For love, for money or for experience, one day you may move. Being in the service industry makes these moves a bit more daunting because starting anew when you income depends on clients and sales. Well, good news: Fortune favors the bold. Before you go, make sure you have some kind of concrete aide: 3-6 months in savings, a family member, friend or lover that is willing to take you in for a while, a spouse with a job or a part time job offer for yourself. This is the best way to prepare. Also, if you have't had a habit of taking testimonials from you clients after you have trained them, start taking them NOW. So now you've landed. there are literally a MILLION things that need to be done and you are in a whole new place! Allow a minimum of three months and max of about six months to get this all in order. Here is the biggest truth you have to remember: the first six months is the hardest because no one knows you or trusts you. After six months of being brave, making your face and your game known, you will start to reap the rewards: a coaching job offer or a couple new clients and the start of some good friendships. Here is your checklist:
1. Case Locations for Your Niche and Get in with the Coaches Everyone has an ideal client and you should be checking out the places where your dream clients hang out. If you work best with young professionals in the start up scene, go to work space mixers or open houses. Frequent the hip coffee shop and get to know the people who work there. Visit the best Crossfit, community and weightlifting gyms and ask about business. Just walk and generally talk shop with the coaches (for the most part, we are a friendly bunch and we have the same interests as you). Ask what the community is like, working for the owner, some of the other gyms in town and what the would charge for renting space. If you get a warm feeling from your interaction brush the topic of getting a workout in together one day. Building professional relationships is VITAL to you making it in your new home. 2. Website Do you have a place where people can see you and see your work? If you don't, you need to have a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and/or website where all your work is in one place. If you do, go back over all your accounts and edit them to make the feeling and message congruent. Personally, I'm only ok with social media, as in; I am able to be found on those platforms and they mostly just link and drive traffic to my website. Make sure that the website is specifically geared towards the people you want to work with. The most important part of your website is that it reflects you and your personality, what it is like to work with you and you approach to your craft. In a new city, TESTIMONIALS and NOTABLE PROFESSIONAL TIES will be so important (read: your only form of credibility) on your website so make sure you have things that reflect your experience and contacts. Clarity and elegance is important. Many web hosting sites offer site templates that have too many moving parts and the message (your personality and training style) gets drowned by tech. A sprint coach may benefit from a website that moves and portrays a sense of speed but a powerlifting coach and a nutrition coach will not have the same aesthetic needs. Remember, Nirvana got famous from songs written solely with three power chords. Keep it simple and thematic. 3. Become a Part of a Community - or Three I'll repeat, the first six months of any move you need to be focusing on making mew friends and acquaintances. After a few weeks of checking out gyms, you should have found one that will serve your purposes. It will be filled with the kind of people you like to spend your time with and in a relatively convenient location. Crossfit gyms, churches, shared work spaces, heritage groups, veterans groups, pick-up sports games and especially YMCAs are all gateways to well-connected people. Personally I like to be involved in two or more gyms and one leisurely activity group. I also make it a point to have friends from all kinds of backgrounds and professions to keep life, parties and ideas fresh. As a trainer, it is also vital that you get to know some trainers around town! Invite them for workouts or to grab some lunch. If there is a sporting event or fitness convention, ask them if they want to go. Other coaches will be your second biggest ally next to your savvy learned social skills. 4. Papers If you have moved to a new country or new state then this is very important for you to get in order. Moving from state to state is fairly easy depending on your credentials and financial set up. You can stay incorporated in one state and live and work out of another without a problem, as long as you have an address or residence in the state you incorporated. If you have moved to a new country, double check the small business laws. Get a local or native speaker to come with you to the tax office or government office. You will meet this person at one of your community events. You do not have to be friends per se, but this person should be kind, intelligent and have experience dealing with local authorities. In exchange for his or her time, offer to have them over for dinner or go out. Oh look, now you may have made a new friend. Remember, no matter what, GET A TAX DUDE WHEREVER YOU ARE to make sure all your stuff is in order to do business leagally. 5. Hustle and Network ABC means Always Be Closing. But remember, we are playing the long game not the pushy-sales game. Be patient and get your name out there. Your personality, good will and knowledge will attract people to you. Keep cards on you make your business known to people who know people. Make sure people know what you do and who you work with. This comes with the cost of knowing what others do. Seek always to provide support and opportunity for others and others will provide support and opportunities for you. Even if you consider yourself shy and private, or you work at a branch gym where clients get fed to you (hahaha, that doesn't exist), you will still need to get out there and meet people. SUCCESS DEPENDS ON THE SUPPORT OF OTHER PEOPLE. For the first six months, your minds need to be in the right headspace and that headspace should ultimately be MAKE NEW FRIENDS AND CONNECTIONS. If you are needing some advice of clarity about what to do next with your career, reach out and help you any way I can.
Good luck in your travels!
- Coach Ingri ingripauline@gmail.com