For many, starting a career in the fitness industry is a dream come true. Finally, finally, you can take your love of fitness and healthy living and make a living off of it. What else could be better? Hundreds of thousands of fitness professionals are in the United States, and the fitness industry is worth almost $100 billion. With such a big pie, there is almost certainly a piece for you to take.
That said, it’s not as simple as deciding you are going to be a personal trainer or own a gym, and the money will come pouring in. You need to do the legwork to create a business that will stand the test of time. The last thing you want is to stall out with your dream career before it really gets going. So here are some tips that will help you enter the world of fitness as an entrepreneur and be as successful as you want to be.
Make Fitness and Health a Priority
You’ve probably heard the saying, “do as I say, not as I do.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t work in the fitness business. If you are going to be telling others to make their health a priority, then you need to make one for your own life as well. If you live and breathe fitness, your clients will respond to that and truly believe they can achieve their goals.
Regular exercise and diet will make you a better trainer, as well. You will have first-hand knowledge of how certain exercises are challenging or how people make mistakes with them. You will also be able to give good advice on how to follow different diets since you will have followed them too. If you are going to ask your clients to make changes, then you should also be living that life.
Have a Focus
Fitness is such a diverse industry, and there are many ways that you can make a living. You can focus on weight-lifting, aerobics, cycling, physical therapy, or even yoga. If you are starting out small, it’s often a good idea to concentrate on the thing you are either best at or are most interested in doing. That way, you can build up your business on a small scale and be great at what you do. As time passes, you can branch out to other things, such as purchasing a studio to host different classes or trying out another discipline. Starting with a focus helps you get your feet under you as an entrepreneur before taking on the biggest challenges.
Get Educated
You can get educated in several ways to help with your budding fitness business. For one, you should be knowledgeable about what you want to teach. It’s always a good idea to get certifications. This will show clients that you are reputable and have the knowledge they want you to impart. You may also want to take some business classes or accounting classes since you will be responsible for your finances. Finally, if you are going to be hiring people, then management and communication courses will surely help.
Have Insurance
Every business, no matter how small, needs to have insurance. Even if you operate the safest company in the history of the world, there is always a chance that something could go wrong. Besides, you don’t have to actually be negligible for someone to bring a lawsuit against you. For starters, you should have general liability insurance. This will protect you against lawsuits for injuries, damages, or even data breaches that affect clients and the public. You may also need commercial property insurance if you operate at home or have a space you rent. Having employees means having workers’ compensation as well.
There is also professional liability insurance. Some people think they need either general liability or professional liability coverage. However, it’s not a matter of general vs. professional liability for your small business. You should have both in place to have the right protection. They both protect against lawsuits, but professional liability protects against claims that you’ve made an error that has led to financial loss for a client.
Get Funding
You will need funding of some kind to get off the ground. If you are starting small, then you may be able to self-fund. You can buy some basic equipment and hold classes in public parks, for instance. However, if you are going to be renting space or using larger and more expensive equipment, then you will need some money to hold you over until the revenues start being able to cover it all. You can’t expect that to happen at the outset, so make sure that you have funding to keep you afloat for a significant period of time post-launch.
Funding can come from several sources. You can approach investors to see if they want to take on some of the risks and get some of the profits. You may choose to pursue business loans or government grants as well. Make sure you have a strong business plan to make the case that your business is viable to potential funders.
Use Social Media
While social media has made it so that we can connect with anyone worldwide, it is a powerful tool for developing local communities. Use it to your advantage. Fitness businesses mostly operate locally, so target your advertising and content to people who live in your area. Create a hub where fitness enthusiasts can talk about challenges and ideas and provide your own feedback and suggestions. Clients will love having a safe place to talk and ask questions. The more involved you are, the most your potential clients will be engaged and eventually purchase your services. LIke and comment on discussion posts, and never ignore negative reviews or complaints. Address them quickly and effectively, and you build even more trust with the community.
Becoming a fitness professional and owning a business can be a rewarding and lifelong career. However, there will always be a need for people to give out advice and education to help others live healthier lives. If this sounds like a passion for you, then take these steps to get your business off the ground and plant the seeds so it can grow in the future.
