by | May 4, 2017 | Business Planning, Embodied Wellness, Embodiment, Flow, Mompreneur

Over the last year I have worked to transform my business to clarify my expertise and evolve my practice towards somatic coaching work that I can offer online to expand my reach and maximize my time and value.  I did all of this while preparing to have my first child! It seems like a lot, but it was well planned and an important step to help expand and reshape my business to meet the needs of my expanding family and my new lifestyle.  I’m excited to share an opportunity I had to talk with a friend and colleague and owner of Universal Coaching Systems about Embodied Business planning for coaches expecting their first baby.  We had a great interview on her podcast, Coach Pep Talk.

Check it out and let me know what you think in the comments…

Coach Pep Talk Podcast Episode 8- Interview with Dawn Strom

In Joy!