I'm at a crossroads

[DaveJF]

Took a read and clarified that even though members of the gym get preference to equipment over my clients, my clients have to be members of the gym or incur a casual gym fee every time they train on top of my fees so better to be a member.

The gym mgmt probably got some complaints and threats to cancel from long-time members used to doing their own thing.

It was the opposite at a globo-gym I use. Right before the last set, I got a 10 minute warning from the coach for a class soon after they installed the nice new platforms (10 of them). This was so they could do their version of Crossfit it looked like. I didn't stick around to see if they used all of the platforms. They apparently bought the platforms to do this b/c they could charge extra for the classes. It's their gym, so be it, and I can't say I blame them in my case, although it did cause me to re-evaluate membership. Reason I go there is b/c of the decent and usually available platforms.

Fast forward about a year; since I was running late again and saw a coach appear I thought I'd get asked to move along again, but it didn't happen. Could have been b/c of low class size (3 this time), could have been b/c of complaints from other members. Probably the former, but maybe the latter had something to do with not booting everyone else out of that area.

These platforms are used a lot by the rank-and-file members, but I don't think the classes are all that popular any longer. The platforms do justify a bit more of my membership fee though, as long as I get to use them.

I'd be curious to find out their reasons for why first-come-first-serve doesn't apply to all members regardless of if they are using a coach, employed or contract.

[Jason Donaldson]

We know the machines are (largely) useless, but they don't. And by "they", I mean that multi-million dollar facility's target market.

I suppose that, if you were to charge half the low-end PT rate, then you're looking at $300/client/month, so three clients gets you in the black over that rent, not counting your own insurance. The question then becomes how many clients you think you could get, especially with the bulk of them likely coming from gym members.

If you go with using this facility as a stopgap, e.g. to gain experience and make some money while mitigating some risk, then you should keep in the back of your mind that you will always inherently be a subversive there, a sort of strength insurgent narrowcasting the truth in a sea of soothing lies. Could be fun, could be torturous - it all depends on how you're wired. You're a grown man, of course, so this is your calculus to undertake, my friend.

I'm (morbidly) curious...did the owner use the word, "synergy" in a sentence, or was that the closing he used before his signature?

[HailMary]

It’s a tough business. People notice I train, make a comment here & there, but few ask questions. Narrowcasting.

I train consistently because I can fit it into my schedule and I have a home gym (plus online coach).

If I had to go somewhere to train other than my garage, it would not happen.

[Martin Shenfield]

I'm (morbidly) curious...did the owner use the word, "synergy" in a sentence, or was that the closing he used before his signature?

He used the word 'synergy' as it's own sentence as the very last line in the body of the email. Right after the part about it being a multimillion dollar place so that's why the rent for PT's is low. Ironically, the other gyms are cheaper rent but full at the moment.

If I knew they were handing me clients on the regular it wouldn't be that big a deal, but I'm quite sure they are not going to do anything for me.

I'm going into the small business centre next week to see if they will assess my business idea or this option and see what they think.

My wife says I should just go for it, and the management of the globo gym would drive me crazy.

[Jenni]

Gday Rip,

I am at a crossroads in life and I would greatly appreciate your advice.

Without boring you with the details, I have found myself between employment but was recently presented an opportunity to be a personal trainer at a local commercial gym.

Long story short, I have the qualification already from years ago so I can get the gig when I get insurance sorted etc etc.

My problem is it's the standard subcontractor, I pay the gym rent and hope I get enough clients. They currently have no Trainer so I should be okay in this regard. I would need 6 clients a week to clear rent. Plus, even though they bought new equipment it still sucks.

On the other hand, I could open my own fitness studio in a modest place. There is a gap in the market for a 1-1, small group place since the only other guy doing it retired last year. It looks like if I charged $100 a week for 3 sessions I would still need 6 clients for 11 months of the year to pay rent. I have a rack and a good bar plus weights already. I've got funds to probably get through the first year with absolutely no clients and the current Australian tax system would allow me to write off many of the assets I need to obtain.

Either way I need to be a business, get clients, take all the risk. The benefits to the commercial gym are people are already there. The benefits to my own are I can run the program more effectively and do the Coach course more easily. Plus, if the Australian government does some crazy vaccination thing again in the future, having my own place may be slightly safer.

You've an important decision to make. How do you envision your day? Do you want to spend it training people or do you only want to spend some of it training people? Do you want to plant roots? Being a trainer is somewhat freelance. You aren't a business owner, you're a trainer. You concern yourself with trainer things and possibly some marketing and light accounting (that's easily done on commercial software.) To own your own gym is to be a business owner. Especially when you first get going you're it. You're the marketing, accounting, maintenance, janitorial, etc. Liability, overhead, insurance, and bears, oh my.
Ok I got carried away, you probably won't have bears.
My point is that it's two totally different things. One's a sportscar and one's a Mac truck. Misjudging the matter is much easier at the pay rent to the gym level than it is owning your own. However, starting a business has a way of putting pressure on that makes one focus real hard on not fucking up.

I enjoyed owning my own business. But it's a hell of a learning curve. And I wouldn't have done it young. I'd have stayed freelance and mobile when young. A business is roots. Location, connections, relationships with the local community. As I age, I like the idea of going back freelance. I used to be able to put everything I owned in my truck. I liked it like that. With kids, life expanded. We needed roots, so I made roots. But I like mobility at heart. You have to think about that side of it too. Who are you, character-wise. What will suit your nature. Where are you in life.

[Subby]

Alternate suggestion that may or may not be viable depending on your town.

Find an independent gym that's run by just a guy. Enquire about what the casual price would be to bring your own client in. Find a client first and don't sign a rental agreement unless you have at least 1 client. I did something similar and taking a client in and just being charged a casual entry fee each time. I'm a Physio not another trainer though so you might have a different experience. Although the place I'm at now has other 3rd party trainers coming in regularly.

[s.oliver]

Gday Rip,

I am at a crossroads in life and I would greatly appreciate your advice.

Without boring you with the details, I have found myself between employment but was recently presented an opportunity to be a personal trainer at a local commercial gym.

Long story short, I have the qualification already from years ago so I can get the gig when I get insurance sorted etc etc.

My problem is it's the standard subcontractor, I pay the gym rent and hope I get enough clients. They currently have no Trainer so I should be okay in this regard. I would need 6 clients a week to clear rent. Plus, even though they bought new equipment it still sucks.

On the other hand, I could open my own fitness studio in a modest place. There is a gap in the market for a 1-1, small group place since the only other guy doing it retired last year. It looks like if I charged $100 a week for 3 sessions I would still need 6 clients for 11 months of the year to pay rent. I have a rack and a good bar plus weights already. I've got funds to probably get through the first year with absolutely no clients and the current Australian tax system would allow me to write off many of the assets I need to obtain.

Either way I need to be a business, get clients, take all the risk. The benefits to the commercial gym are people are already there. The benefits to my own are I can run the program more effectively and do the Coach course more easily. Plus, if the Australian government does some crazy vaccination thing again in the future, having my own place may be slightly safer.

I imagine I would need a side job regardless of which I do. At least at the beginning.

I am confident I can coach normal people, I'm still training my mum who is the hardest case I will ever take. The train friends for free model has not worked for me so far and opening the business in my garage is unprofessional.

I do have access to support for building a business from some different avenues to help me with marketing and things of the like.

I'm doing Byron's training camp next month, if I get some clients I would do the Coach Development Course, and get enough experience to do the Seminar and become the greatest SSC in Australia. Which I am confident I can do in the next couple of years.

I'm old enough to need to not rush in, but young enough to make it work. I know this is my own situation and I have to make the decision, but you have not steered me wrong yet so any advice you have would be well regarded as always.

A few things from my experience working in the fitness industry for twelve years and having owned my own gym for nearly three years:
You cannot make a wrong decision in the first place (unless you have some strange intention to do so) - because whether something was the right or wrong decision, you only know in hindsight. Having said that, there is never and always the 'perfect' moment to start something. No one is ever 'fully ready' to open a business. Making a plan and having a strategy are important - but if something is not put into practice, it doesn't exist.

I had a mixed bag of experiences working in commercial gyms. The pros are, you have consistent access to clients and thus the opportunity to build up your skills and client base. The cons are, commercial gyms tend not to always have the most supportive management team. Dealing with too much BS in this regard was one of the reasons I wanted to open my own gym.

What I like about being my own boss is that I am responsible for everything that happens with and to my gym - both in terms of success, but particularly in terms of failure. If things don't go the right way, I am in charge and control to change it. There is no blaming anyone or anything else, but it is solely my responsibility to improve the situation.


Hope this helps.

[Jason Donaldson]

Ok I got carried away, you probably won't have bears.

But he's in Australia, so it'll be big spiders, box jellyfish, and other weird things. Tyrannical bureaucrats, even!

[Martin Shenfield]

But he's in Australia, so it'll be big spiders, box jellyfish, and other weird things. Tyrannical bureaucrats, even!

You forgot Tiger snakes (had one in my backyard the other day) and sharks.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I really appreciate it and still digesting a lot of it. I'll get a decision made soon and go for it, whatever I choose.

[Jason Donaldson]

You forgot Tiger snakes (had one in my backyard the other day) and sharks.

Sharks are pretty straightforward, I suppose, but looking up tiger snakes, I would definitely categorize them under "other weird things".

From Wikipedia:

Tiger snake venoms possess potent neurotoxins, coagulants, haemolysins, and myotoxins....the mortality rate from untreated bites is reported to be between 40% and 60%.

While tiger snakes are usually ground-dwelling, they are able to swim as well as climb into trees and buildings.

Yikes... And you're not allowed to equip yourself with ratshot against them, either, are you?

(See my earlier inclusion of tyrannical bureaucrats...)