Everything you need to know to start your PT Business
If you find yourself spending time thinking about health and fitness, and love being in a gym environment, starting a personal training business might be the right move for you. Maybe you’re looking to change careers completely, or looking to build a side hustle? Whatever your situation, the fitness industry offers many varied opportunities and pathways for building your own successful business. Being a Personal Trainer is the most popular career in the fitness industry. You’ll have a hands-on role in helping your clients reach their health and fitness goals, with plenty of opportunities for growth. From assessing base fitness levels, developing programs, to teaching and motivating your clients to exercise safely and effectively, working as a personal trainer can be pivotal in transforming the lives of your clients. So where should you start?Get your qualifications in orderOK, this might seem like an obvious one, but if you’re new to the fitness industry, or have recently moved to Australia, you may not be aware that to operate as a Personal Trainer in Australia you first need to obtain a Certificate IV in Fitness. Even if you’ve been previously working as a Group Exercise Instructor or Gym Instructor with a Certificate III in Fitness, you will need to upskill to the Certificate IV. At Onfit we offer a Certificate IV in Fitness that is completely online and able to be completed at your own pace, making it the perfect way to fit your new pathway into your current lifestyle. Brainstorm ideasWhile getting your qualifications is crucial to operating as a personal trainer, you still need to have an idea and understanding of what you’re hoping to achieve with your new career move. What do you want to offer your clients? Do you want to work within a gym environment or as a mobile trainer working from parks and client’s homes? Do you plan to operate your own personal training space? What equipment are you going to need? What sets you apart from other PT’s?It’s a great idea to set some immediate goals in order as well as have a few in the pipeline for the future.Maximise your opportunities for successLaunching and running a successful business as a personal trainer goes well beyond having a solid understanding of fitness. It’s also essential to have a range of business skills and knowledge across the board, from financials (setting up your ABN, registering your company, charging fees, paying taxes, etc.), insurance and registration (is there more than one type? Do you need different insurance for every type of training you provide?) to marketing (where do you find clients and how can you keep them?)These can all be overwhelming and daunting questions and hurdles when all you really want to do is hit the gym and help people achieve their health and fitness goals. To make life a bit easier, at Onfit, we’ve developed the Personal Trainer Business Success Course. Throughout this six month course, you’ll be provided with the resources, templates and tools to plan, manage and track your business. Covering everything from insurance, finances and taxes to sales and marketing – this course is designed as an all-in one to prepare you for setting up your fitness business.As with all of our Onfit courses, the course design is flexible to suit your lifestyle and the content is able to be tailored to your personal business goals. Sweeten the deal with some additional servicesWhat is going to set you apart from the other personal trainers in your area? It will be important to source a point of difference for your business and really hone into that key factor. The fitness industry is growing rapidly, and you’ll need to show that your services are superior to other services and providers. Research is key here – do some research on your competitors and find your edge.Check out Onfit’s range of personal and professional development courses for some ideas. One of our core values is that learning is a journey, not a destination. Adding to your knowledge base not only helps you, it can help set you up as the go-to for niche clientele. We offer additional courses specialising in exercise equipment and workout styles such as handstands and callisthenics, altitude training, battle ropes training, and suspension training essentials. A course we are also seeing increasing interest in is our Older Adults Health and Fitness, an area of speciality that is becoming more in demand as the ageing population grows and more focus is being placed on preventative care for older people to reduce the effects of osteoporosis and increase falls prevention.Where to now?We understand that there is a lot to consider when it comes to setting yourself up for a new career and business venture. At Onfit, we offer a variety of courses that will set you on the path to success as a personal trainer, as well as a team of Career Advisors that will keep you on track. Find out more about who we are and what training through Onfit would look like. or talk to one of our amazing Course Advisors.
