How to develop a personal training business?
You passed your online exam and have earned your personal trainer certification. Now comes the time when it’s necessary to decide where you will work and how you will start your personal training business.
This blog will give eight tips for starting an independent personal training business. Keep in mind that starting a business is a long process with several legal implications, so there are many nuances that are not covered within this guide.
1. HUSTLE
No matter which field you work in, being an entrepreneur and starting a business require a lot of energy and effort; nowhere is this truer than in the fitness industry. When it comes to promoting a fitness business and gaining customers, it will take time to develop a client base.
Plan on taking three-to-six months at the minimum to establish a revenue stream through a personal training business. When you’re just starting your personal training career, whether, in real life or online, clients won’t just find you. You have to hustle to get out and find them, so get to it!
2. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Starting a business means you’re not going to be working for an employer and instead will become an entrepreneur. You may want to research whether it is worth your time and resources to start a business entity.
3. SCOPE OUT THE FACILITY
When scoping out your facility here are 4 really helpful questions to consider asking before you make any decisions. Only after you have weighed the potential answers to these questions should pick a facility.
If you do decide to work as a contractor, where you are paying rent for space in a facility, what type of support, if any, will the facility offer?
Will you have the opportunity to meet with new members of the facility?
Will you be able to solicit existing members, or will you be required to do your marketing to bring clients in?
How is the facility managed? It may be a popular place to work out. Still, if it’s not professionally managed, you may want to consider whether it’s worth your time to establish a formal business relationship.
4. INVEST IN THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT
If you decide to market yourself to clients in their homes or offer workouts in a location like a park, that will require you to invest in some exercise equipment.
From medicine balls to rubber resistance to kettlebells to adjustable dumbbells, there are a number of options. Your budget and ability to transport them to the locations where you will be seeing clients will help determine the best equipment to suit your needs.
5. CONSIDER ONLINE COACHING OPTIONS
If you’re going to offer online personal trainer programs, how will you market your services and deliver the workouts? Will you sell static programs or offer to coach through an online service? Another option is to provide live coaching via apps like FaceTime, Zoom, or Facebook Live.
6. IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET MARKET
Whether you are offering your services live or online, who is your target demographic? Who are the clients that will receive the most significant benefit from your services? It’s one thing to offer a variety of different types of workout programs.
Still, if you identify a specific target market, that could help you develop your messaging for how you market your services.
For example, offering weight loss and muscle-sculpting programs in an area with a large population of older adults may not resonate with an audience. Who lives in your immediate area? What types of clients do you want to work with? Take some time to brainstorm a target demographic like new moms, older adults, or teenage athletes, then identify the most effective method for communicating with them to attract and earn their business.
7.CREATE A BRAND
Once you identify a target demographic, how will you communicate with that demographic so they can understand the benefit of your fitness services? Marketing is branding, and branding is marketing; creating a brand identity can help you to communicate with potential clients.
8. RESEARCH PAYMENT METHODS
Whether you offer live or online services, how will your clients pay you for your time or the programs you sell? Just like technology has made it possible to reach clients anywhere in the globe, it will be necessary to research payment methods.
You can start an account with PayPal, wire transfer, credit card payment link, or any other service so that you can be sure that you are adequately compensated for your time and efforts.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS AND ADDITIONAL ADVICE
A lot goes into starting a fitness business. There is no guarantee of success, but if you have the hustle, put in the work, and apply these nine steps, then you will be well on your way to a long, rewarding and potentially lucrative career as a fitness professional.
If you choose to work for an employer like a health club or fitness studio, they should have training and development programs in place that will educate you on what you need to do to work in their operation successfully.
The role of the fitness manager is to support you as you start your business. Listen to their advice because they know what works. Also, look for the more experienced, established personal trainers and ask for their help on how to be successful in that business model.
