What are the key considerations for a fitness business plan?
We are trying to a solve a problem for a number of our clients (mainly PT & Martial Arts Studios). The problem is this.. how can we create a simple, living breathing plan for their business. Something too large and it does not get updated, something too light-weight and it does not really help them.
This is where we have landed so far – https://club-plan.herokuapp.com/ It is a little free tool that lets them see where they are now and where they want to be in the future (through some basic graphs). It then asks them to document how they think they will get there.
What tools do you use? Is there something out there already that provides a nice tradeoff between time investment and an actionable plan?
Hi Emily,
which problem are you actually trying to solve? What I have seen on your site is not a business plan. Is it a strategic plan? A business development tool?
Karin Singleton
www.meltnc.com
It’s a good start, gets the reader thinking about their goals… When I’m coaching personal trainers in business I get to know them on a personal level. Their personality plays a HUGE role in how they set up a successful business plan. It reveals what services they might want to hire out, who might be a complementary partner and honestly….if they’re cut out to run a business! Some people are better off (and happier) working for someone else.
Beverly’s last thought was my first thought – what experience do they have in business and do they really know what it takes to start up and run a business?
I’m a former accountant, so when I think business plan, I think of running the numbers for short and long term break-even and growth. You might want to ask some simple questions about that, because financial projections and how they intend to meet them are key.
You might look at the SBA and other small business sites to see their business plan suggestions and customize for your clientele
They need to know what clients they want to target and the type of training they would like to offer. Once they have figure out these 2 factors, coming with a plan is not hard. Most people just don’t know what they want and go with the flow. Or they just trying to keep up with what is popular now and once the trend has passed, they have no idea how to evolve from there. Trying to make business plan that goes 5-10 years into the future can sometime prove to be a death trap if you don’t know who you are and/or what you want. In other words your clients should know exactly what they want and not going with the current trend or flow.