How to Launch a Fitness Business
One of the biggest motivations for fitness coaches and trainers in branching out on their own or starting their own business is having a loyal set of clients they know will follow them. Oftentimes right off the bat, new business owners will run into the obstacles of not attracting their ideal clients, not knowing who those people are and not finding the right place to attract clients. This can be even trickier when you do not have a proper business plan or the tools and software to help you organize and structure. Without a combination of the three, you may think you’re headed for failure, but there is still time to turn things around.
1. Write a Business Plan
Although this seems like one of the most common and important steps in starting a business, many are quick to overlook writing a solid business plan thinking it will all come together once you get started. While this may work for some, it’s better to be safe and create a plan that includes your goals, plan of action and what you would like your clients to gain from you. Perhaps you are a personal trainer and want to cater to clients looking to lose weight. Perhaps you are a yoga teacher who would like to help your clients connect with themselves spiritually. Whatever your motivations are for starting your business, be clear, concise and deliberate about the actions you intend to take to achieve your goals, generate an income and provide your clients with a valuable experience.
Make sure your plan isn’t rushed, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are hundreds of business coaches and mentors in the fitness industry that can help new business owners like yourself start out on the right foot. Take advantage of your resources and understand exactly what you and your clients should gain from your business.
2. Design a Marketing Plan
Next, design a marketing plan that accurately details how you will advertise your fitness services and offerings. Your marketing plan is the key to finding your ideal clients and building your client list — and it will also be what makes it grow. There is a common misconception in the fitness industry that, in order to have a successful business and beat out your competitors, you need to have thousands of followers on your social media profiles and post all day every day. While you can choose to make this a goal of yours, you actually do not need to dedicate 100% of your time to social media marketing. However, you should dedicate some of your time to a combination of marketing tactics proven to help your business grow. Which will include social media posting, email updates to your existing and new clients, and content on your website and social media that is shareable and authentic to you and your brand.
3. Invest in Solid Fitness Management Software
Not only will investing in fitness management software help you streamline your administration and give your new clients a place to book, but it can also help you achieve your business goals, generate revenue and market your business. Choosing the right management software right from the get-go will eliminate the hassle of figuring out how to connect with your clients and manage their payments. Your software can do it all for you.
From the moment a person signs up to be a member or client of your gym, studio or personal training business, some softwares can instantly add their information into your dedicated customer profile section, update you to your mobile device or laptop and give you the details you need to know about them before class even begins.
Once you have your software set up, your plans of action set and your marketing strategy ready to help you bring in new clients, you’re ready to be a business owner! Remember, no one expects you to know everything in the beginning or even after years of running a gym or studio. Keeping your clients engaged, motivated and supported will go miles in ensuring your business succeeds for a very long time.
Born and raised in Southern California, Jessica currently lives in Sevilla, Spain, where she works on the marketing team at TeamUp, gym management software, creating and curating content and assisting fitness businesses with their marketing needs. Jessica loves connecting brands and individuals with solutions to help them achieve their fitness and business goals.
