Don’t forget the fun factor. Health and fitness can be serious business, but it can also be fun. Each fall, we host a community weight loss and habit changing competition. It was called “Thinner Winner.” We renamed it the “Team Challenge.” People form teams of four to six people, from work, home or their neighborhood and choose a fun team name. They hold each other accountable for six weeks of workouts, good nutrition lots of water and sleep. They get back on track with their health and have a chance to win fun prizes at the end. It’s an annual event that drives fun, energy, new clients and teamwork into our business.

Take ideas from other industries. I have always enjoyed getting ideas from other industries and bringing them into my fitness business. This fall, we are hosting an “Open House” at our facility, currently under construction. We will show people behind-the-scenes of our future location. We’ll have new logo wear for sale, charcuterie, tours, architect renderings and more. I got the idea from the real estate industry and from school open houses. You can host a fall-themed “Open House” in your existing studio or gym. Give people a reason to come by and see your space and offer drawings, food, announce new services or launch a new product.

Overcome disruption. It is hard to stay focused and on track with your business and life goals when you are constantly hit with unexpected events — from employees being sick, to clients cancelling, to maintenance issues, to software glitches and more. These disruptions can be unnerving, if you let them. Make it a goal to take action on a disruptive incident quickly and swiftly, and then “put the issue up on the shelf” and get back to work on the immediate work in front of you. Don’t ignore the disruption, but don’t let it overwhelm your entire day, week or month.