Personal Trainer Small Business Idea
Do you love to exercise? Are you a physical education major or have experience in college athletics? Do you have a knack for communicating and working with people? Do you want to use your talents and skills to help others reach their own physical potential? Then starting a small business as a personal trainer might be the perfect after school job for you.
Pros:
You set your own schedule, and your own fees. You can work this job into and around the busiest college schedule and change the hours you work every semester if needed.
Work out while you make a lucrative income. What job is better for a gym junkie than working out and getting paid to do it! One of the best ways to get people motivated to get in shape is to work out with them. Now you can do what you love and get paid for it.
Personal Trainers get paid between $20-150/hour. If you work for yourself you can set your own rate based on your clientele and the going rates in your area. Some personal trainers have relationships with local gyms or fitness center and pay a percentage of their income to the business that hosts them.
Cons:
If you are not already in shape this is definably not the business for you. On the other hand, if you have personally struggled with your weight or fitness level in the past and are now in excellent condition you can use your own experiences as a testimonial that your methods are effective.
It can be time consuming to build a clientele. Often personal trainers offer free first sessions as a way to entice customers to try out their services. While this is a great way to attract potential paying clients it also means you will spend many hours working for free. You will need to find your own ways to build and keep your clientele.
If you need a full time income this may not be the small business for you. Most personal trainers work between 10-25 hours a week. Make sure you have set your rates at a level that will allow you the income you need while being realistic about the amount of work you will have. Now there are always exceptions and if you provide an excellent service you may have many more clients than hours available in the day.
What do you need to get started?
Get certified: there are several nationally recognized personal trainer certification programs. Some require classes, while others just require passing a multiple choice exam. Investigate the different options for certification and acquire the knowledge you will need to pass the exam.
Get CPR and basic First Aid certification. Your local Red Cross will offer classes as well as other organizations
Find a place to work out. This could be a local gym or fitness center or just a spot in your basement. Some personal trainers work entirely outside during good weather.
Find your clientele: place adds in local papers, hang flyers at the gym or around a college campus.
Helping other people reach their health and fitness goals can be one of the most rewarding and challenging small business ideas out there. For the right person being a personal trainer will involve changing both your client’s lives along with your own.
