Coach to Client Ratio, Memberships?

[Jordan Perkins]

Hi All!

My goal within the next year or so is to be able to transition out of my full-time job (accountant) to become a full-time SSC. At this point in time, I am beginning to run scenarios in my head about how many clients it would take to meet my current salary, given different client charges. Typically, once a SSC has been established, what kind of range of number of clients is there? My inference is stemming from the theory that some new SSC's beginning their journey as a part time coach, then transitioning to a full time coach as number of clients increase. Is 10 a good number, is 50 astronomical and not doable for one person, is 30 average? I don't know, there are so many possibilities!

In this same vein, at one point I would like to open up an affiliate SS gym. One that fully utilizes the SS model for all members/clients. I know this may bring a wide variety of answers (or remarks about my ignorance, hey, it's blissful at this point), but what are some different kinds of membership scenarios? For example, running the establishment as a psuedo-doctor's office, with set training times (say, 90 min increments) where the client shows up. Or, an open gym scenario where members come and go as they please, but get assigned a coach to help steer them in the right direction? I have only heard of those situations from existing SS affiliate gyms, but are there others? What are some of the major pitfalls about each type?

I know this may be considered a dense question, but any information, from anyone, would be helpful!

[Nick D'Agostino]

What is your current setup? Are you coaching groups or just 1 on 1s? How many clients are you coaching right now?

If you are not coaching semi-regularly yet, then you are focusing on the wrong thing. I wouldn't even start to think about this stuff until you are coaching at least 5-10 hours a week consistently and know that coaching fulltime is something that you want to do. If you are not coaching regularly yet, focus on the process of becoming the best coach you can be and teaching as many people as you can. An excellent place to start with that is here: Starting Strength Coach Prep Course – The Aasgaard Company

Depending on where you live and how much money you have saved up I would also look into the franchise option here: Starting Strength Gyms - Main Site

The broad scope answer to your question is it depends on too many factors to list out in a thread like this and will be highly individualized to the location, how much you are charging, what your costs are, how much money you want to make, etc.