Working with special populations can be a great way to build your business and establish yourself as an expert in your niche. With a well-planned strategy, you can take your career to a new level while making a difference in your community. But before you start targeting special pops clients, lay the groundwork with a few simple steps.
- Find Your Niche: Special populations is a catch-all term that covers a broad spectrum of sub-categories. Youth, older adults, post-rehab, pregnancy and others all fall under the huge umbrella of special pops. If you want to tap into this lucrative market, it is important to identify your niche, then learn everything you can about their special needs and limitations.
- Test the Waters: Working with special populations requires a lot of patience and empathy, and while rewarding, it can be trying at times. Before committing to special pops training, take time to observe another trainer, or do some complimentary “mini-sessions” to see if your chosen niche is a good fit.
- Get Certified: Once you are certain you have found your special pops niche, education is the next step. Find out what types of training and programs are out there that can boost your credentials as a specialist in your chosen population. Take advantage of this time to network with other professionals in your niche, and build professional relationships that can further your career.
- Devise Your Marketing Strategy: Now that you have your credentials, it is time to locate clients. Social media marketing and community outreach are strategies that may work. W.I.T.S. has a number of courses geared specifically to fitness marketing, so start there, and earn some CECs while you’re at it!
- Work Your Referrals: Fitness is essentially a referral business, especially when it comes to special populations. Your existing clients are often your best resource for growing your business. Ask for referrals, and reward your clients with free sessions or extra perks for spreading the word!
Resources
The important thing when thinking about taking on special population clients is to broaden your base of knowledge about their particular needs. WITS has you covered with dozens of certifications and courses to address the needs of special populations. Lay the foundation with a certification, like Lifestyle Fitness Coaching, Older Adult Fitness Specialist, Youth Fitness, or Certified Fitness Trainer. Follow up with continuing education courses like Exercise Programming for Special Populations, Pregnancy Fitness, Youth Fitness Foundations, and many more!