Going into business for myself

[VincePIC]

I run my own business. I've been at it 3 years this January. I'm not in the fitness industry at all, but I think two things you must consider whether you run things out of your basement or a commercial space are insurance and an accountant/bookkeeper.

Unless you are a wizard at accounting/bookkeeping you'll need the help. And while I'm not familiar with the insurance requirements for personal trainers my guess is if you are having people do something that could cause severe bodily injury or death while under your immediate and direct supervision (think about someone dropping a 45lb plate on their foot--or worse) you will want insurance.

Would be curious to hear what the professionals trainers think.

And if you are doing this in someone else's house, they'll likely need you to have insurance so they don't lose their house.

[John Hanley]

If you pass & get the SS cert, it can pay for itself in a week with zero advertising.

[Kyle Schuant]

Srini B, are you seriously going to haul around a barbell and plates and rack to a person's house 1-3 times a week? Seriously? Or will you get a van with the gym in the back?

You won't need to do your own workouts, hauling all that junk around will be enough.

Consider also that if training someone at their home, your service rate must cover all your travel time as well. You have to drive there, unpack the gear, train them, repack the gear, drive to next appointment, etc. It means you can only be training people (at best) half the time you could if they come to your fixed facility. Which means that to make the same money you need to charge them twice as much.

Yes, Vince, we have to get insurance. Mine's fairly cheap, it was like $150 for 12 months, covers me up to $10 million in liability. It specifically states what's not covered, in my case "military style training" (by which they mean carrying logs, regularly running until you throw up, and repping out to failure multiple times for hours, etc), abseiling and Australian Rules Football. I'm even covered if someone brings their laptop and drops a weight plate on it, but only for the cost of the laptop, not their loss of data, etc.

[Srini B]

Hi Kyle,

Thank you for your reply. Yes Sir... at this time, that's what I am doing already...for the past almost 6 months. However, I am always pushing for training people in groups (semi-private), rather than one-on-one (fully private), in which case, it becomes a bit more affordable for the clients and more financially viable for me. One-on-One will work only with "High Net-worth Individuals" (film actors/actresses, cricket players from the IPL etc)...looking for people like that who will sign up...not found one yet.

That's why I am targeting apartment complexes, offices, schools/colleges, Rotary Club, Lions Club etc. (Whether any of these facilities are with or without a gym, it doesn't matter...people still never workout...not regularly, if ever...but, everyone wants to workout...but, for whatever reason, they aren't able to do so...not without some push/goading...and, that's where I hope to step in). This (finding groups of people who will sign-up), in itself, is quite an effort. However, a lot of people are "impressed" with this "business model"...need to see how much I can get this, to translate into actual business and into cash.

I don't anticipate doing it this way for ever... Just until such time I can gain some clients, visibility, brand name etc... And then, I would like to think along the lines of hiring other trainers who will do the travelling and at that time then, providing required equipment to client/group, if the group would sign a contract with me (my fitness firm) for some time (similar to buying cell phones on contract)... But, this is another year away at-least. Depends on how fast I am able to sign-up clients, (perhaps, I will have built a good brand name & reputation, by then).

You are absolutely right...it is QUITE an effort to load and haul the equipment around...but, I have kind of gotten used to it. I have worked out my costs for doing such a trip, say 2 times a week, and, I think, I can make a (pretty) good profit, if there are 5-10 people in that location that sign up for that time slot, (for now, the costs are just for fuel and depreciation on the vehicle...my time/effort, I am willing to put in, as much as required). This is where I am working hard to identify/convince people... And, enforcing contracts, so people don't drop-out from group after a month or two, is another thing I am seriously working out, about how to implement, here (in India).

But, overall, this is where/how I think, I can be Unique in offering fitness training (specifically S&C) to people.

I do have clients from a couple of locations. Need to do more to identify/sign-up more clients...soon.

Given my present residential location (way out in the suburbs), given that rentals for gym space inside the city are VERY high and are getting more expensive and are perhaps the number one reason that gyms are becoming unprofitable here (metropolitan city in India), given that S&C (the right kind) is unheard of here...etc...I feel that my present business model will work better. Have to see, what actually happens in the next year or so...

Thank you very much once again for sharing your thoughts.

[Mike C]

Any gym owners have any advice on getting past city zoning laws? That seems to be a near impossible hurdle to get past - at least here in LA.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Move out of LA. Move out of California.

[Mike C]

Move out of LA. Move out of California.

Haha. But it's so damn nice here ALL THE TIME. Oh - and the women.

[Kyle Schuant]

A good and relevant article.

[George Christiansen]

Oh - and the women.

All the other states I've visited have them too...and often a less vain version.

[slowgain]

If I was shopping for a PT, the only two things I would absolutely require are a meaningful certification (i.e. hard to obtain, falls off if competence isn't maintained) and his/her belly must touch his/her t-shirt.

Reasons are probably obvious, but here's my explanation: I will listen to tips from the uncertified, but I will not pay. In my opinion, OP should not spend money on other things before getting certified.

And I think a concave abdomen is the most repulsive and freakish outcome of misdirected training that I've ever seen. It tells me there is weird psychology behind your own training that ascribes high value to things other than function. Your target demographic may see this differently, but I wouldn't want to work with those people.