If you’re serious about your fitness journey, then you might want to consider taking things a couple of steps further. You could think about transforming it into a full-blown career. There are a lot of benefits to this possibility and we’re going to take a look at these a little further down. But you probably have a few questions:
- What will you need?
- How do you get started?
- Who is this going to suit?
Don’t worry we’re going to answer all of these and ensure that you are ready to get your fitness career off the ground the right way.
How Difficult Is This?
So, a big question surrounds the level of difficulty. First, you might have heard that a lot of businesses fail in their first year. While this is true, it’s important to realize that there are differences based on sector or industry. In terms of the fitness sector, the outlook is usually quite positive. This will largely depend on your level of training and your prices. Remember, for many people a PT is going to be a luxury, not a necessity. So, when things go bad, it’s often one of the first subscriptions to go, for better or worse.
The trick is to build up a loyal base of customers who are going to stand by you through thick and thin. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. In terms of difficulty, it’s usually about the cost and that probably isn’t as expensive as you might assume. You only need a few thousand to get things up and running here. That’s certainly true if you’re going to operate from an established gym. Remember, a lot of gyms will allow you to do this, but some will want to hire you as an employee. This isn’t quite as freeing and can lead to issues including a loss in profits. You can also think about offering online training but for that, you’re going to need an even greater following. There’s stiff competition too.
What Will You Need?
The first thing that you should consider is what software you’re going to need. Yes, just like any other business PT companies do now rely on technology. It’s crucial that you have tech which will allow you to do everything from track a client’s fitness journey to handle invoicing. You probably need separate resources for these tasks. There’s a lot of software on the market but you might just want to consider PT Distinction vs Trainerize, to begin with. They’re both popular in their own right but they also both have their strengths and weaknesses which are worth exploring.
We’ve already talked about cash to get up and running, but where are you going to spend this money? Well, believe it or not, a lot of it is going to be put towards your marketing campaign. You need to make sure that you are able to attract a solid target audience and you won’t be able to do this with pennies. You need to think about things like SEO. Are you going to have your own website? Often this is recommended because it also provides a way that people can easily sign up for your services. You might also want to focus on local SEO if you are reaching out to a local customer base. All this costs money, particularly if you want it done right and you definitely do.
Once you find the right marketing solution for your PT business, it’s time to think about what you’re offering clients. PTs are a dime a dozen these days. There are countless PTs on the market selling their services. The good news is that this means you’re onto a winner here. The bad news is that customers can easily choose another PT over your service and you don’t want that. That’s why you need to make sure that you have a unique selling point or hook. You have to be able to offer clients something that other PTs can’t. This usually requires you to reach and connect with them on a personal level. You have to think about who your target audience is, what they want and then position your business as the solution. Simple right?
Who Succeeds?
Not quite because not everyone succeeds when taking up the role of a PT. You need to make sure that you are in the right position to win here. This depends a lot on your personal image. This isn’t recommended if you’re at the start of your fitness journey. It’s great to say that you’re like your target audience. But that’s not what they want. Instead, they want someone who has already tackled the hurdles that they’re facing and can show them how to do it. So this is something you should think about once you reach your fitness goals. You need the toned tum, the sculpted legs, and the rock hard abs to be taken seriously by your target audience.
You also need to have a high level of passion for fitness. If you stumbled onto this energetic section of the web, you probably already have that, but most people don’t. Some are in it for the money, some think it’s an easy career choice. It’s worth noting here that becoming a PT and maintaining success is always going to be hard work. Only start down this career path if you’re sure that you have the right level of passion.
Engagement Is Key
Finally, you do need to think about engagement. It’s important that you are remaining connected to your target audience and your clients. They want to interact with you, they want a personalized service. If you offer a personalized solution, you will also typically be able to charge higher rates with low numbers of clients. You need to make sure that you are providing value through engagement too. Build fitness content, share it on social media and try working with a few key influencers. If you do this the right way, you can quickly build up and establish your name in the fitness world.
