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Business of Group Fitness

Is Your Training Space Repelling Potential Clients?

Have you ever considered that your personal training space is the reason your business suffers?

You sit there, scratch your head and think, “My programs are great! Clients love them and get results from them. So why isn’t my schedule full?”

Is it lack of marketing? Nah. You’ve got social media down pat.

Is it lack of experience? Nah. You have more certifications that you can count on two hands.

Is it lack of confidence? Nah. You’ll talk to anyone, including the empty, echoing walls you currently face.

“Why did you select the name of your business?”

I chose Vit-Ad-Infiniti Fitness as the name of my business because I wanted the name to be original and memorable. It stands for Life Without Limits. I want to be fit and healthy, and I think this name indicates that to me and to other people as well.

Anastasiya Mihailova

Vit-Ad-Infiniti Fitness

Edmonton, Alberta

“How do you utilize social media to market/network your personal training business?”

In a recent “Tricks of the Trade” column we asked fitness professionals for their insights on this question. Here, we share a few of the responses we received.

Social media is all about making connections with people in my community. I find that because I do not have a “brick-and-mortar” location to call my own, I use social media to make stronger connections with like-minded business owners and people of influence within my town. My primary goal is to make my name “top of mind” with the influencers in the community.

15 Group Fitness Predictions for 2016 and Beyond

Group fitness arouses nostalgia and feels like “home” for many exercisers, both avid and novice. As the backbone of the fitness industry, it has ebbed and flowed over the past three decades (and counting). People love exercising to music and sharing endorphins. In fact, fitness facility members are thriving on creative class options, demanding more varied opportunities and driving the industry forward. What can you, as a group fitness professional, do to meet the needs of a growing market?

Crowdfunding 101

In August 2014, personal trainer Lyam White learned that one of the owners of the studio where he was renting space was looking to sell. The Seattle-based location had worked well for him, and he was concerned that he might have to search for a new place to train.

“I talked to the other owner about buying in, to ensure that I would still be able to train at this location,” says White. “Additionally, my wife is a massage therapist, and it occurred to us that the space could be used to consolidate our services and offer a ‘whole body shop’ storefront.”

“How do you utilize social media to market/network your personal training business?”

Social media is all about making connections with people in my community. I find that because I do not have a “brick-and-mortar” location to call my own, I use social media to make stronger connections with like-minded business owners and people of influence within my town. My primary goal is to make my name “top of mind” with the influencers in the community.

Thinking of Opening a Studio?

Many fitness professionals dream of designing a studio that reflects their unique perspective and approach to health and fitness—a place where they can grow their business, their brand and their client base (and, of course, their paycheck!) on their own terms.

There’s a huge appeal to running your own space, especially if you’ve been working long enough to imagine how you might design a space specifically suited to your clients’ needs and your vision.

Lessons From the Trenches, Part Two: The Challenge of Leadership

Great leaders don’t just point the way; they also give clear directions. However, it’s not always a simple task to inspire and motivate even the most willing of followers. Once you’ve thrown your hat into the leadership ring, you’ll be faced with new challenges. In part two of this series, we’ll expand on finding the leader within, and we’ll explore the best ways to handle challenging situations.

Friendly Competition: We Can All Get Along

When Jack and Jenna Oliver opened Above the Bar, a CrossFit® facility in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 2 years ago, they knew it wouldn’t be an overnight success. However, they didn’t expect the competition to be so fierce. First, they had to deal with a Planet Fitness grand opening (with $10 monthly memberships); then, another CrossFit facility set up shop just a few miles away. Despite the competition, their box was so successful that they moved to a larger location—only to find out that a 24 Hour Fitness® was opening up less than a mile away!

How to Become a Better Negotiator

Learning how to negotiate is a necessary business skill. Whether you’re dealing with opening a new business, developing a client contract or asking for a raise,
your ability as a negotiator can have a significant impact on the outcome. Eldonna Lewis Fernandez, author of Think Like a Negotiator, offers the following tips to up your negotiation game:

Nutrition Coaching Primer
Nutrition Coaching: A Primer for Health and Fitness Professionals

Fitness professionals should discuss nutrition with their clients. 


Historically, many fitness pros have either avoided nutrition
discussions for fear of straying outside their scope of practice or gone
overboard by exceeding their scope of practice—recommending nutritional
supplements or individualized meal plans. 


There is a better way: Staying within scope of practice while adopting a
coaching philosophy that uses proven methods of behavior change. 


Online Training: Programming for Profit

The second installment of this series on online training focuses on the different types of programs—and pricing strategies—successful entrepreneurs have used to build a solid Internet-based business.

10 Questions to Ask Before Opening a Studio

Many fitness professionals dream of designing a studio that reflects their unique perspective and approach to health and fitness—a place where they can grow their business, their brand and their client base (and, of course, their paycheck!) on their own terms.

There’s a huge appeal to running your own space, especially if you’ve been working long enough to imagine how you might design a space specifically suited to your clients’ needs and your vision.

Building a Conscious, Thriving and Sustainable Business

Have you noticed that these days, more of the business world is crossing over to the conscious or spiritual way of doing business? Terms like karma capitalism, spiritual marketing, environmentally friendly, sharing economy and community-based buying are all cropping up in the mainstream corporate lexicon. As forward-thinking businesses start to embrace the conscious way of doing business—and make steep profits in the process—are you honing the necessary skills to join their ranks?

Lessons From the Trenches, Part One: The Leader Within

Many fitness professionals aspire to take their careers to the next level. Whether the goal is to become a better personal trainer or coach or to become the chief operating officer of a large fitness chain, great leadership is the underlying theme.

Investing in Fitness Technology

In 2014, we saw numerous mobile health and telehealth acquisitions as larger companies ramped up their digital health strategies (Comstock 2014). These moves are more than business news headlines—they represent broad trends that are increasingly relevant to fitness and wellness professionals.

How to Make Money With Online Training

Tired of the inherent time-for-dollars limits of traditional personal training? Virtual coaching offers a supplemental income stream—or an online-only career.