A, B, C or D?

Welcome to this week’s newsletter,

Hopefully an interesting one this week - albeit a little different .

Here goes:

 Quiz: Who are the most important people to your business?

 Genuine question.

 I'm serious.

 Is it:

 A) Your Clients - the people who give you money?

 B) Your Staff - the people who deliver for the people who give you money?

 C) You - because without you there'd be no business? or

 D) Your Family - the people who support you but who also rely on you to provide the money?

Go on. Have a think for a minute.

What's your instinct telling you?

Which of those is most important?

A, B, C or D?

I mean, most business owners are very good at putting their customers first most of the time - and when we do that, we're saying A is the answer.

Enlightened business owners are really good at ensuring that their staff are well looked after and motivated and rewarded well because they recognise the importance they have in ensuring your sustained success. And when we do that, we're saying B is the answer.

I know many of you share the same job description as me i.e "Whatever it takes..." because there's pretty much nothing we wouldn't do (legally!!) to further our business. And when we do, we're saying C is the answer.

But I bet hardly anyone reading this today went for D as their first answer.

Yet why do we do what we do?

For most of us there's someone else that we're doing this for.

Someone else that we care deeply about.

Someone else who supports us.

And sometimes we rely on them too much.

There are people whose obsession with their business is impacting their relationships with their family in a negative way.

There are people who are not paying themselves properly - and their families lives are diminished as a result.

There are people not taking any time off. Working 7 days a week. No holidays booked. Family events missed.

There are people who haven't got any real conversation, other than about their business - because it's all they think about.

Listen, I know what's involved in building a sustainably successful business. And I love it. I wouldn't have it any other way.

But not at any price.

All work and no play would make me (and you!) a very dull person!

Here's how I see it.

I've got three roles/goals in my life.

I want to be a great boss and business owner

I want to be a great partner.

And I want to be a great parent.

To do that, it means A, B, C and D are ALL really important.

And thankfully, I learned a long time ago that I can't succeed at all three of my goals all of the time.

They're incompatible.

So, I have a different approach that has served me really well and I want to pass it on to you in the sincere hope that it might help you too.

Here it is:

I make sure I'm not bad at any one of the three for too long.

Think about it.

As professional business owners we're good at taking care of A and B - our clients and our staff.

But some of the time our primary focus has to be on C and D.

Don't neglect the people that matter to you all the time in the mistaken belief that it somehow makes you a better business owner.

Don't neglect yourself for long periods in the mistaken belief that you're furthering your business.

Don't let the stress build because you're trying to be Superman or Superwoman by being amazing at everything all the time.

Recognise that all four constituents, A, B, C and D, need your focus and priority at different times.

Recognise that neglecting any one of the four, (your clients, your staff, you or your family) for too long will bring bad things to your door.

Because everything in life comes at a price. Everything.

And recognise that if you have maybe neglected any of the four (let's be honest, most likely you or your family!!) in recent weeks or months, then you can start to put things right today.

Take a walk at lunchtime perhaps.

Get cover for your classes/clients one day this week and spend it with someone you care about.

Call the travel agents and book a holiday - or even a 25-hour break

I'm absolutely focused on having a brilliant summer this year.

But it can't be a brilliant summer if my only measure of success is my class numbers & P&L sheet.

Sure, those things matter. A lot.

But they're not the only things that matter.

So does my health, my well-being, and my relationships with the people that I care about.

Don't be too bad for too long taking care of those things too...

Hope that makes sense.

If you don’t already know me, my name is Emma Lovelock, I run an award-winning Pilates Studio in Hertfordshire, UK and I am on a mission to help other business owners in the wellness/fitness industry become more knowledgable in running a business and to give the tools and systems to make them more money, with less stress and save them time.

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, there’s four ways I can help:

• 90-Day Studio Growth Blueprint - Put a plan in place with my help, and ramp up your business’s productivity.

• If you want to know the 6 secret steps that every studio owner/fitness professional should know but probably doesn’t Watch this Free webinar .

• Monthly Coaching : Need some accountability in your business? Having a business coach is the best way to make sure you take REGULAR action Click here to find out more about my mentoring and coaching packages.

• Not sure what you should be doing to have a successful wellness business?Need some guidance? Book a 121 call and we can see how I can help.