If you love to exercise and keep your body in shape, then perhaps a career in personal training is right for you. A personal trainer helps others achieve their fitness goals for a better body and lifestyle. It's a rewarding career, and by starting your own personal fitness trainer business, you're in control of your hours, marketing and your capital. Start with the proper certification and then develop your business plan to create success.
Step 1
Receive both your first aid and your CPR certifications. Most personal trainer certification programs consider these certifications a prerequisite, and they make for an ideal beginning to your courses. You can find courses through your local Red Cross and even local hospitals, and it's a fairly quick and easy certification process with a few classes and final applied testing.
Step 2
Register for and complete a personal training certification program through one of the nationally recognized certification associations, which include the American Council on Exercise, the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the National Federation of Personal Trainers and others. Ensure that the certification association is accredited with the National Commission for Certifying Agencies before you pay fees and begin your coursework. You'll end your course with an exam, which if passed will allow you to apply for certification.
Step 3
Create a business plan based on how you'd like to run your personal training business, suggests the book "How To Start Your Personal Training Business." Write up plans for marketing, overhead, location and the various services you'd like to offer. You may need further certification if you plan to run group classes or trendy types of fitness classes. This is also a good time to choose a niche, if you wish, whether it be training postpartum moms or working with athletes.
Step 4
Develop your programs and policies. This is a good time to decide if you'll train in house, at gyms or in your own training facility. Create a price list depending on services and ensure that it's competitive by calling other personal trainers and asking what they charge for various services, like training per hour, group training and classes. Type up your policies and pricing and create a contract for new clients to sign so your policies are clear.
Step 5
Purchase any equipment that you'll need to train. "Entrepreneur" magazine suggests starting with fat calipers and a scale. Depending on the services you offer, you may need to purchase basic fitness equipment, otherwise leaving the acquisition of equipment to your clients.
Step 6
Market yourself as a personal trainer. BodyBuilding.com recommends attempting to meet new clients on the gym floor, but you should ask the gym before soliciting your services. Ask local health clubs if you can put advertisements on their bulletin boards. Look for other places where people concerned about fitness may frequent, like smoothie bars or organic grocery stores. Place advertisements where you can and maintain a simple website where prospective clients can find your contact information, price list, and services offered.
References
- National Federation of Professional Trainers: National Commission for Certifying Agencies
- "How To Start Your Personal Training Business: Step by Step Business Plan and Forms. Get a Fitness and Personal Training Certification and Become a Certified Personal Trainer": Joe Dynasty; 2010
- "Entrepreneur": Personal Trainer
- BodyBuilding.com: Six Simple Rules to Making a Living as a Personal Trainer
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