Getting Started as an Independent Personal Trainer

Getting Started as an Independent Personal Trainer

 Unfortunately, getting started as an independent contractor is not as easy as it would seem to be.

There are a number of steps that you are going to have to take and piles (piles referring to mountains the size of Mt. Everest) of paperwork to be filled out.

It may seem a bit overwhelming at times, but don’t let it get you down.

Once your business is up and running these issues will generally fall into place on their own.

Before you attempt to launch your own business there are a few things that you, personally, must be assured of.

The first is that you are qualified.

One of the advantages of working within a group environment such as a gym is that if an issue comes up which you are unprepared for or have not had much experience in there will always be someone to go to for help.

By starting out on your own you are denying yourself that opportunity, and it is therefore necessary that you be one hundred percent certain that you are ready to deal with any issues that may arise on your own.

Ask yourself:

•    What areas have I had experience in?
•    What issues am I already trained to handle?
•    What will I do if I encounter an emergency?
•    What type of reference and support base will I have at my disposal after I go? This is probably the most important question that will need to be addressed; it is not necessary for you to know everything if you have resources that will allow you to quickly locate the information you need at hand. Be sure that you have both an impressive collection of reference books on training, training individuals with disabilities (if you choose to extend your services in that direction), sports medicine and any other related field.
Once you are confident you are ready to strike out on your own, the next thing you are going to need to do is ensure that you have the proper credentials to convince your prospective clients that you know what you are about. A good personal trainer is impressive, but a good personal trainer with a string of letters following his name is even more so.

Be sure that you are certified with at least one organization that is held in high esteem within the field of personal training (preferably more) as well as holding a current first aid and CPR certificate before you even begin to consider opening your own business.

Attend as many workshops and seminars as possible, especially those that offer certificates for completion (they’ll look very impressive on your office walls, and you never know-you might even learn something you didn’t know before!).

Once you have completed these steps it’s time to start whittling down the pile of paperwork you will have to complete prior to opening day.

Before you can accomplish much of anything you are going to have to apply for a business license. These can be obtained by visiting your local Chamber of Commerce; they will be able to answer any questions that you may have and point you in the right direction. Your business license may not be the only permit you need to have, so be prepared. Remember, anything you do is going to be overseen by the government, and the last thing you want is to have your business shut down and be slapped with a healthy fine because you didn’t have all of your paperwork in.

The next thing you are going to have to do is figure out where your funding is going to come from. Operating your own business is not an inexpensive proposition, made even more so if you choose to operate out of a separate facility that is going to want rent and utilities paid on a semi-regular basis, and figuring in the costs of purchasing equipment you are probably going to operate in the red for the first year or so. If you are very fortunate and have been planning this for some time you may have your start-up costs set aside already, or you may have a friend or relative who is willing to loan you the money. If this is not the case, you have a number of options available to you.

The first option you have is to take on a partner. This individual will help you with the start-up costs of your business in exchange for a percentage of the profits. The precise role that your partner will play in the day to day tasks of running your business will vary according to the individual. There are some investors that are willing to become silent partners, allowing you to run your operation as you see fit while they contentedly sit back and take in their cut. Others will want to be involved,  either by working with clients as well (if you are willing pairing up with another trainer or two that also wants to step out from a corporate shadow is a great way to get a business up and running) or by handling the myriad administrative tasks that are involved in running a business.

The alternative to taking on a partner is to apply for a small business loan. These are available through the government or through most financial institutions. The United States Small Business Administration is a great place to start searching for a loan to cover your start-up costs. If you are attempting to apply for a loan you are going to need to draw up a business plan detailing the goals of your business, why you feel you are qualified to run it, what other supporting staff will be involved and their qualifications, what your start-up costs are going to be, what competition you are going to have and where you project your business will be in five to ten years. This business plan is essential in convincing an investor of the viability of your endeavor, so be sure to be thorough and cover all of your bases. For more information on writing a business plan you can go to:

•    http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/plan/writeabusinessplan/SERV_WRRITINGBUSPLAN.html
•    http://www.bplans.com/dp/
•    http://www.soyouwanna.com/SITE/syws/bizplan/bizplan.html

One of the first major decisions you are going to need to make with regards to your business is where you want to work.

Do you want to make house calls, or do you want to open your own facility?

The choice is entirely yours; however, if you are going to rent office space it is best to begin looking as soon as possible. You are going to want to choose a location with adequate space for the equipment you are going to need with plenty left over for your clients to move about. The amount of space you are going to need is going to vary with the services you wish to offer, so keep this in mind when you are scouting prospective locations.

The equipment you are going to need is also going to vary with the services you wish to offer, a fact that is going to hold true whether you are operating from your home or that of your clients or out of a separate location.

Be sure to be thorough when you are listing what you feel you are going to need to get your business up and running; your list should encompass everything, right down to the last paperclip.

It is very easy to forget to consider little expenses when you are attempting to consider thousands of dollars of equipment, but it is inevitably the little things, like folders and envelopes, that will break a budget.