Maybe you have a passion for fitness and have been training friends and have been curious about starting your own business. But you don’t know where to begin on turning this passion into a career.
Personal trainers and instructors are an in-demand profession, and over the next decade, jobs in the fitness industry will grow by 19%. It’s a great time to start a personal trainer business. We’ll walk you through the first steps of how to start a personal training business.
Jump ahead:
If you’re into fitness, you may know that trainers and instructors come in a wide variety. That’s because your potential clients have different goals and interests. Here are some areas of personal training that you can specialize in:
You will get to know your ideal customer as you refine your personal training business and can deliver what they want and need. It may be a combination of fitness elements listed above or something else altogether. The beauty of starting your own business is that you steer the ship.
With any business, going out on your own has some inherent risks. But there are many advantages to the risks of starting your own business.
Personal training businesses are a great side hustle until you can leap into full-time self-employment.
Before establishing your personal training business, you need to consider your experience. Is fitness a hobby or a career for you? Consider building experience and learning more before making the big leap if it’s a hobby.
Certifications in your field establish trust and position you as an expert with your clients. Additionally, gyms and other fitness facilities can hire you as an independent contractor. Many facilities you will use as a trainer require personal certificates.
According to Eddie Lester, owner of Fitness Mentors, “A certification starts your journey by teaching you how to safely and effectively help clients achieve their health and fitness goals.”
It can be time-consuming to obtain these certifications, but they are an excellent way for you to hone your craft. We’ve broken down the standard certifications that are available for personal trainers:
Most gyms and fitness facilities also require CPR and AED certifications.
It’s a good idea to legitimatize your personal training business by registering it with your state authority and choosing a business structure. You can generally choose from a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC) or corporation.
Even if you’re the sole operator, establishing your business as an LLC may be worth the extra step. This separates your personal assets from your professional ones, and it comes in handy if you get sued.
Consider consulting with a legal professional specializing in small businesses to determine what works best for your situation and who can help set up your business correctly.
Besides finding enough clients, your other worry is likely about protecting yourself and your business from risk. You can minimize your risk with the right business insurance.
Many solopreneurs and small business owners start with general liability insurance. A general liability policy can protect you if bodily injury or damage to someone else or their property occurs.
You may want to consider professional liability insurance. Professional liability insurance helps you defend yourself if your clients claim that you did not do your job properly. For example, if a client says they have an injury as a result of your injury.
TIP: NEXT’s personal trainer insurance can cost as little as $10.67 per month, depending on your circumstances and needs. It’s great peace of mind, and you won’t have to pay entirely out of pocket to defend your business or solve the problem. Learn more.
Fitness professionals are responsible for the safety of their clients while doing activities that cause injury. So there is a good chance that you will file a claim. Personal trainers often file a claim when there are falls, injuries from faulty equipment, theft or sexual harassment.
Read more: 5 common fitness business insurance claims and how to avoid them
Many personal trainers assume the gym covers them with their insurance coverage. Often, these facilities don’t cover contract workers and even require trainers to carry their own coverage.
Read more: Is personal trainer liability insurance necessary?
You don’t have to write a formal business plan to start a business, but it’s still worth thinking through some things, so your business has direction and goals.
First, define your ideal personal training client. A lot goes into this: location, demand, economic conditions, the market and demographics. You should also think about what type of client you would work best with and what you enjoy doing. For example, if your community has a high elderly population, then muscle building may not be as in-demand with your local population.
Then, think about how this customer wants their training delivered: one-to-one, group, hybrid, or online. This will also help you nail down details about the logistics of where your sessions will occur.
Read more: How to become an online fitness trainer
It’s also a good time to establish pricing. You can research what other personal trainers pay in the area. But you also need to define your payment policy. Some examples include pay-per-session, monthly payment, packages and dynamic (i.e., charging more in the morning because it’s a more in-demand time).
As you start to define these parts of your business, it’s natural to establish business infrastructure. You can set up a method for payment and establish a separate business bank account.
You can legally protect yourself and your personal training business in a few ways when you get clients to sign contracts and other legal forms. You can find most legal form templates online, and you can also consult a small business lawyer.
The most common forms you need to get started are:
You can tailor legal forms to fit your business needs and preferences — payment policies, cancellation fees, referral bonuses, etc.
Read more: Personal trainer legal forms – Paperwork to keep Your business in shape
Getting enough clients is a big worry for new business owners, but understanding your ideal customer and showing up where they will hear your message is key. Establish a simple website with a Google Business listing, and pick a social media channel your customers prefer.
You can also offer free trial classes in exchange for online reviews and testimonials. This builds your credibility in the community.
We created a guide on marketing your personal trainer business.
Read more: Personal trainer marketing ideas – How to get more clients and push your fitness business further
As a trainer, you can do your job anywhere. You have your pick on locations — client’s homes, your home, a gym or even a local park.
But they all have their pros and cons. If you decide to go to your client’s house, you will need to bring all of your materials with you, and your car will need to be able to carry everything you need. You will also need to account for travel times, and your business plan needs to include private training.
If you don’t yet have all the necessary equipment to follow a curriculum like NASM completely, then a gym may be your best bet. Be sure to look at your rental agreement.
Ask about any support or rules the gym has for trainers. Do they let you solicit new members? You also want to consider how the gym is managed — you don’t want your clients to have a bad experience due to the gym.
You may use a public space like a park. Your clients come to you, and it can be easier to facilitate small groups. But be sure you have the proper permits before starting. Many public parks have rules and require permits. Check with your local government.
Starting a business is a grind, and often you need to remind yourself to look up so you can make big moves toward your goals. This may mean investing in better equipment, hiring a second trainer as you expand, or saving for your dedicated training space.
Always factor in expenses — both expected and unexpected. One expense you can be sure of is taxes. But with planning, you can better utilize tax deductions to lower the amount you owe each year.
Read more: Personal trainer tax deductions from A to Z
NEXT Insurance provides business insurance for fitness professionals. We help personal trainers get insured so they can focus on starting and running their businesses.
Get an instant quote online, review your options, purchase coverage, and get your certificate of coverage. Our process is hassle-free and takes about 10 minutes.
Jessica spent over a decade working in education before moving into content marketing. She has worked on content marketing campaigns in the edtech, real estate, and personal finance sectors. She has a passion for working with companies that take the time to educate their customers. When she’s not working, she’s probably outside with her two kids.
