Staying physically fit and healthy doesn’t just make you look better but also makes you feel better on the inside. When you exercise or perform any physically challenging task your body releases endorphins, which is a chemical in your brain that leads to feelings of happiness, and who in the world does not want to be happy?
Almost every other TV advert, articles in the print media and online publications, and TV shows talk about staying fit and it is actually a big motivation for common people to move towards a healthy lifestyle.
Home based gyms and personal fitness programs in this context are becoming popular among people of all ages because these opportunities allow them to stay in shape at a convenient and economical rate. It also frees them from paying high membership prices for gyms and achieve their fitness goals in a more convivial environment.
If you have a passion for fitness, and are motivated to share your passion with other people as well you may want to consider starting your own home based fitness business.
This article will guide you through a quick checklist to start a home based gym or a personal training program, and so you can legally share your passion of staying fit with other people at a low cost and from the comfort of your home.
1- Firstly, the most important thing is to have a professional certification for conducting fitness programs. You will only be able to clear these courses if you have ample knowledge and a little experience in this area. If you are located in the US, you can apply for certification through different authorities such as the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise, the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, or the National Strength and Conditioning Council. Similar courses exist elsewhere globally. Completing one of these recognized Fitness Trainer Courses is important because it will help you gain the trust of your customers when it comes to your professional expertise and abilities.
2- In case if you are starting just a home based gym, you may not require certification for yourself, and you can always partner up with a certified fitness coach to offer training program in your facility.
3- Adding to it don’t forget to have a license to start the business. Every state has some different requirements and technicalities. So, to find the most relevant information about starting a home based gym in your state, visit https://www.usa.gov/state-business. Moreover, you must also have to pay specific taxes. Follow this link https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-business-and-self-employed-tax-center and the IRS.gov website should provide you with all the details about filing and paying taxes.
4- Knowing the basic requirements mentioned above, the next and most important factor to consider is having a business plan. Your business plan should include your step by step strategy to pursue the business. It should include how you are going to distribute your budget in different categories, how you are going to promote your venture and what kind of customer base you want to target. It actually helps you achieve your goals effectively and brings professionalism. If you think that you will face difficulty in documenting your business plan, you can get help from following links:
- How Long Should a Business Plan Be?
- 12 Secrets to Successful Startup Business Plan
- Business Plan Writing: Simple Business Plan Outline
5- With a business plan in hand, next is to look for cost effective tools & equipment required for setting up a home based gym or a fitness program. It is not necessary to buy everything new, since it may cost you a lot of money. You can always buy used stuff which is in good condition or you can also buy on installments. Dumbbells, Yoga Mats, Medicine Balls and Resistive bands are the essentials for setting up the fitness center. Adding a sound system to it will help you and your customers stay energized and pumped up throughout the exercise. However, to make your fitness center also a little gym you may need to add some extra equipment such as Cardio Equipment, Adjustable Bench, Push Up Stand and a Home Gym to name a few. Don’t forget about software and productivity tools. For example, My PT Hub, a personal training software, can help you create workout and nutrition plans tailored to individual clients. This can make it much easier for you to deliver personalized experiences to your clients.
6- Lastly, you must have readily available materials to promote your business. You can promote your home based business by distributing business cards or flyers. Help of Social Media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat can also be taken. Another technique to increase your clientele is to develop a system of group discounts, this will lower the cost of individual clients but will eventually get you more of them. Moreover you can also deal with some local businesses to send you clients and have their share.
Stay fit and fabulous and help others doing the same!
