Beginning a personal training service at our gym. Any input as to whether to hire trainers as gym employees or independent contr
I have been asked to research adding personal training services to our Rec Center’s offerings. We are not a private gym, but operated by the city. I would love to hear from directors and managers about how your PT services work (especially from the public sector). I am weighing the pros and cons of hiring PTs as City employees whom we would pay hourly and independent contractors who we would take a percentage of their PT fees. Any insights/advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Make sure you are hiring trainers who have accredited certifications,proof of liability insurance, current CPR/AED training and experience.
I would talk to your accountant and business authority to get input on the logistics of your operation and determine what works best for you.
Renting your space may be another way to go.
Hi Kelly. I have worked as a Director in a community center, State owned College, and private fitness center setting. Since your facility is owned/operated by the City, I’m sure that your City’s legal counsel will have a say/review of whatever proposed arrangement you decide on. That being said, your decision may come down to the amount of control that you want over the program. If your decision is to hire independent contractors to provide your personal training services I would highly recommend hiring your own full-time staff member to serve as the Director/Manager/Supervisor of Personal Training so that they have someone who is holding them accountable, and who is accountable for the overall program. The use of independent contractors works well with new programs because you are only paying for their services when they actually provide services – a cost savings. This will allow you to grow the program in a methodical way without having to make a full financial commitment up-front. Of course there are pluses and minuses to both scenarios, and they are too lengthy to explain here.
I’d be happy to discuss this further with you if you’d like to contact me offline. My contact information is below.
I hope that this helps.
LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
[email protected]
