Discover how to build a profitable personal training business

Building a business is hard work but having the right plan can make things a lot easier.  It’s more then just earning your personal training certification and then saying you are open for business. But unfortunately many trainers do just that. While some see initial success it’s difficult to grow a business and start making some really money without a plan. Money isn’t the only objective but it’s what pays the bills and secures your future so it’s an important aspect of any business. After all, who wants to run a business that isn’t profitable?

There are five elements to building a profitable personal training business. Cover all five and you will set yourself on the right course.

1)      Define the essence of your business

2)      Create the culture

3)      Formulate the plan

4)      Offer extraordinary service

5)      Get the word out through marketing

Define the essence of your business

What is the essence of your business? To understand what I mean about the essence, think about what it is that only you can provide. What sets you apart from all the other trainers? You are starting with the most difficult question. It may take some time to think about how you are different. This is a perfect brainstorming activity. Take out a sheet of paper and for fifteen minutes write without editing. List all the things that you believe make you different from everyone else. Tying being a little outrageous if you find you are getting stuck. We all have quirky qualities about our personalities. Write some of those things down. They may not appear in your marketing but you will at least understand how you are a bit different from others.

For more information on how to differentiate yourself read the article I wrote entitled Differentiate or Die!

Create the culture

One of the strongest cultures we can create is a sense of community. For those of you that remember the television program Cheers, you know exactly what I mean. When Norm walks into the bar everyone calls out his name. There’s a sense of family and a place where people want to go and hang out. This is an example of creating culture.

The culture at Twist Conditioning located in North Vancouver is all about working hard and giving your top performance. Everyone who comes to workout in that environment gives 110% of themselves. The studio is plastered with inspirational words to encourage, inspire and motivate.

At Equal Balance Fitness in North  Vancouver,  the spirit of this business centers around family. Run by owners Cathy and Kelly, they have created a friendly atmosphere in their boot camp programs. I dropped into to one of their classes and it was obvious that everyone felt very comfortable in the group and as newbie I was welcomed with open arms.

Creating a culture is creating the spirit of your business. Think about your business and what type of feel or culture you wish to build. How would you like people to talk about your business? Answer this question and you are on your way to creating your culture.

Formulate the Plan

I could write volumes on the subject of planning. If you are interested in finding out more on how to plan for the future of your business then join me for a free seminar on November 12^th (click here for more information).

What is the plan for your business over the next twelve months? Are you looking to increase your revenues, develop a marketing campaign, attract more clients and the list goes on. Once you know what your objectives are you need to put a plan into action on how you intend to achieve those objectives. This is where most trainers become confused. They have all these goals but don’t know how to go about achieving them. It’s hard sometimes when you get caught up in the day to day grind of training to find the time to build the business. Some of you would rather train then think about the business side. Perhaps that’s because you’re uncomfortable with your skills in the area of business, whatever the reason you won’t get anywhere without a plan and then executing it.

If you are really stuck then get some help. This last year I’ve assisted many personal training and other fitness related businesses get on track. As a business coach, I help you set the direction for your business, create the plan and then ensure you are taking action towards achieving your goals.

Here are five steps to planning and some examples.

1. State what you want – $300,000 in 36 months
2. Indentify what steps and actions you need to take to get there – offer programs, classes, private training, establish partnerships.
3. Work on activities that yield the most value and cut out the rest – cancel classes, change instructors
4. Take action – it’s action that gets things moving not a perfect plan.
5. Re-evaluate – every month, three month or quarter see how you are doing

Offer Extraordinary Service

This above all can make or break a business. You now what I mean because you are a customer too. How often do you receive extraordinary service where you are so wowed that you have to tell everyone about your experience? I bet not often.

I am a real stickler for creating exceptional customer service and it’s really easy to do. I created a course on how to put the Sparkle, Pop, Kapow into serving customers. It’s all about creating magical moments and experiences for people. Here is a small excerpt from that course;

Seven steps to successful service.

1. Keep commitments
2. Stay sharp
3. Respond right away
4. Be positive
5. Recover quickly
6. Take pride on what you do
7. Display professionalism

Write these seven steps down somewhere where you will see them everyday and use them as part of your customer service code of ethics.

Get the word out through marketing

How many of you have spent money on advertising and saw very little return? Or hung flyers around your neighbourhood and nada? Sound familiar, well it is. Unless you have oodles of cash to throw around in print advertising and the ability to launch a marketing assault and sustain it, most small businesses can’t go this route when it comes to marketing. They have to take a more subtle approach which means covering a lot of bases and doing the little things everyday that will make the biggest difference down the road.

I spend about ninety percent of my time coaching clients on how to market their business. Marketing is all about creating a message to the right audience, being consistent in your efforts and knowing the right things to do. You can start the process by reading the article I posted on the 12 pillars of marketing. I’ve expanded the article into a mini course which covers the twelve strategies in detail with activities for you to work through.

As you can see there’s a lot to making a business profitable and sustainable over the long haul. The five elements are just to get you started. Print off a copy of this article and read it often. Read the other articles mentioned and start to learn what you need to do to build a profitable business. Invest in some of the courses I’ve mentioned and perhaps a few business coaching sessions so that you do things right.