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Business "How To" for Namafit.com

Why the Healthcare Industry Could Be Your Inspiration to Start a Business

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The health and wellness industry is a lucrative one to be in; one just has to look at the many health fads, health products, and exercise regimes that currently exist to get a feel for what people are looking for. Moreover, there are plenty of opportunities to choose from, as being healthy means something different for everyone. So if you have ever considered starting a business in this thriving sector of the economy, the Namafit.com blog shares how to get started.

Discover your niche

While the healthcare industry is certainly varied and there are many options to choose from, it’s important to choose something that you’re interested in and that there is a real demand for. Again, your choice doesn’t have to be complicated and might actually be simpler than you think if you were to just look closer to home in terms of what you, your family, or friends are looking for health-wise. Similarly, you can get ideas from watching TV or searching online too. Selling online is an excellent option if your dream is to open an e-commerce health store. Alternatively, you could choose to run a business from home such as becoming a personal trainer or yoga instructor, for example. Then there is always the option of opening up a health store from a traditional brick-and-mortar building. 

Concentrating on marketing

Marketing for a health-based business is probably going to require a consistent effort to build relationships with customers. Furthermore, because products and services in the health and wellness industry might not be so readily known, this can make persuading the customer to choose your product or service particularly challenging. For example, it may help to have referrals or testimonials from professionals in the sector to support the credibility of what you are offering.

Also, it’s about choosing the right marketing strategy to reach out to your target audience. From a professional perspective, a website usually works best to create a credible presence for your business online, regardless of whether your business is online or not. Then you don’t want to miss out on using social media as there is a big potential for getting your business noticed here too. 

Get the necessary paperwork in place

Once you’ve decided on your niche business idea, and have done the necessary research to establish that there is a demand for your offering, you then need to focus on registering your business accordingly. An LLC is an excellent option if you don’t have much time to waste, and you need to get a move on with your business quickly. It’s simple to set up and has other benefits that make it a top contender among health and wellness entrepreneurs including certain tax benefits that are worth taking advantage of, less paperwork to complete at the beginning, and it has limited liability which means your personal assets are going to be protected at all times. 

Just remember that if you are setting up your health-based business in a different state that different regulations may apply, in which case using a formation service may be quicker and more cost-effective than going the lawyer route. All you need to do is select a registered agent online to handle this process for you if you are planning on opening a business somewhere new. 

Finding the necessary funding

Finding the necessary funding to launch your business is also going to require serious consideration, especially if you don’t have much to put up front in the beginning. Should this be the case, and you don’t have a lot of start-up capital, to begin with, there are other options such as obtaining finance through investors, a bank loan, or venture capital, for example, to help get your business up and running. 

Getting the equipment and software you need

Of course, you also need the requisite equipment and software to get your business going so that you can start to realize profits sooner rather than later. Apart from having the necessary inventory software to help you manage your inventory levels better, you will probably also need to have the right accounting software to ensure you have an adequate grasp of your financial standing at all times. So be sure to choose software that not only organizes and stores receipts properly but also enables you to be tax compliant while reaping tax advantages too. It should also be able to provide you with a clear indication of what your cash flow situation is looking like at all times. 

Indeed, starting a business in a health-based industry is highly recommended if you have a passion for helping people live their best lives, and you want to earn a decent living at the same time.

Business of Yoga Part I: Intentions for Success

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The definition of success has many forms.  In order to approach our teaching career as a business, the first thing on our to-do list would be to define what success looks like.  Chances are, it will line up with what also brings joy, which also equates to getting paid for what we love.  More important than that, however, is the intention for becoming a teacher outside the realms of financial security.  

When you think of success, what does your world look like? What is your goal? For some educators, it is the ultimate picture of that private studio in a big city, while others may want to travel all over the world and document their teaching journey from exotic locations.  But we all start somewhere, and it can take time to discover what it is we truly want to achieve.

cathedral gates

 In the beginning, teaching can feel difficult in startling ways.  The stakes of achieving perfection right out of the gate are heightened and the desire to serve can, at times, be eclipsed by the desire to be liked by our students.  If teaching is your passion, or if you are just getting your instructor feet wet, any practice teaching is valuable hours earned. Whether we are teaching ten or one hundred people, each student who comes to class is sharing the singular dynamism they brought with them.  It is the students, first and foremost, who can assuage and even transform the energy of how you teach.

Below are some reminders when embarking on your journey.  Finding your motivation to serve, connect, and dive into the sensational world of teaching yoga takes a personal bravery.  Understanding your own parameters of success relates to finding your signature intention: 

  1. Have a message: When we approach our teaching engagements and trials with an attitude of excitement and mystery, we are apt to grow into astute and intuitive individuals, and thus, better teachers.  So take into account your own beliefs and knowledge about the branch of yoga you are exploring that week or the various meanings of a mantra. Prioritize your learning and practice above all else. When we begin to identify what draws us to the work that we do, our message will become clearer and clearer.  All the steps that brought you where you are today should be honored, even celebrated. It is your foundation, and you are helping to create that for your students. If you are interested in what you’re teaching, your students will be too.
  2. Observe the vibe: Ultimately, we are observing bodies as they move in space, and making sure no one hurts themselves during our careful sequence.  It is a journey of endless recording and insight. Each class serves as a reminder of how well we can explain what we want to see our students achieving, physically and mentally. If a sequence proves to be too challenging for the student body before you, then soften it while drawing from the same overall intention.  What are you trying to accomplish here with this sequence? How can it be modified? How we approach these unplanned hiccups reveals the hidden intention, because you are asked to put whatever plans you had for the class aside and surrender to the moment in order to make it the best class for all.  
  3. Know your worth: We all want to believe that the gift of teaching is enough. The way we revere our teachers that came before us, we think it should be.  There is a common misconception that the ego (that deems money as a necessity and gets anxious when it believes there isn’t enough to go around) should be silenced or transcended instead of integrated.  We all have expenses, not even including our own continuing education adventures. There are many types of pay scales, from students paying as they go, which makes you, the teacher an independent contractor, to having a membership at a gym.  Where you teach and how much you charge for private lessons informs how much money you make per class. Do your research. 
  4. Make the rounds: It takes practice to figure out what type of teacher you want to be, and how to hone your own style.  Western yoga-culture has definitely evolved, especially in the last ten years or so.  Depending on where you live and practice, the number of teachers getting certified can outweigh the classes and studios there is to fill them.  And if you are looking to make a living teaching yoga, where do you begin?  Knocking on gym doors and dropping off resumes is certainly a start, and many are willing to give a fresh instructor a chance to teach a class that always draws in students. This can feel overwhelming at first, as it is different than teaching in a studio. Fear not. Teaching in a gym also allows you to lead a large group, modify sequences often, and find your voice as an instructor.  Apply everywhere close by.
  5. Tune In: While you practice your own private meditation, try to imagine your version of paradise, where there are no obstacles to your dreams.  Notice your surroundings, the sights and smells, anything vivid you can paint with your imagination. Envision yourself rising after a long sleep.  What are you most excited about today? What is it you care about most and want to share with others? That is your gift, your way to serve. Use this intention, which is deeply personal, yet can apply universally because it represents an act of service and can be brought into any teaching environment.  Use your consciousness for good, as they say.
  6. Focus: All that choose this path of teaching, however regulated, either feed into or shatter the stereotypes of what we think of when we picture a yoga teacher.  Our ego loves to compare and measure. We come in all shapes and sizes, have studied in different schools and with teachers that range from the prestigious (whatever that means) to the virtually unknown, (but unforgettable).  When we practice, we remember those classes that affected us most, and I’ll bet you that it wasn’t at a giant festival with some famous yogi/DJ combo, however cool the balancing sequence was. So connect to the feeling signatures of remarkable practices you’ve had.  Flip through your memory. They won’t be hard to find. This may serve as a reminder of why you were drawn to teaching in the first place, and your appreciation for your own practice, which does not fit into a box but it shaped entirely by you, to mold as you please.
  7. Gratitude: Perhaps the greatest perk of the job is that being a yoga teacher allows you to deepen your own practice by guiding others. Think about it.  You get to spend a lot of time in intentionally stress free zones, hyper focused on your intention for the class and how they are listening, choreographing breath to movement, while at the same time heightening a sense of community, togetherness.  And when we give of our knowledge and energy—our time, unique experiences, and tips we’ve picked up along the way–we also receive something from our students. Their energy, focus, and attention. Give thanks. Without them, you’re just practicing alone.

What is most important to you on your teaching journey? It may be the students you get to meet and guide, the opportunity to learn mystic chants in archaic languages, or it could be the physiological deep strengthening of your breath and muscles to age gracefully and inspire others to do the same. Every teacher has their own exciting and, at times, thought-provoking career path that has as many challenges as it does rewards. 

pink lotus flower in a garden

Body Positivity in the Fitness Industry: An Interview with Carly Compton

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I’m ecstatic to share an in-depth and personal interview with someone I deeply look up to and have had the pleasure to work with. As co-facilitators at Project HEAL’s Communities of Healing program, she constantly inspires me to love and respect my body each and every day, and reminds me what it means to practice true self love and self-compassion.
Carly Compton is a model, fitness trainer, mentor, and coach, and I can’t wait for you to get up close and personal with her in this interview. She will explain the how and why behind her wellness company Paradise Fitness with Carly and how she practices body positivity within the fitness industry.
CARLY COMPTON model
Carly Compton from Paradise Fitness with Carly

ALI: What inspired you to start your own fitness brand?

CARLY: Despite being a multi-sport athlete and actively participating in things like yoga and hiking while growing up, I always hated my body. I struggled every single day to love my body and accept it for what it was even though it had always supported me and pushed me through difficult games, practices, drills, and other physical activities. Looking back, I believe the lack of representation I saw of my body type in popular media and especially in fitness played a huge role in fostering my insecurity, as did the diet and fitness industries that prey on your insecurities and always promise versions of a “better” you.

Throughout middle school and high school, I attempted every single diet and workout program, but none of them “worked” as I had wanted; my body wasn’t changing, and I was frustrated. My junior year of high school, I had a friend who was losing a lot of weight and getting a lot of attention for her “improved” looks. After asking what she was doing to get such visible results, I found out it was not because she had suddenly acquired a newfound passion for health and fitness but, rather, because she was bulimic. I immediately realized that I could do the same thing! I could lose weight and still eat in front of friends and family without them having any suspicion. 

After five long years of battling bulimia, I was constantly tired, my body was malnourished, I was over-exercising, my throat constantly hurt, and I was just tired of lying. I realized I could just no longer live that lifestyle and, instead of succumbing to societal expectations that were only negatively impacting my physical and mental health, I instead needed to fight the cause of my insecurities head-on. In my attempt to lose weight in order to become “more healthy,” I was actually the unhealthiest I had ever been. Throughout my recovery and afterward, I knew that I wanted to continue to exercise and properly fuel my body, but I also knew that I somehow had to do so without focusing on weight loss.

However, I did not know of any workout programs or nutrition guides that didn’t somehow have weight loss as an explicit or primary goal. I didn’t know of any trainers that weren’t going to ask me how much I weighed, how much weight I wanted to lose, and how quickly I wanted to do it. So, instead of relying on these toxic workout and nutrition plans that were counter to my actual goals, I created Paradise Fitness with Carly, an at-home workout and lifestyle program that helps individuals develop a HEALTHY relationship with food and exercise. Since recovering and changing my mindset toward physical activity and eating, my relationship with myself has never been better. I finally feel like I can truly be me.

CARLY COMPTON stretching

“Looking back, I believe the lack of representation I saw of my body type in popular media and especially in fitness played a huge role in fostering my insecurity…”

ALI: What is the mission behind Paradise Fitness with Carly?

CARLY: Paradise Fitness with Carly is, at its simplest, a lifestyle and way of thinking; it is everything I believe in and everything I hope to change about the fitness industry and its role in shaping society. The first thing that came about through Paradise Fitness with Carly was PFWC: At-Home Transformation, an at-home workout and lifestyle program that helps individuals develop a healthy relationship with food and exercise, but–most importantly–by starting with THEMSELVES. It takes the focus away from weight loss and shifts it toward strength, confidence, and self-love. The program consists of at-home high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts that don’t require weights or equipment. This was VERY intentional. I wanted to create something that was convenient, low-stress, low-cost, and great for all levels. My mission behind PFWC: At-Home Transformation is to allow individuals to take back control of their lives, move their bodies how and when they want to, fuel their bodies without complete restriction, and work everyday on strengthening that self-love muscle. Recently, I’ve started the PFWC Podcast to talk about similar topics like this with like-minded people.

ALI: What is the hardest part of being a body positivity advocate within the fitness industry?

CARLY: Many people believe I am promoting an “unhealthy” lifestyle by promoting body positivity. This could not be further from the truth. Body positivity to me is accepting every person’s body for what it is. It is about representing minorities in size and color, acceptance and de-stigmatizing of fat bodies, desexualizing black and brown bodies, and eschewing the gender binary, among other things. These ideas that form the backbone of the body positive movement are directly translatable to the fitness industry. Healthy looks different on every body; there is not just one specific body type that represents healthy. Most of the fitness industry unfortunately relies on the complete opposite of this idea, that there is a singular “type” or societal standard that we should all strive to look like. My hope is to change that idea.

ALI: How do you see body positivity portrayed in the fitness industry – online and in-person?

CARLY: Body positivity in the fitness industry is about loving and accepting every body no matter one’s shape, size, color, and ethnicity, as well their own respective athletic ability. It is about showing that people can move their bodies and do amazing things no matter their abilities. For me, it’s so important to remind individuals that their body type shouldn’t stop them from doing what they love. The toxic sides of the fitness industry and society at large should not stop them from moving their bodies in whatever way makes them happy.

CARLY COMPTON by a basketball court
“When people look at me, they don’t see what they expect a “typical” healthy lifestyle coach to look like. They see my bigger body and just assume I’m “unhealthy,” which is an incorrect correlation we have been fed by the diet and fitness industry.”

ALI: What obstacles have you come up against within the fitness industry related to your body?

CARLY: I have been fat shamed by so many people. When people look at me, they don’t see what they expect a “typical” healthy lifestyle coach to look like. They see my bigger body and just assume I’m “unhealthy,” which is an incorrect correlation we have been fed by the diet and fitness industry. It can be hard at times because I sometimes let the bully inside my head tell me that I don’t have the right to help people live a healthy life. I have days when the comments get to me, and I think “You’re right! Maybe I shouldn’t be a healthy lifestyle coach because I don’t have the ‘look.’” But then I simply ask myself, “What does a healthy lifestyle coach look like and why?” This always helps me snap out of any negative thoughts. There is not a specific look or body shape you must have in order to have a positive influence and help individuals take back control of their lives.

ALI: How do you stay aligned to your mission of body positivity as a fitness trainer?

CARLY: I always think back to the “junior in high school Carly”, the girl who hated her body because she did not see her shape and size represented. I think about how strong my body was and how active and successful it helped me become even though I had convinced myself it wasn’t good enough. These are feelings I have since overcome and that I am trying to help others avoid. I believe that as long as you move your body, fuel your body, talk positively to yourself, and give up comparing your body to others, you will do AMAZING things. When you treat your body with love and respect, it treats you back.

CARLY COMPTON in the desert
“Do what you LOVE.”

ALI: What advice would you give other women about their own journey with fitness and body positivity?

CARLY: Do what you LOVE. Find a form of exercise that brings you excitement and happiness. Stop looking at what everyone else is doing, stop falling for the fad diets and workout programs, and start doing what makes you happy, whether that is running, yoga, walking, rock climbing, etc. Do it for YOU! The same goes for food. Fuel your body and recognize when your body feels good and not so good. But, at the same time, take days to enjoy the foods you love. Life is all about balance; EMBRACE that balance! Lastly, embrace YOU. You are beautiful, strong, and capable already–it’s just about believing it within yourself.

CARLY COMPTON modeling at the beach
Website: Paradise Fitness with Carly
Instagram: @paradisefitnesswithcarly

Ideas For The Most Effective Job Titles – Namafit learning moments

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The best start to a great job post is writing an effective job title that will get the attention of the right candidates and entice them to apply to your job. If the title gets the viewer to click the job, then having an effective job description is the next important step in finding more great candidates.

Write a job title that clearly states what you are hiring for. It only takes a couple minutes to post a job on Namafit. We suggest a clear separate job post for every type of job your are looking to fill. For example, post “Looking for yoga teachers” and “Hiring front desk staff at fitness center” as separate jobs.

Namafit gets a lot of exposure for your jobs, so we suggest writing clear, specific job titles and descriptions that will make your ideal candidate’s eyes light up! Read on to see some examples of proven job titles and descriptions that have been working!

In analyzing jobs that get the most applications, we have found that job titles that clearly state the job are very effective. A job title like “Boot Camp Instructor” and “Vinyasa Yoga Instructor” get better than average number of applications. And an insider trick to make your job stand out even more is to use a lead-in like “Seeking…” or “Looking for…” at the beginning of the job.

Here are some suggested job titles that work well:

  • Seeking Office Meditation Facilitators
  • Hiring Facilities Manager
  • Looking For A Cycling/Spin Instructor
  • Now Hiring Front Desk Sales Person For Yoga Studio
  • Front Desk Staff Shift Managers Studio Hands
  • Now Hiring Group Fitness Instructors
  • Hiring Yoga Instructors
  • Remote Independent Online Health Coach Needed
  • Looking For Hot Vinyasa Yoga Instructors With Personality Plus
  • Looking For A Yoga Or Pilates Instructor At Midtown
  • Part Time Front Desk Associate Needed
  • Now Hiring Personality Plus Hot Power Vinyasa Teachers
  • Strength And Conditioning Coaches Needed
  • Tuesday Night Boot Camp Teacher
  • Yoga And Mindfulness For Adult Ed Esl Classes
  • Yoga Fitness Instructors Needed
  • Yoga Instructors Needed
  • Looking For Yoga Instructors With Desire To Learn
  • Yoga Spa Looking For Yoga Instructors
  • Yoga Studio Looking For Experienced Passionate Yoga Instructor
  • Yoga Teacher

The bottom line is, be direct, fun and creative. And look at your job post through the eyes of the candidates you want to apply. We are confident that we can help you reach them.

man on cell phone walking by a wall with the word productivity on it

How To Use Social Media as a Fitness Professional

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One thing that many people in the fitness industry need to focus on is really creating their own brand and personality that separates them from all the other fitness professionals in the industry. This really starts with creating a presence where your future clients are, and that’s online. I have worked with some small businesses and have been working on building my own brand as a yoga instructor and here are some tips and tricks I found from both my education in Public Relations and just going through all the trial and error of trying to build my own presence online.

  • The biggest thing is CONTENT: All other workshops and groups will stress this day in and day out! Content and giving your audience something they can use will not only show how credible you are as a source, but also give future clients an insight to how you work as a professional.
    • It’s OK to repost! If you follow someone with similar content feel free to repost that content, be sure to provide the source! This will generate people to your site or platform where you have like minded content.
    • Speak to your specific audience! If you have a specific population your are looking to access – talk to them! That’s what social media is about! Use words like Ladies! Guys! Fellow Grads! Etc. to show who your audience is and access them on a more intimate level.
  • Consistency/Frequency: When thinking about content make a calendar and be specific about your posting schedule: For example, I use for posting that every other day I am using quotes to emphasize my blog topic or podcast topic to keep reinforcing my audience to go back to the podcast or blog post to drive people to continue to view my site and maybe collect people I may have missed on the weekend! This also gives some uniformity to my sites because visually there are positive messages between images of yoga poses, nutrition, etc.
    • More on the posting schedule: You do NOT need to post every day! (woah, did I just say that?) There are a lot of analytics out there that say even 1x a day (depending on the platform is enough) Your audience doesn’t need to know the 3 meals and 2 workouts you did each and every day, nor do they really want to! If one day you are focusing on nutrition, post one great meal and give a recipe! If it’s a leg workout, maybe doing a quick video with modifications and going live to show key portions of your workout will be enough to show quality content without just force feeding. No one likes the person who lives on their social media and shows everything!
    • The key to a great platform is trying to be consistent – your followers will know you for your content and know what to expect each day and will look forward to those nuggets of wisdom only you can offer!
    • Personal tip: I set on my to do list a posting schedule and try to set alarms catered to the schedule based on when I know my followers will be on. I do this without using an organized platform like Hootsuite, but you can definitely look into these automated posting websites that will help relieve some of the hassle of trying to make your posts on a deadline!
  • Make your profiles “business” profiles: this mostly is catered to Instagram, but this allows you to look up analytics to see who you are accessing, how many people you are accessing, and even location. These insights allow you to really hone in to who you are reaching out and maybe seeing what areas you need to focus on.
    • age group: try to keep content within the age group of your niche and do some look as to what content that age group wants.
    • location: use the location tab and incorporate location of your business to get people looking at local businesses to find you!
Screenshot of my insights from Instagram
  • Hashtags: USE them! You are allowed to use 30 hashtags per post, I recommend using them as a comment after the post so it’s not in the forefront of what your audience sees, but use them to drag people to your content.
    • I personally like: All Hashtag they generate for you the top 30 hashtags based on the word you use and you are able to just copy paste into a comment! You’re also able to see analytics as to how well certain hashtags are doing if you want to get super techy with your marketing!
  • Know how your audience functions and when they are looking for you!: Look up peak times that people view certain posts on social media. Also what platforms are they on?
    • Don’t waste your time!: This is the time to really find your audience and post during those times where you know people are searching for that content. Typically this is around lunch or after work in the evening. If you are posting at 6 am and there’s no one watching, what good will that do? Here’s a great review of times for social media on SocialSprout!
    • Pick a/a few platforms: you don’t need to be on ALL the platforms, and all the time! If you know your audience research where to bring your focus on. Also have a feel for different types of platforms. If your jam is on Facebook and creating Facebook content focus on that and maybe start to play with another social media platform that is more evident for your age group.
      • 22+ : Facebook still highly ranked with Instagram coming in close second. If you have a high visual content you may want to play with both but bring your focus to Insta. Pinterest is also emphasized for clients over 50 because it allows them for more searchable content.
      • <22: Snapchat is growing and Facebook users are steadily declining. Recommend access through more visual social media platforms due to need for high quality visual content with this age group.
      • Source: Business Insider
  • Be SOCIAL: Don’t just respond with emojis, actually respond to people, reach out to similar profiles and businesses and connect.
    • Follow like businesses and profiles: When I mentioned this to a small business there was a lot of hesitation, and I get it, why would you like and share content so similar to you, wouldn’t people go shop or take their business there? There is power in creating a network of like-minded business people. You support each other! Sharing each other’s content creates a broader outreach which means more clients to all! It also gives you insights as to what is working within your niche or field and what is not. This helps you for content creation as well!
    • My personal rule of thumb: as you are scrolling through content, which we all do almost every min of the day, like but also comment on one post (be sincere and add more than an emoji!). Who knows, you may spark a convo which brings people to your profile for more?!
  • Set a call to action!: People want to be involved with social media, so why not involve them? Ask them what areas they want to focus on when it comes to working out, ask what your peak yoga pose should be in the class. Ask questions and engage with people will also allow you to show your personality and get people to trust and want to work with you.
    • Personal Tip: I try once every two weeks to incorporate those yoga students who follow me in their classes by asking which peak pose they want. I put the question as either a choice between 2 or 4 different poses. Or, I will ask between two areas of focus (i.e hip openers vs inversions). This allows you to create a personal relationship with your audience and when they see you in class it shows you are actively listening and engaging with them. It’s a nice special touch.

I hope these tips help! Use these steps to get started on making a more uniformed and professional looking profile that will allow you to grow your personal business/fitness personality!

Add Your Jobs to Your Website!

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Let people who visit your website know that you are hiring!

Did you know that you can add a link on your business website to your Namafit job posting? It’s a great way to attract new candidates. Instructors and other fitness professionals frequently visit the websites of businesses where they would like to work.

Step 1:

namafit business site navigation

Log in to namafit.com and click the “My Business” link at the top of the screen.

Step 2:

screenshot of the Namafit business page URL for a namafit customer
Screenshot of the Namafit business page URL for a namafit business.

Then, scroll to the bottom of the page and copy the URL address under “Namafit Business Page URL”

Step 3:

screenshot of a link from a business website to their namafit business page URL and job listings

Add the URL address to your website with text that says something like “View our employment opportunties” or “Our jobs”. Depending on how your website was created this might be an easy WordPress edit or you might need to contact your website designer/developer for help adding that link to your website.

If you have questions or need help adding a link to your jobs on your website, feel free to contact us. We’d be happy to help.

Invite Business Managers To Help Post Jobs and Manage Business Info

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Hiring for your business is a challenge. And in the fitness and yoga industry, it’s an ongoing chore because between the number of classes, instructors and substitutes you need to manager, there seems to always be a need to hire!

Business page header from a Namafit business account page
Business page header from a Namafit business account page

With your Namafit business account, you can actually invite your managers and operators to help you with hiring. We’ve taken care of it for you by letting you add authorized users to your business page.

Authorized users of your business page can post jobs, respond to candidates, edit jobs and manager your business information. And, don’t worry, you’ll be kept in the loop of any communication by getting CC’d on messages sent back and forth.

To get started, you can go to https://namafit.com/business/admin; or you can login to Namafit.com and click “My Business” in the navigation bar. Then click “Admin” in the second row of navigation. On the admin page, just enter your manager’s email address in the box that says “Invite more people” and click the “Send” button.

Once they accept the invite and create a username and password, they’ll be ready to help you hire!

If you have any questions or thoughts, please send us an email – hello@namafit.com

Admin page for a Namafit business user
Admin page for a Namafit business user

Your Namafit business page has some great features you might be missing out on

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When you create a business on Namafit.com your recruiting goals immediately improve. Once you create a business profile on the site you can post as many jobs as you need to fill for yoga, fitness and dance instructors, coaches and trainers. We’ve made it as simple as possible to create a clear, specific job post in the shortest amount of time.

And when you post your job, Namafit works some magic behind the scenes. The Namafit professional network spans the United States. Based on the type of job and location you post Namafit finds the best matches for the job and send notifications to each of them alerting the candidates that the job was just posted. Namafit also sends your job post to the Google job search engine as well as several other external job boards in the USA. Once on google and these other job boards candidates find the job, click apply, and are brought back to your Namafit post to apply directly to you.

Free Features for Businesses

Add Authorized Users to help manage your business page

In addition to the built in job and event promotion tools for your business, we have added some great features to help you be more efficient in your recruiting, too.  What I think it our coolest business feature is the ability to invite other employees to be administrators for your business page.  That means your manager, or lead desk staff or operator can help you post jobs and events.  They can send messages to candidates, reply to applications, update your business pages, and help take these duties off your hands.  But don’t worry, you will be kept in the loop, because you, as the page owner will be copied on messages that are sent to and from your business to candidates.

To take advantage of this amazing business feature, just go to https://namafit.com/business/admin and invite your first authorized user.

business settings for Namafit account
You can add other authorized users to help manage your Namafit business page and postings.

Add Multiple Locations for Your Business

Do you have more than one location? Or do you hold classes and events at more than one location?  You can add all of your locations to your main business page by going to https://namafit.com/business/edit

While there make sure to add and/or update your logo, “About Us”, website address, social media links and phone number for your business to get more SEO exposure for your business and postings.

Business location listings for a Namafit fitness business profile

Use Your Namafit Website Address As A Link From Your Website

Your business page has a permanent URL website address, so you can add that as a link from your business website to lead candidates to your job postings.  Your Namafit business page is a landing page to showcase your business postings for jobs and events.  To add a link to your website: Go to https://namafit.com/business and copy the URL from the address bar of your browser.  Now add that link to your business website with text that says something like “Now Hiring” or “View our current job openings”.

You may want to ask your web developer for help adding this link.  It’s a great way to get more candidate applications for your jobs!

permanent URL for a Namafit business account
Your business URL contains your business name for better SEO exposure

Re-post Jobs and Events in Minutes After They Expire

Jobs and events run for one month when posted.  When they expire you will receive an email notifying you. 

  1. Just click the link in the email to re-post them. 
  2. You can also go to https://namafit.com/postings for jobs and https://namafit.com/events for events. 
  3. Click the “Open Jobs”/”Open Events” drop down selector and switch to “Closed Jobs”/”Closed Events” to see your expired postings. 
  4. On the left, click on the expired posting and click “Re-post” button on the right. 
  5. Make any date and description updates you desire, and publish the posting again!

My events page on Namafit.com

The Journey Begins. How Namafit Got Started.

by

How I Solved My Own Staffing Problems At My New Fitness Studio

handstand

When I opened a yoga, fitness and dance studio in 2010 I was embarking on a journey very new to my family and me. Prior to opening our new studio, I had been a software engineer for over 16 years, a husband and a father of 3 boys. As you can imagine, my wife and I were very busy — on top of being an awesome mother to our boys, she owns and operates a busy local restaurant.

I always knew that I wanted to open a small business close to our home — something that would help contribute to the overall wellbeing of our community. After living in our area for several years, we realized that there was a need for an awesome local dance/fitness studio. We had lamented the fact that there was nowhere in Menlo Park to take good fitness and yoga classes. We also noticed that the dance studios where our boys were taking classes were packed with kids. We have both been active and into athletics our whole lives, and as parents, that segment of our lives had definitely been neglected for years! So, looking back, I guess opening a yoga, fitness and dance studio was a pretty natural thing to do.

Getting the business systems setup, finding a space to rent and getting ready to open was time consuming but all fairly straightforward. I called a contractor to help with the interior build out. They took care of the details. I opened bank accounts. I signed up for MindbodyOnline to handle reservations and payments. Making a schedule of classes was actually pretty difficult because it meant taking into account the demographics in the neighborhood and neighboring cities, figuring out what types of classes were appropriate at which time of day. The initial goal was to offer youth classes, mostly dance, in the afternoons, so factoring in the times that schools let out was important. But in the end, it was all set in place. This was all in motion leading up to an opening date.

Staffing for a new fitness, yoga and dance business

Staffing (hiring professionals who were going to instruct my classes, not to mention represent my business to the public) was something of an unknown. After doing some research online, Craigslist quickly became my go-to resource for posting job ads to find teachers. Being a new business, I had a budget for marketing and advertising, which helped cover the cost of the $75 each job post cost with Craigslist. Everyone knows Craigslist — you write up a job title and description, pay $75 and submit. The job loads into the “fitness/spa/salon” category search results and you wait. At some point for most Craigslist posts, just like anyone else who posts on Craigslist, I received emails from people interested in my open positions. Sometimes I would get an email with a nice paragraph about the person, along with their name, email, phone number and resume attached. Sometimes, I would receive a quick request to be hired, with a name and nothing else. The rest of the responses I saw fell somewhere in between those two extremes.

When I did receive enough information about a person applying, my next step was to google their name and hopefully find out more about their background, where else they teach, how long they’ve been teaching, etc. After several email and phone call chains, followed by onsite interviews, ultimately, I was able to hire enough professionals to fill my staff sufficiently to run thebusiness.

Connections

A big part of running a business that relies on independent contractors for its staff is the maintaining and building of professional connections. I found out very quickly that my day-to-day staffing needs relied heavily on my ability to search my rolodex in an efficient manner for not only “great instructors”, but “great instructors” that could teach the types of yoga/fitness that we were filling classes for. (I don’t actually have a rolodex, as I’m sure you may have surmised, but instead have several email lists that I am constantly curating.)

Basically, this is how my current “networking” efforts have gone:

  1. Post to Craigslist
  1. Email/phone back and forth
  1. Invite potential instructor for an onsite chat
  1. HIRE them for a class
  1. After hearing feedback from those who participated in the class, add the instructor to my list.
  2. Repeat steps 1–5 next time an instructor bails on a class (which happens more often than you’d think)

After going through this process more times than I can count, I started to think that there had to be a better way. After doing a bunch of research, and interviewing a bunch of my instructors and many similar businesses, I came to realize that there wasn’t anything available that suited my needs. As it turns out, the fitness/yoga industry is very word-of-mouth driven when it comes to staffing. Most other studios and gyms follow the same pattern of Craigslist and email lists to fulfill their staffing needs.

Enter Namafit

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been a Software Engineer for years, for startups all over the Silicon Valley. After experiencing the above issues for months in my own business, I decided that enough was enough! I hooked back up with a buddy of mine that I’d worked with for years on other projects and we built namafit.com.

Namafit is a platform that completely solves my fitness instructor staffing problems. I’m able to quickly post opportunities, which are then automatically broadcast to all of Namafit’s extensive database of instructors. Instructors have the ability to create their own profile, which includes information such as their qualifications, styles/levels they teach, and even their resumé. We have been hard at work building a product that will replace the dreaded email list, and will give businesses such as myself a tool to find quality instructors quickly. And it’s a tool to for fitness instructors and trainers to find more work, and more importantly, have more work find them.