2021 has been a tough year for anyone who teaches aquatics. Many pools were closed for the whole summer season and now you’re faced with moving into the off-season and months without income.
2022 has got to be better right? There’s no reason you can’t make it better for yourself personally, by spending some of your downtime this winter tuning up your business. Here are 30+ ideas organized by category to help improve your aquatics instructor business and make more money next year.
Organize your Aquatics Instructor Business
Testimonials – Do you have a file where you store all the great things your students say about you? If you don’t start one. If you have one, have you updated where you’ve shared the testimonials or is it time to create some testimonial social media posts?
What’s the state of your computer or phone? If it was an actual physical filing cabinet is it one of those where it’s overstuffed with files and paper spilling out, or does everything have a place with a place for everything? Take some time to organize your digital life.
Back up important things – like your email list, website, credentials you’ve earned, etc.
Continuing Education
Take some time this winter to improve yourself and your teaching skills. Earn a new credential. Take a continuing education course. Check out some books from the library. Maybe a book you want belongs on your Christmas list.
Review the materials from courses you’ve already taken. Not only is it a skills refresher, you can use it as an opportunity to discard anything that doesn’t apply anymore, and clean up a little.
Resources that piled up during the summer – Are you up to date on all your association newsletters? Blogs you follow?
Update your Aquatics Instructor Business
Is your client email list up to date or filled with people who’ve moved away?
Are your credentials up to date on your website, business cards, email signature, social media listings?
Are your liability, photo release and privacy policy forms up to date?
Does your website need a refresh?
Is your insurance coverage up to date with your activities and locations?
Do your playlists need a refresh?
Could your teaching sequences benefit from some new segments?
Expand the Reach of your Aquatics Instructor Business
Do you want to teach somewhere new or work with a new partner? Identify some new opportunities and take the time to build those partnerships now.
Are you a member of any local business groups? Now’s a good time to reach out and develop some new community relationships.
Do you have social media colleagues you can organize a win/win promotion with?
Systems
Do you have systems in place for collecting your client’s contact info? Tracking your business mileage?
Filing and paying relevant taxes?
Tracking your spending – Do you need all the apps you’ve signed up for? Are there any things you can let go of to cut some costs?
Grow your business
Winter is a great time to take a course in business skills. You probably teach aquatics because you love the water, not accounting. Taking a business course can help you with the business skills you need like bookkeeping, copywriting for producing enticing brochures, or search engine optimization so people can find your website.
Inventory what you need to teach
What you wear – your swimsuits, sun protective clothing, sunscreen, shoes. Since there’s a seasonal element to these kinds of items, they’re often on sale in the winter.
The props you use – Did some props wear out this season and need replacing? Pool noodles have a definite life span for example. What about new props for next season? Are you thinking about trying something new? Getting a sample set now will help you practice with them and develop new programming for next year.
Your marketing materials – Do you need more business cards, flyers, or brochures? Before you get the same old ones printed do they need a refresh? Are there any new items/printed materials that can help you market your aquatics instructor business? Many printing companies run specials during the holiday season so you can save some money during that time.
Time management
Is it time to outsource the things you don’t like doing, or don’t have the skills in like bookkeeping (can you guess this is my least favorite thing to do)? Identify another local business, virtual assistant, or online app that’s going to offload the tasks that aren’t worth your time.
Get ahead in your aquatics instructor business
Can you get ahead on some things you know you’ll need to do when the busy spring hits. Can you prewrite three emails to your mailing list? Create 10 social media graphics?
I hope this checklist has given you some ideas on how you can set yourself up for success in 2021. To riding high next year!
If you need help with your aquatics instructor business
I mentor aqua yoga teachers to be better teachers and business people.
If you want more information on how to work with me, get the details on my mentoring page.
Want to teach aqua yoga?
If you want to learn how to teach aqua yoga specifically, my certification program will open again in spring 2022.
Make sure you’re on my mailing list to get an invitation. As a special bonus, you’ll get this post as a video.
This is just so appropriate. Very helpful. Thanks Crista
Glad you can use these ideas Rikki!