Some thoughts and discussions from me.
Today, we are switching gears and getting down to (fitness) business.
If you’re a personal trainer or fitness professional starting or thinking about starting an online fitness business, listen up. I know it can seem incredibly overwhelming at first. There are a million things on your to-do list, and you’re not even sure which of those to start with first – let alone will make a difference at all.
And let me tell you, I have. been. there.
When I start working with my fitness business coaching clients, many times they have a narrow focus on growing their audience — getting more followers, getting more readers, and getting more leads. And while working on expanding your reach is definitely part of the program, it’s even more important to start where you are.
Chances are, if fitness and helping others with their goals – no matter what your niche or specialty is – is your passion, then those you know and connect with on a regular basis know this full and well.
But do they know you are (or are thinking of) creating some really badass programs that will now help them…virtually?! I tell my clients all the time, do not disregard your current network when starting your online fitness business.
Beginnings
I’ve been working as a personal trainer since 2008, but I first took my personal training business online seriously in 2012. I had just moved to Colorado and had to start building my in-person clientele from the ground up. Back in Illinois, I managed a gym and was a head trainer — my whole business was in that gym! When I moved here and realized I needed to start from scratch, I knew I wanted to build a business I could take anywhere with me.
So I started networking with my current audience — my (much smaller, but still awesome) blog readers, my friends – actual real life friends – and on FB, and those in-person clients I had worked with in Illinois who wanted to continue to train with me virtually. These were all people who, if we were the right fit to work together for both parties, could be potential clients down the road.
Now, I won’t lie and say I ramped up my business over night. It takes time, grit, and lessons learned (both the hard way and the path of less resistance.) And I still work on it every single day, but my online portion of my fitness business is now at least 90% of my business and income.
While I truly love working with my in-person clients, when I decided to ramp up my online fitness business I needed to limit these clients. I increased my in-person prices, and scaled back the amount of clients to work with only those clients I considered a true fit for me and with whom I truly enjoyed working with. **Side note** I still love working with clients in person, even though — especially though 😉 — it’s just a few hours a week now. I want to keep those in-person clients as part of my business since I enjoy it so much.
When I began growing my business online, two ideas stood out to me as being super important.
Utilize your current network
Even if you’re working at building your business from scratch, you probably already have a big network.You may also be part of other communities online, or spend time posting on forums or blogs.
In fact, several of my business coaching clients who are just starting up their business have run multiple successful programs and boot camps marketing solely to women who they already knew – in person! Your family, friends, and their family and friends are all potential clients whom you can help in the future. Connect with them. Let them know you do what you do. One of my rules for myself is to never sacrifice quality (of my training services) over quantity.
Also, referrals are huge – both in person and online.
Quality over quantity
You might think you “only” have 20 or 30 (or insert # here) people who are interested in what you have to say about fitness or training, but if you are truly connecting with those 20 or 30 people and they realize you can help them? If you’re consistently showing those 20 or 30 people that you could possibly be a good fit to work together in the future? You’re far better off than the person who has 10 or 20 times that many “fans” – with whom they aren’t truly connecting.
While I’ve spent time growing my audience, a core group of about 40% of my clients have been with me for more than 10+ months, and another 20-30% or so have been with me for about 4-5 months. That about 60-70% of my business! Then, another 10-20% on top of that are referrals from those clients. If you have an audience of 100 people, and those 100 people know, like, and trust you — and have now witnessed how you work and deliver, they’ll likely tell your friends, you can build momentum in your business fairly quickly. That’s a much better place to start than having an audience of 1,000 “followers” who aren’t really engaged with you.
TL;DR
(1) Don’t discount your current network and audience! Stay engaged with your base and keep providing great content.
(2) Quality followers over quantity — every time!
I hope this provided you a bit of insight and inspiration if you’re thinking about starting your own online fitness business.
Need Further Direction?
I will soon be opening up 5 more spots for my fitness business coaching. Now is the perfect time of year to start taking action to ramp up an online fitness business. As we dive into the last quarter of the year, and start planning for the first quarter, having a business blueprint and a clear focus will be essential. If you need help with this strategy and focus, please reach out! I would love to help you ramp up and thrive in your online fitness business. Shoot me an email at info@trainerpaige.com, or fill out the form here to get on the wait list.