I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “Become a master of one, not a jack of all trades.”  If you haven’t, the idea is that you will be more productive and useful if you have laser-like focus on one thing, than if you dabble in many different areas.

Health clubs practice the “jack of all trades” approach to fitness and try to have something there for everyone.  As a health professional with an individual practice, you’re not going to be able to compete with health clubs, gyms and hospital-based wellness centers on that front.

So, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is biting off more than you can chew by trying to offer programs and services to meet the needs of every age group and fitness level in your practice.  You need to specialize.  Clearly define your niche markets — no more than one or two — and offer those niches a specialized solution for their needs.  Don’t try to target all your patients, or you’ll end up with no patients in your programs.  Read more...