Think about when you decided to become a Personal Trainer or a Group Exercise Instructor?
What did you do?
My guess is that first you did some research to find out what was required.
You then found out that you had to become certified. So you then researched the different certifications available.
After comparing and contrasting, asking around, finding the best ones for you, you signed up!
You then took a class, studied, practiced, and then took an exam!
So, now that you are certified, you begin your amazing career. You either work at a club, or another type of facility—or maybe you decide to start your own business. If you’re like most, you then realize that there was nothing in your fitness training certification that prepared you to be a successful business person. You struggle, you feel discouraged, you wonder if this was the right career path for you.
Please don’t get discouraged! You are not alone. So many of us struggle with trying to figure out how to make money doing what we love!
My suggestion: Take the same approach as you took when you wanted to become a fitness professional.
1. Research: Talk to successful entrepreneurs. See what has made them successful. Learn from them. Ask them to become your mentor.
2. Educate: Educate yourself on what it means to be an entrepreneur. Take a class on business management, finance, sales, and marketing.
3. Research some more! Once you have some guidance and education, research the business opportunities, define your business goals, and develop a strategic plan.
4. Commit: Commit, commit, commit! Your time, your energy, your resources! It takes blood, sweat, and tears!
You have what it takes! You have the passion!
If you are already a success business person and entrepreneur, please share your ideas and tips with us! We’d love to hear from you!
To find out about the W.I.T.S. Fitness Business Institute (FBI) and online courses in sales, marketing, business, and management, visit http://www.witseducation.com/business-institute/
The fitness industry is a business. OK, I said it out loud. Even as a trainer you are running a business inside another person’s or groups business, Now read it again and understand that no matter what certification you have obtained or what club you own that there are lots of moving parts. Those parts all engage business principles. Do you have a business degree? Do you have some business courses in your back ground? If so do they include specific business principles in marketing, sales, budgeting, staff development, leaderships skills and more? The fitness industry is a business. Treat it as such and you will be enjoy your career. To ignore it and expect growth without a business plan is extremely precarious.
There is an unofficial statistic that 8 out of 10 trainers hired today are not working at that same job a year later. Some of this is the personal trainer certification educational standards for sure. How can you take a written only exam and be competent and prepared to interact right out of the gate to lead a client in all areas?? Please see http://www.yourfitnessindustry.org for this discussion. The successful trainers use their initial certification as a launching point to tackle all kinds of new education. The super successful trainers and business owners constantly challenge themselves and their staffs with a heavy load of business concepts. Activity workshops are only one part of the equation to succeed. Do you want to be the next success story? When was the last business course that you took? When was the last time you took that business course that was outside of the minimum “renewal” requirements? Check out our UNLIMITED use of online courses for only $99 a month for 12 months. Make the business decision that turns your passion into a solid business plan.