{"id":12171,"date":"2024-04-20T20:33:51","date_gmt":"2024-04-20T19:33:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qualitycompanyformations.co.uk\/blog\/?p=12171"},"modified":"2024-04-23T14:07:04","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T13:07:04","slug":"how-to-start-personal-trainer-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qualitycompanyformations.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-start-personal-trainer-business\/","title":{"rendered":"How to start a personal trainer business"},"content":{"rendered":"
Assuming you\u2019ve obtained the health and fitness qualifications you need to be a professional personal trainer, it\u2019s time to take the next step and launch your very own business. The great news is that personal training can be an extremely rewarding venture – not just financially but personally, as you\u2019ll be motivating people to improve their physical and mental health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In this blog, we\u2019ll take you through all the key steps to officially becoming a personal trainer. Among other details, we\u2019ll explain how to price your services, why you should incorporate your business, and how to find your first clients.<\/span><\/p>\n There are countless health services that you can provide as a personal trainer. So, to start with, determine whether there is a particular area you wish to focus on. Perhaps you have a keen interest in a specific sport like running or yoga, or maybe you’re a jack-of-all-trades.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You might also want to provide additional services. For example, nutrition, advising customers how to eat right to achieve their individual health goals, or sports massage, assisting them with the cool-down session and proper physical recovery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For these extras, though, you\u2019re likely to need further qualifications, so be sure to double-check the minimum requirements for the type of personal training services you want to provide. Typically, you\u2019d start as a general personal trainer, assisting people with things like:<\/span><\/p>\n Another important factor to decide at this stage is which type of clientele you are going to serve. Will you specialise in fitness for young adults or older people? Maybe you specifically want to work with a certain gender group or professional athletes. Your target market will play a huge role in the promotion of your new personal trainer business, so get this key detail decided early.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s now time to get set up. Let\u2019s take a look at how much that might cost you as a newly qualified personal trainer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n First off, where are you going to run your personal trainer business from? If you prefer an authentic experience, you may need to rent a fitness studio.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sites like <\/span>Giggster<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Sharesy<\/span><\/a> can help you find rental studios based on your ideal location, capacity, and duration. You can even specify the space style and features you\u2019d like. For example, some are empty and some are stocked with fitness equipment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On these websites, studios in London range from as little as \u00a320 to over \u00a3400 per hour, so it\u2019s essential to determine what you need from a studio and shop around. Alternatively, if you have the space, you could cut costs and open a studio at home.<\/span><\/p>\n A more cost-effective (and popular) option is to be a mobile personal trainer. For a new entrepreneur in this industry, this might be more suitable. It saves you money and gives you the flexibility to meet clients in a variety of different spaces, like local parks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Alternatively, you could consider virtual personal training. In this modern age, you can communicate with customers and run live personal training sessions online. This is an excellent option, as it eliminates the cost of a physical business space, and gives customers (and you) the flexibility to train from anywhere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In addition, it saves you valuable time that you\u2019d otherwise spend travelling, and removes geographical restrictions, meaning you can expand your customer base far and wide beyond the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n Next is your training equipment. As a new personal trainer without any customers yet, you probably don\u2019t need to invest in every piece of gym equipment there is (that would be incredibly expensive), unless there is a specific area that you\u2019re going to specialise in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For example, if you want to focus on cardio training, you might need a treadmill or an exercise bike. Otherwise, stick to the basics for now. At the very least, you\u2019ll need:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Training equipment will be one of your biggest investments when starting a personal trainer business. Generally, you should prepare to spend a minimum of around \u00a32,000. Remember to opt for reliable gear, to ensure your customers\u2019 safety and to deliver a high-quality service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Now there are ways to cut some of these costs down. For instance, you could opt for second-hand equipment, which you can find on platforms like Facebook Marketplace or eBay, or ask that customers provide some equipment of their own. It would be unreasonable to expect clients to source their own weight bench, but they could provide their own resistance bands, for example.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a mobile PT and don\u2019t yet have a business vehicle, this is another significant cost to bear. You should opt for a sizeable car, as you\u2019ll need to take equipment with you on the road. Although, remember that certain car specs can hike your insurance and maintenance costs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s also essential to have a well-stocked first-aid kit in case of an injury, which will cost you no more than \u00a325. Find out what your kit should contain on the <\/span>NHS<\/span><\/a> website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When you start to take on clients, you\u2019ll need a way to manage bookings and payments. For efficiency and ease, we highly recommend automating these processes. Here are some software suggestions to help you get started:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n In addition, if you register your personal trainer business with us, you\u2019ll be able to redeem a variety of exclusive partner offers on a range of accounting, tax, and payment solutions (and more).<\/span><\/p>\n The next step to starting a personal trainer business is to decide how much you\u2019ll charge for your services, and the method in which you\u2019ll charge customers. Will it be a pay-as-you-go model or a subscription? Will you charge per hour or per session? You need to button down all these important details before you\u2019re ready to take on clients.<\/span><\/p>\n Your prices will largely depend on where you carry out your services. If you have to rent a training studio, if you\u2019re based in a metropolitan area (like London), or travel a fair distance to see a customer, then you\u2019ll need to boost your profit margins to outweigh those expenses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Naturally, prices will also depend on demand; the more of it, the more you can increase your prices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Your experience is another crucial part of your pricing structure. Yes, you\u2019re qualified, but your business is brand new. In the early stages, you may not be able to charge as much as you might want to. However, as you gain experience, it\u2019s perfectly acceptable to adjust your prices to match the level of personal training services you offer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Other influential factors are competition (how does your business compare to others? What do you offer that they don\u2019t, and vice versa? Are you operating in a congested location?) and your internal costs. These may differ between customers as everyone will have different fitness goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You could focus purely on body weight with one client and a variety of strength training with another. One may also need additional nutritional support, while another may not. You\u2019ll need to account for all these services and equipment, making sure that your earnings exceed your running costs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To help you decide on your prices, the <\/span>Fitness Group<\/span><\/a> advises the average personal trainer costs per session and per hour across the UK:<\/span><\/p>\n Now that you\u2019ve got the basics covered, it\u2019s time to write a business plan. Its primary purpose is to check if your personal trainer business is viable and, essentially, if it\u2019s worth starting. The secondary purpose is to seek funding to grow your company.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A business plan contains many different sections, the key ones being:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n1. Determine your expertise<\/h3>\n
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2. Set-up costs<\/h3>\n
Business location<\/h4>\n
Training equipment<\/h4>\n
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Other equipment<\/h4>\n
Business management software<\/h4>\n
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3. Pricing<\/h3>\n
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\n UK regional area<\/b><\/td>\n Average cost per PT session<\/b><\/td>\n Average hourly rate<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n London<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a350 – \u00a3150<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a332.52<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n South West England<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a345 – \u00a390<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a316.30<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n South East England<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a335 – \u00a375<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a315.10<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n North East England<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a335 – \u00a375<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a315.63<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n North West England<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a335 – \u00a375<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a316.74<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n The Midlands<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a335 – \u00a375<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a315.80<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Glasgow, Scotland Central, & Edinburgh<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a335 – \u00a375<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a315 – \u00a318<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Scotland – Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth & other regions<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a330 – \u00a360<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a312 – \u00a315<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Wales & Northern Ireland<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a330 – \u00a360<\/span><\/td>\n \u00a312 – \u00a315<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nYou can use these figures for guidance, remembering to adjust them to your personal circumstances, including the cost of living and inflation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n4. Write a business plan<\/h3>\n
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