5 great ideas for a fitness-related start-up

There’s never been a better time to start up the fitness business you’ve always dreamed of. Whatever your particular area of interest, maximize your income and out-perform the competition by applying some of our common-sense strategies below.

Ensure that you’re on-trend

After the upheavals of 2020, it’s essential to understand how fitness businesses need to adapt for survival.  According to 4,000 professionals surveyed by the American College of Sports Medicine, there is a huge shift towards online training. So, instead of investing in expensive premises, vast quantities of equipment, and costly fit-outs, could you launch your fitness training business online?  Via paid, webinars, YouTube, or an online fitness platform?  

If you’re a trainer or organizer of fitness activities, another trend to consider is the move to the outdoors. Use your imagination and discover you could use the great outdoors, free-of-charge to run your classes or get your clients moving. Whether it’s yoga on the beach, tai chi in the park, endurance training up the mountain, or boot camps on local school premises, there are myriad ways to motivate your clients with new and surprising challenges.

Target your niche

With the trend to smaller groups, the days of one-size-fits-all classes are numbered. So choose your niche. For example, the fitness market for older adults, who are highly motivated to remain fit and active, has continued to grow over the last decade but is grossly under-serviced. The possibilities for offering specialized personal training, or classes that are genuinely adapted to the requirements of the older body, are endless. 

Gyms are often an ‘adult only environment’ – partly for insurance reasons and also because, in reality, many clients prefer to work out without their kids around.  However, teenagers (age 13-15) are now growing up in a fitness-focused Insta culture.  Many would love to work out, rather than participate in competitive sports, but maybe too young to fit into a regular gym environment.  Classes and training aimed at this specific age group, or even those who are younger can lay the foundations for a life-long fitness habit. This will be welcomed by parents (who’ll be paying) as well as the teenagers themselves who’ll have more fun working out with their own age group.

If you love kids, another group to target is under 12s. Consider creating an after-school fitness club for the kids, and let their moms spend an hour with a relaxing yoga or stress dance class to double the income.  Kids’ yoga, Zumba, martial arts, and fun aerobics will be appreciated as much by parents as by the kids themselves. Even better- it’s possible to charge by the semester, so no worries about attendance falling off. And summer fitness ‘day camps’ mixing indoor and outdoor activities, can mean there’s something on offer for your future gym clients, all year round.

Whichever group you choose, you’ll need ready to study to gain the specialist credentials and credibility you’ll need. For example, the market is flooded with generalist ‘yoga teachers’ – but to gain and keep clients you’ll need to decide whether you’re an Ashtanga purist targeting the young and fit; a restorative expert focusing on those needing to relax and recuperate; a yin devotee for those who love extreme stretching, or an Iyengar perfectionist who wants to do things the right way’. An increasingly savvy market is likely to want to know what and why you teach and will be able to tell the difference between an expert and an amateur.

Maximize your use of space

If you decide to open your gym, how you use the available space will make or break your business. Don’t make the mistake of allowing any exercise rooms to remain unused. Rent them to personal trainers, dancers, or physios to generate income. By offering your facilities at a reasonable rate to other fitness professionals, you’ll create interest and attract potential clients at no extra cost. It’s a great way to spread the word about your center, and to build a supportive network of local trainers and coaches around you.

Ensure you make use of every available space. Use the reception area to sell fitness equipment, yoga mats as well as ‘locker room essentials’ such as towels and toiletries.  Vending machines packed with healthy snacks, protein smoothies, and water generate significant income for fitness centers. Choosing a state-of-the-art option such as HealthyYou vending means that you can even offer exciting Thai and Indian entrees to your clients before they head home. 

And even if you have decided on a base such as a boutique fitness facility, don’t forget the outdoor trend. Use every opportunity to offer classes in the open air, whether close to your center, or as ‘pop-up’ classes on the beach or out in the countryside, combined with a hiking trail.

Combine different approaches

Offer something new by combining 2 or 3 different classes with different approaches and offering them as a package. For example, follow a hard-core functional training session with an hour of relaxing yoga. Follow a group run with a belly-dance class.  After an hour of high-energy Zumba, rebalance the energy with QiGong. 

Ensure that you fuse complementary businesses – personal training and nutritional counseling; yoga and vegan snacks; HIIT and fitness clothing. Let your clients monitor the effect of the supplements they buy from you by linking with a sophisticated AI-driven, mood sensing app. Ensure that your business has the flexibility to address the needs of each client holistically, and you’ll soon grow a loyal fan base for your unique offering. 

Use a new business model

Given the events of 2020, it’s not surprising that gym clients will be reluctant to sign annual contracts or part with hefty upfront joining fees. So it’s time to get creative about how you can persuade clients to commit to your programs or center. Monthly payments, but with easy cancellation and no penalties (like Netflix)?  Increased flexibility so that clients can freeze their membership and not lose unused periods?  Automatic charge to a credit card each time a class or facility is used, following an Uber-like model?  Incentives to use ‘off-peak’ memberships, with premium charges for entry at busy times?

Think about each aspect of your business and how it can make a positive impact on the lifestyle of your clients, and you’ll be well-placed to create a start-up business that you’ll love.