any thoughts on sliding scale for personal training, what are the pros and cons?
I am considering doing a sliding scale fee for my clients. I am doing this because there are so many people in my area who want to get fit but can’t afford a gym let alone a personal train or. I am doing research on this idea and wonder if there any thoughts regarding the issues surrounding this idea. Or any knowledge of others being successful working with clients on a sliding scale.
Hi Sarah!
I do not have experience with this, but I find it admiral that you want to do this for others, and your heart is certainly in the right place (this concept may appeal to others–a pro). From a business standpoint, though, you need to consider how you would fairly identify who needs more financial assistance than others. How would you do this? (my educational background is college administration and I worked with students in financial aid and assessing their need, so my mind automatically goes there!) Seems like it would be difficult to make decisions on how to assess their needs without reviewing personal financial information such as tax documents, etc. (even that doesn’t always tell the full story). Just something to consider (as a con). Also, if you were to get really busy, then the demand would be there but the supply would not–and you would be charging different rates when you would want to stay on the higher end (con).
Another idea would be to offer lower priced introduction specials and packages. Or, just keep your training fees on a lower but reasonable flat scale for everyone. This may appeal to your target market without the additional stress of determining what cost to charge each client.
Hope some of these ideas help you. Good luck, and I’m interested in hearing what others have to say.
Christine