The Fitness Professional’s Library: Student to Pro to Franchisor

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How do fitness pros go from taking professional courses to managing clients to running successful franchises? We’ve got you covered. This is a comprehensive article. Check out our table of contents and pick the starting point that best describes you.

Prefer to watch your content? PocketSuite has a dedicated video playlist just for fitness professionals. It’s called the Bonus Pack for Fitness Pros. You can access it here!

I want to learn everything I can about the industry and become a pro.
- Certifications and courses
- Books and podcasts

I’m ready to set up my business offers and start taking clients.
- Premium offers
- Sell products

I’m an experienced trainer looking for new tools to help manage my workflow.
- Tools and software to manage your fitness business

I’m a seasoned professional and ready to grow my business.
- Marketing
- Networking

Is it worth it to start a fitness business?

Absolutely. Fitness is a huge and growing field with varied approaches to fitness training. There are boot camps and intensive training programs. There are also much more supportive, gentle programs that are right for a different client base. Succeeding as a fitness trainer is a lot about finding the right way to train a community and keep people motivated.

Whatever kind of fitness trainer you are, you have the opportunity to make over $100,000 per year helping people if you get your business plan down right. It’s all about knowing how many private sessions or classes you need to do every week in order to make your goal income.

[Read more about How To Make 100k as a Fitness Pro]

Become a pro

Certifications and Courses

There are dozens of fitness trainer certifications. And it can be a real workout to choose one. If you want to get certified, the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) is a good place to start. As a NASM-certified personal trainer, you’ll stand out amongst your competitors and attract more clients.

[Read more about NASM Certified Personal Trainer

Training Specialties

We know you became a fitness pro because you love helping clients achieve their goals. Unfortunately, loving your job won’t pay the bills. You still have to find a training job that can sustain your lifestyle. You can scour the internet for high-paying trainer jobs (good luck!) or take control by becoming an independent trainer.

But which one makes the most money?

Your income really depends on your level of expertise, how many training sessions you do per month, and if you choose to work for a commercial gym or as an independent personal trainer.

If you’re an avid basketball player plotting a career in athletics, take encouragement in the knowledge that coaching basketball is one of the most professionally satisfying and well-paying jobs in sports.

Basketball coaches teach their players how to play the game and work together as a team toward victory. As a coach you’ll organize practice sessions, supervise players’ physical conditioning, study game videos of individual players and the team, and develop winning game strategies. Your goal is to motivate and guide your players to greatness.

[Read more about Becoming a Basketball Coach]

Soccer coaches are in demand worldwide, from youth leagues to professional teams that play for world championships. Coaches teach amateur and professional athletes the skills they need to succeed at soccer. When you’re ready to take your passion for soccer to a position of leadership, you’ll need to train to be a coach. We’ve got you covered.

[Read more about Becoming a Soccer Coach]

Bootcamp training, as the military-sounding name might suggest, is a program blending traditional calisthenics with body weight and strength training as well as interval training. These camps are hugely popular as team-building exercises. More strenuous bootcamps appeal to athletic-minded individuals who are already in good shape and want to test themselves to the limit. Participants report that the training encourages the mind to work with the body as motivation. As a result, instructors play a vitally important role in the success of Bootcamp students.

[Read more about Becoming a Bootcamp Instructor ]

Looking to niche down? Find your specialty in the list below:

Learn from experts

As a fitness pro, you know the brain needs nourishment just as much as the rest of your body. Be sure to give yours the attention it deserves with some A+ book recommendations. Fitness business books give you a leg up in the industry. A good business book provides practical knowledge to grow your business and the motivation to get it done. You get to learn from leaders in your field and keep up with the latest training techniques.

Some fitness books allow you to earn CE credits towards your certification renewal i.e. you read the book and complete an exam. It’s a win-win.

We know it can be tough to weed through hundreds of fitness business books to find a real gem. So, whether you prefer your Kindle or an audiobook, we’ve got you covered.

[Read more about Books for Fitness Professionals ]

Books aren’t your thing? No problem! We have a number of podcast interviews for pros who prefer to listen as they learn. We have talked to Fitness Professionals across the industry. Here are some of our favorite episodes:

Set up your business

The fitness training industry is becoming more competitive by the day. More and more people are beginning to understand the importance of getting professional help with their fitness. The modern customer has more choice than ever, and if you are not running a streamlined, efficient business, you will lose those customers to the trainer who is.

There is a huge question that most fitness trainers come to at some point in their solo careers: How do I expand my business without overloading my budget? I do not have enough money to compete with the large gyms. I cannot hire an admin and team or pay thousands of dollars for marketing. Does that mean that I am stuck at this level or is there another way forward?

You might be surprised to learn that you can get all of the admin, operations, marketing, and scheduling support that you need within a single mobile app. The power of PocketSuite is especially clear in the fitness industry. In the fitness business, independent trainers have little to no time to manage back-office tasks. After all, a fitness trainer has to look the part!

Premium Offers: Classes

FIt’s time to buckle down and plan your online fitness classes. But with endless virtual options, it’s easy for your program to get lost in the crowd.

You want to stand out by giving your clients the perfect fitness experience. So, how do you know what people want from online fitness classes, especially when you’re just starting out? From barre classes with live music to HIIT training with celebrity guests, there are so many ways to beef up your fitness class. But, there are some essentials that every fitness instructor should know.

[Read more about Online Fitness Classes]

Online Products

E-commerce has taken over the small business world. And fitness trainers can get in on the rewards. You can increase your income and provide more value to clients by launching an online store. Service-based business owners often sell retail products alongside their classes and packages. As a trainer, you can launch an online store and sell useful products to your steady stream of loyal clients.

Remember, it takes time for an online store to bring in consistent income. That’s why business owners use special techniques to maximize their income from e-commerce sales. This is known as an e-commerce growth strategy. And you’ll need a good one if you want your online store to thrive.

[Read more about E-commerce Strategies for Fitness Businesses]

Manage your workflow

Software

Whether you’re a solo pro or you manage a team of professionals, you need software to help grow your small business. There are dozens of software packages on the market for business management. So, you’ll need to look into features, pricing, and support to determine the best fit for your business.

Mindbody Business is a business management software for gyms, spas, and salons. It allows business owners to sell classes and memberships, manage clients, and receive payments.

Mindbody also functions as a marketplace for health and wellness businesses. Potential clients have their own consumer app, where they can browse through hundreds of businesses on the platform and purchase fitness classes and beauty services or even join memberships.

Mindbody is almost inescapable in the fitness, health, and wellness space. You might have used Mindbody to register for fitness classes at your local gym or even currently run your business on the platform. But, on both the business and consumer sides, there are pressing issues that can’t be ignored.

[Read more about PocketSuite vs. Mindbody Business]

Grow Your Business

Marketing

As a personal trainer, you know that while you may get a huge influx of new clients at the beginning of the year, the retention rate of those new clients is shockingly low. While you can’t ensure that everyone sticks to their New Years’ workout resolutions, there are actions you can take in order to increase your new client retention rate.

[Read more about Client Retention for Fitness Pros]

You worked hard to build your fitness business. But, like many trainers, you may not be earning

your full potential. Some personal trainers are stuck working minimum wage, while others are earning six figures. If you want to know how to increase your trainer’s salary, keep reading!

[Read more about Doubling Your Trainer Salary]

Fitness training is a journey for you and your clients. You can start that journey off right by offering an initial consultation. A fitness training consultation comes before the workout program begins and can increase your bookings! Many trainers offer an initial consultation or session 0 before their first appointment with a client. This is a chance to get to know your clients and their goals.

At the end of the consultation, you’ll understand your client’s expectations, and clients will have a clear picture of how you do business.

It takes a lot of courage to start a fitness journey. A fitness training consultation lets your clients know if they’re making the right choice. You want them to be able to trust you, so they’ll keep coming back. You’ll get more clients and make more money as a trainer.

[Read more about Fitness Training Consultation Tips]

Networking

Do you need a break from your fitness studio? We have an idea: attend a fitness conference. At fitness conferences, you network with other fitness trainers and learn from industry leaders, all while earning credit toward your next certification.

Fitness trainers can take their pick from dozens of annual professional events. Professional groups and businesses host conferences across the country to bring together health, wellness, nutrition, and fitness experts. You can immerse yourself in seminars, live training sessions, and trade shows that will help grow your business.

Typically, you earn CEUs and CECs towards fitness certifications by attending these events. You can even watch some of the events online and earn credits from the comfort of your home.

[Read more about Conferences for Fitness Professionals]