Starting a Personal Training Business: Here’s What You Need to Know

Business Overview:

If you’re a fitness professional wanting to make the transition to business owner, you should look into starting a personal training business. Working for a big gym lets you put your skills to use but starting a personal training business of your own gives you the freedom to work how and when you want. You can also charge your own rates and not have to give a portion of your hard earned paycheck back to your employer. Sounds like a pretty good business idea, right? But before you quit your day job, you should work on a personal trainer business plan to ensure you have everything in order before going out on your own. You’ll need a roadmap to guide you so that you don’t flounder in this huge market. Another element vital to your success is a marketing plan. Without clients, there is no income. When you research how to start a personal training business, you’ll find several ideas for ways to market your business. You can talk to smaller gyms who have no trainers on staff and see if you can leave your marketing materials with them. Word of mouth, direct mail and newspaper or online ads are also good options for marketing your new business. After you have a few appointments, professionalism, customer service and your excellent personal training skills will seal the deal. Give your clients a few business cards and ask them to spread the word to their friends. You could even offer a referral discount to secure new clients. Before you know it, your schedule will be full and your new business will be the talk of the town.

A Day in the Life of a Personal Training Business Owner:

If you have clients already, you’ll want to check your schedule to see when and where you need to meet them. You’ll need to spend your appointment time wisely and be sure to give your clients exactly what they need. If you do not have any clients yet or if you don’t have any appointments that day, you’ll spend your time marketing your business to local gyms and other fitness-oriented businesses such as nutrition stores and athletic retailers. If you have a staff of trainers working for you, you’ll make sure they know when and where to meet your clients. Finally, you should take a look at your finances to see if everything is on track with invoices and payments.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals interested in losing weight and/or toning up with the help of a personal trainer.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Marketing plan and materials
• Relationship with local gyms and businesses
• A place to workout (gym, track, etc.)
• Computer with finance software
• Professional fitness attire (good running shoes, athletic clothes)

The Good:

• If you are a fitness professional, you have all the skills necessary to start your own business.
• As a business owner, you can work as much or as little as you want.
• You can spend all day doing what you love.
• It is very rewarding to help people attain their goals.
• There is virtually no overhead in this business so the profit margin is very high.

The Bad:

• It can take some time and patience to fill up your schedule with clients.
• There is a lot of competition in this market; it might be difficult to set your business apart from the competition without a solid marketing plan.

Resources:

• IDEA Health and Fitness Association
• Online Personal Training Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Fitness Workers
• Wikipedia on Personal Trainers