Some people just seem destined to work as a personal trainer. They’ve been working on their own fitness for more years than they can remember; they’ve got their qualifications; and they have a true desire to help people become the best version of themselves. However, while these things will provide you with a solid platform upon which to develop a personal trainer business, it’s not as if these traits will do everything. In this blog, we’re going to take a look at a few tried and tested methods for growing and developing your business.

Find Your Niche

We talk about ‘personal trainers,’ but really, that probably doesn’t do the scope of the profession all that much justice. There are many different fields based on that career. For example, you could help people gain as much muscle as possible, or you might help them lose weight. Your clients can be more focused, too. You might want to help right at the beginning of their journey, or pro athletes who are looking to squeeze that little bit more from their performance. Alternatively, you might focus on working with people who have one sort of issue or another, such as a disability. It’s all about thinking about what you really want to do and then building your business around that niche.

Your Online Presence

The internet will be one of the best tools that you have when it comes to developing your business. You’ll want to ensure that you have a reputable website and that you’re actively managing your social media channels. Your website doesn’t have to be advanced, it’s just about keeping things professional and giving people the information they need, such as your services and contact information. Your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages will be a little different. There you should offer tips and other pieces of information that’ll help to establish your expertise and bring people on board.

Word of Mouth and Testimonials

While there’s plenty that you can do to bring people on board, perhaps your best marketing asset will be your existing clients. People always trust the word of people that they personally know more than they do the voice of the company. When you’re still developing your business, you can encourage your happy clients to tell their friends and family about your services; you’ll find that many of your new clients come to you via this method. You’ll also want to get written testimonials from your clients, which you can then showcase on your website. 

Get the Right Systems

Personal training has come a long way in recent years. This is mostly because so many people are taking a more active hand in their physical condition, so there’s a bigger market. While it’s fine to offer the basics of the profession, you’ll find that you will have more success if you dive a little deeper and offer your clients something truly special. To do this, you’ll need to have the right systems to help you. The best online personal training software will allow you to provide workout templates, host videos that show how to do workouts correctly, and track your client’s progress, among other features. All of this will allow you to offer a more detailed and sophisticated level of service to your clients. 

Keep on Learning

You’ll have a lot of useful knowledge that allows you to do your job extremely well. But it’s not as if you should just sit back and rest on your laurels. There are always new fitness approaches and techniques coming out, as well as new tools that help people to achieve their goals. If you’re going to be the best personal trainer that you can be, then it’s important that you carry on learning and progressing. This will ensure that you don’t fall behind the times; remember, competition for clients is tough, so it’s important to show that you’re always at the top of the game.

Go Above and Beyond 

Ultimately, you’ll get out of your personal training business what you put in. It’s important to keep in mind that your business exists for the benefit of your clients, so it’s all about making them happy. Remember that doing this doesn’t just mean providing the cold, hard facts about personal training. It’s about showing that you care. One of the best soft skills that a personal trainer can have is interpersonal skills, which will allow you to connect with your clients on a deeper level, and ensure they feel comfortable with you. 

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One of the biggest mistakes people make when going into business is not really knowing how to start or run a business. Many people seem to think the process is quite straightforward, which is often their biggest downfall.

It is imperative that you know that most new businesses will never make it through the one year mark. While this may seem like fear-mongering, it’s important that you know the facts so you can avoid making big mistakes.

Two things that new business owners often overlook is contracts and health and safety concerns. 

The Contracts

When it comes to starting a business, there will eventually come a time when you need to employ a few people. Now, whether these people are family, friends, or strangers, there is one thing you need to do and do right, that’s the contracts.

One of the most basic errors employers make in the early days is giving shoddy contracts to employees, and a lot of the time, this can backfire on the business. You need to remember that a contract is there to protect the employer most of all, so get it right.

You should be turning to a professional to draw up your contracts and have them checked by a legal body before handing them out. Getting this right will protect you and your business as time goes on, so while it’s basic, it is essential.

Health and Safety

The second thing we are going to be looking at is health and safety. It seems that it matters not how much importance is placed on it, it’s still something that goes ignored. 

If you want the best for your business, you should be employing somebody to run the health and safety of your business. Having somebody that will either file an injury report for injured members of staff or make sure all risk assessments are carried out could save your business from a lot of hassle.

You need to remember that health and safety is there to protect your team and your business, so ignoring it should never really be an option.

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Please meet guest blogger Rae Steinbeck, freelance writer for Funding Circle. In this article, Rae shows us tips for business loans.

Rae is a graduate of Tufts University with a combined International Relations and Chinese degree. After spending time living and working abroad in China, she returned to NYC to pursue her career and continue curating quality content. Rae is passionate about travel, food, and writing. 

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It’s a great feeling getting approved for your first business loan. With the money now available, you are eager to move forward with plans to grow your business.

While it is true that you can now further develop your business plans, you should take note that the manner in which you handle this first business loan can significantly impact the financial future of your company.

With your first loan being crucial to the success of your company, you should take some time to make sure you handle it appropriately. If you handle the loan well, it can open up more financing options in the future and even lower the cost of borrowing the next time you need a loan.

To help new business owners start their borrowing record off on the right foot, the following are five things you should do after receiving your first loan.

Schedule Your Loan Payments

With financing approved, the first thing you should do is make plans to ensure you make your payments on time. Late or missed payments can damage your credit record while also increasing the cost of borrowing in the future. It could also come with penalties that will increase the cost of maintaining the existing loan.

By setting a schedule for loan payments and accounting for it in your monthly budget now, you can take steps to prevent the consequences that come with being late on a loan payment. You could even consider setting up automatic payments from your business bank account to make the process easier.

Watch Your Credit Score

As you probably learned through the process of acquiring this first loan, your business credit score plays an important role in determining which financing options will be available and the interest you will have to pay on your loan. Since your first business loan is going to have an impact on your credit score, it makes sense to keep an eye on this number. Wait until you have made a few payments and then start checking your business credit score with some of the major agencies.

Consider Prepayment Options

You should be aware of any prepayment options that come with your loan. In some cases, the lender might let you make a lump sum payment on the anniversary of the loan or they might allow for extra payments at specific times.

If you can prepay on some of the principal, it could save you a considerable amount of money on the loan. Just be aware that some lenders charge penalties for early payments. Check your loan documents to see what prepayment options are available and plan to take advantage of them if you can.

Think About Refinancing

If you plan ahead and make your payments on time, it might open up opportunities to refinance your loan for a lower interest rate or for a longer term. The actual refinancing would come later, but it is good to plan for the possibility right away. If you take care of your payments responsibly and maybe even grow your business, there will be refinancing options in the future. You might even be able to do well enough to get approved for an SBA loan.

Make the Most of Your Loan

As a final point, you need to think hard about how you use the money you borrowed. Develop a plan that is going to convert the money into added value for your business. Whether it is hiring employees, developing your product, buying new equipment or making your operations more efficient, you need to make sure you are spending the money in a way that will grow your business or make it more profitable.

Please note: No affiliate links appear in this post, and it was not sponsored in any way. The advice and opinions belong to our guest blogger, who we thank kindly for her contribution.

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It isn’t easy when you are out on your own. Sometimes you can feel like a very small fish in a large pond. In order to stand out, you need to look the part – as well as deliver what you say you will. But there a couple of ways that you can make your business look more professional. You don’t need a huge budget to make your business look much larger than it really is.

Website

Having a website is a must in this day and age. You need to make sure that it has all of your information on and that it is accessible to your audience. It should be clean and tidy. Easy to navigate with a great use of white space. Your logo should be easy to see, and a contact form should be a priority for you. Your mailing list can be your crowning glory – because it is your own personal set of hot leads. Although you must remember that your mailing list should ideally contain your contact details, including your address. If you don’t feel happy having what is likely your home address on there, then you should think about using something like https://physicaladdress.com. You own domain is a must.

Images

If you can’t afford to have your own photos taken, then you need to think really carefully about what you use. Often things that are online aren’t free to be used, but rather they are being shared on a photographers website. You can use sites like Unsplash, Pixabay, or Pexels and find an aesthetic that works for you. Try to get photos that relate in some way to what you do and/or how you do it. If you are a writer or an accountant, you will find simply by searching those terms, you are given plenty of well-fitting options. Try not to go for the ones on the first page though. They are the most commonly used.

Clothing

Your clothing says more about you than you might like. If you have Skype calls or face to face business meetings, it is a good idea to make sure that you are dressed the part. Invest in a smart suit, and some lighter business casual wear. Blazers are typically always a good idea, and they appear professional almost all the time. You can create a small business capsule wardrobe that can be used for years. Pinterest has some great ideas about what you should have in a capsule wardrobe to maximize your investment. Looking polished is simple when you have less to choose from too.

Social Matters

Your social media channels should all match up. The display pictures and the headers or banners should all have your logos and information on. And ideally, in all of your information, you will have a link to your point of sale or website. Ensure that all of the sizes are correct to prevent them from looking stretched

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