Hi everyone! I am going to show you how to quickly start a personal training business.
This is the # 1 most commonly asked question! In the previous question, we talked about figuring out if this is the right industry for you. Now, we can get down to the basics of building a very successful fitness business.
First, inventory your skills & resources. Who do you know that would be interested in your services? Who do you know with connections to journalism, media, and public relations, to help get the word out? How about other business owners you are already friendly with, so you can learn from them and collaborate with them? In particular, finding a successful trainer with a great business is an awesome way to jump start your success.
Second, you will want to get a certification (even though it is not required by law!). Yes, having a good certification is important to get started, but we will talk more about that later. You will also need liability insurance (which will be discounted if you have a certification), a waiver form, a Par-Q form, and other forms to keep track of your clients and legally protect yourself and your business.
Third, what kind of people and clients do you want to serve. You may not have a clear idea right now, and that is ok, but keep this question in mind as you pursue your career and work with clients. A great tip is to follow your passions, whether it’s body building, power lifting, a team sport, a certain group of people, or even gardening, sailing, or skiing. Connecting with people you are passionate about, (their goals, their personalities, their abilities, their demographic, their activities, etc.) is one of the keys to being very successful and making work feel like fun and not a boring job!
Now where would you like to work? A gym? A private training studio? In home? For a bootcamp? These are the most common fitness jobs, but other options include working in a physical therapist’s or chiropractor’s office, a senior center, and after school programs or summer camps. In fact, one of the beautiful things about this industry is there are so many people who need our help. There are so many different kinds of opportunities out there; there is really no limit to the kinds of job and work environments you can create for yourself and your business.
Keep in mind that most trainers who are just getting started work out of a gym, because it provides more structure, mentoring/training, and clients. It’s very difficult to start you own business right off the bat unless you already have contacts, experience starting a business, a loyal following, and a good amount of exercise knowledge and experience under your belt. One of the key upcoming videos will show you exactly how you can tell if it is time to pull the trigger and start your own business. If it is not time, this will show you exactly what you need to do to make sure your business launch is a complete success.
