How to Start a Personal Training Business

So you’ve got your qualifications, congratulations! Now you are thinking okay what is my next step? How do I start running my own personal training business? Where should I do it? How am I going to get clients?

These questions cross every new personal trainers mind. You aren’t alone; and you definitely aren’t alone in thinking you have to trudge out hard years to build up your business to get to a level of income where personal training can be your sole career and business.

Like most of us who start out, you are likely straddling your new PT life and your current main stream of income.

Real Gainz have compiled a quick list, a cheat sheet if you will for what to get done before even thinking about signing up to a gym and starting to rack on those business overheads (trust me you don’t need them yet). For more a more in depth guide on everything from the business set up, to initial consultations and scaling your business, head over to https://www.real-gainz.com.au/products or click the products menu tab.

How to Start a Personal Training Business: A Cheat Sheet

1. Build your infrastructure

Sounds boring, but you need the legal side of your business done. No, not your logo or your branding, we are talking about your client agreements, your risk waivers, cancellation policy and your price list. You will also need to consider where you will house all of this paperwork for each client (legally they need to be held for 10 years); you can do old school folder/filing or make yourself digital with folders for each client on a iPad/computer with their details.

2. Set up your schedule

Also sounds boring, but this is the best part. This is the bit you have been wanting to do. Maybe it’s the reason you decided to be a personal trainer in the first place. Working for yourself and choosing your own hours! So go ahead, set up an ideal weekly schedule for yourself that includes client sessions, time for back end business work, your own training sessions and anything else you need to dedicate scheduled time to.

You do this part right and you’ll be able to manage and grow your business with much more ease compared to those who don’t.

THOSE WHO FAIL TO PLAN, PLAN TO FAIL.

3. Set yourself up for success, not failure

Mistakes personal trainers make when first starting out? Giving free/ discounted sessions to friends and family. You’ve just started out in a fixed gym environment, this means you have rent to pay – using your time on friends and family is fun, but it doesn’t allow for business growth.

Now there is definitely a good time to provide complimentary sessions, but these should be given to potential clients that you meet on the gym floor and book in an initial consultation with. These are warm leads, people who are actually searching for a quality trainer to provide solutions to their health and fitness problems. Exposure can be good at the beginning with friends and family, just be careful not to get too comfortable or ‘stuck’ with free loaders…