Home Advantage
As a fitness entrepreneur, zeroing in on the in-home training market can be lucrative and rewarding. Many clients prefer the convenience and accountability offered by in-home training. Not having to commute to the gym can be a big time saver for busy clients. Clients who are uncomfortable exercising in public often prefer to train in the privacy of their own homes. As an in-home trainer, you typically make more money than you would at a gym or training studio, even when you factor in commute time. However, put safety first and be wary of potential clients who are trying to lure you into their homes for purposes other than exercise, and make sure you carry enough insurance to protect yourself from lawsuits.
House Rules
Before taking on in-home clients, be sure to do your homework. Check your local zoning laws to see if there are any statutes prohibiting in-home training services. Schedule to allow plenty of commute time between sessions. Consider liability issues, and find out if your prospective client’s insurance covers incidents occurring in the home. Purchase your own liability policy to protect yourself from potential lawsuits. Before entering a stranger’s home, consider your own safety. Predators often post ads for in-home services. To protect yourself, work from referrals, and carefully screen potential clients.
Gather Your Gear
Training in a client’s home often requires creative programming. While some clients have well-equipped home gyms, most do not. Lugging heavy weights in and out of a client’s home is an option, but not an ideal scenario. Elastic resistance, medicine balls and BOSU trainers are light weight and easy to transport in your vehicle. Consider gifting your new client with an inexpensive stability ball to keep in their home. Many clients are willing to invest in their own dumbbells and kettle bells, which don’t require much storage space. Scope out your client’s home and make use of stairs, decks, pools and play structures. Pay close attention to safety hazards when exercising in confined spaces.
Home Work
While most of your work will be performed in your clients’ homes, you will still need to keep up with record-keeping, budgeting, research and other business-related activities. As an independent contractor, maintaining a home office gives you an important tax deduction. Set aside an area where you do only business-related activities. Keep it organized and clutter-free. You can often deduct computers, printers, office supplies and other business-related items from your taxes. You can even claim your car as a business expense. However, some states charge yearly property taxes on high-ticket business deductions. Unless you are making a substantial amount of money, you may be better off taking a standard, non-itemized business deduction.
Resources
Do you know how to price your sessions, market your services, and plan your business? Being in business for yourself can be challenging and at times scary. Educating yourself about the business end of fitness is crucial if you are to succeed. W.I.T.S. understands that your love of fitness needs to be matched with some business savvy. We offer numerous courses and certifications that will equip you with business fundamentals, all of them geared specifically to the fitness industry. Get started today with certifications in Fitness Management, Personal Trainer Certification, or with our many Business and Marketing continuing education courses, all at your fingertips.
References and Credits
ACE Fitness: Tips for Successfully Training Clients in Your Home
http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/fitness-programs-article/2491/ACEFit-workout-advice-and-exercise-tips/
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