Personal Training: Business Articles

I’ve been a personal trainer for 24 years and was formerly a physical director of a YMCA. I have owned a private studio in my home for the past 11 years, and I work strictly with women one-on-one. My fees are $45 per hour for a package of five sessions or $50 for a single session. (I love my studio in my home; I don’t have far to go to work!) If I travel to a client’s home, I charge $75 per session. Suanne Arvay Rieker RIEKERFIT, LLC Center Valley, Pennsylvania

I have had the distinct pleasure of providing health and fitness services to some of the world’s most astute business minds. Quite often during our training sessions—without even realizing it—these clients will share information that could benefit my fitness business. If you pay attention, you’ll be able to glean insights from your clients as well. A client’s business might consist of a huge, global operation, while yours might be a 1,500-square-foot personal training studio. What I have learned, however, is that business is business, no matter the size.

Environmental awareness and ecological responsibility are at the forefront of today's news. Fitness industry professionals can follow the examples of the rapidly growing number of green spas, green buildings and companies practicing sustainable management policies. You may be surprised to learn that it does not necessarily cost more to"keep it green!" Discover ...

You’re passionate about the value of fitness in a wellness lifestyle. You’ve educated yourself on exercise science and leadership. Perhaps your training is in yoga, Pilates, tai chi or another approach. Now you’re ready to help others gain the benefits of your knowledge. It’s time to get to work.

Personal trainers interested in financial success are often advised to market services to individuals with disposable income. It’s a no-brainer. People with money are more apt to pay for personal training and other potentially costly programs. However, you can also derive personal and professional rewards from lesser-served populations.

A list of current and prospective clients can be invaluable to fitness professionals promoting upcoming events, distributing newsletters and cultivating member relationships. IDEA FitnessConnect’s client management system makes it convenient for fitness professionals to manage and grow their clientele directly from their profile pages.

Whether you sell facility memberships or your own training services, at some point you’ll be asking a potential customer for money. Yet you may find yourself racked with stress about conducting such consultations, the thought of closing the deal bringing more sweat to your brow than your last blast on the cardio machines. newsletter_teaser: Check out this great article from the IDEA Online Library, and find out how to make consultations more comfortable, and learn to close the deal.

The decline in average income for personal trainers is the direct result of the garbage being put out by ... corporate gyms. [Some of these] clubs have subcontracted out their personal training programs to companies who hire fast-talking salesstaff (many of whom are not personal trainers). These salespeople sell the personal training packages and then push off the clients to trainers the clients have never met. [A trainer] then has to attempt to meet the expectations of a member who bought from a salesperson who doesn’t have to train the member.