It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you think about all the ins and outs and all the things you have to do in order to have a successful fitness business. There’s always that little voice in the back of your head causing you to doubt yourself… and if it’s not your little voice, then it’s the voices of the people around you who as far as I’m concerned are afraid of your success.
Just remember that anyone who’s ever had a thriving fitness business felt the same way, and the anxiety that you feel now is only the beginning of something exciting and worthwhile.
There’s so much to remember when you start researching how to start a fitness business that it can get confusing. One of the biggest reasons trainers end up talking themselves out their dream is because of self-doubt and fear. Your goals aren’t impossible or unreachable if you stay positive and learn how to make use of all the resources and information available to you.
Keep in mind that starting fitness business like a group training program or boot camp is so much more cost friendly and less stressful to set up than a personal training business. A personal training business requires more resources like equipment, space, trainers, and not to mention a lower profit margin because more employees means more expense.
Most trainer who want to know how to start a fitness business from scratch never think about the biggest thing of all which is the fact that one-on-one training is all about trading hours for dollars. But boot camps and group training are all about leverage where you can train people one-on-many.
Do you realize that you can market a fitness boot camp while scouting for your location? As long as you’re familiar with the general area or city you can start building relationships with local businesses and get the word out about your new boot camp location. When it comes to boot camps, indoor is better than outdoor because the conditions are a lot more manageable and it puts you more in control.
You shouldn’t even have to think twice about how important insurance is. You’re not invincible and neither are your clients, so make sure you can take care of them when something unexpected happens. One accident can kill your entire business if you’re not prepared.
Marketing Plans – Here are some great fitness boot camp marketing strategies you need to be using to grow your business:
1. Use Facebook to tag your clients and show them appreciation, then reach out to their local friends who “like” or comment and invite them to a free workout or two. This is totally free and viral marketing.
2. Target homes and apartment complexes within a five mile radius of your facility and drop off postcards with an irresistible and low barrier offer. Make sure to include a deadline so you create a sense of urgency.
3. Distribute door hangers with a similar offer as the one above to the more affluent areas in your city.
4. Purchase ads on Facebook and direct people to a fan page with an incredible offer such as a free report, free tips, or an ebook in exchange for their email address.
5. Set a goal to have 30-50 lead boxes placed in local business that are congruent with your ideal market.
6. Network with local businesses so you can create a strategic alliance with them and promote each other’s business.
7. Film 4-6 “how to” videos and post them to Youtube.com. Use specific keywords and the description box to link back to your website.
8. You can boost your traffic by purchasing Google AdWords, but be sure that your site is ready to convert those new visitors.
9. To build an email list of potential clients and local businesses, start by offering free ebooks and reports on your blog or website.
10. Get your email list to know, like, and trust you by consistently delivering amazing content, articles, and recipes that they can’t get anywhere else.
11. Send periodic promotional emails to your list and offer them irresistible and outstanding deals.
12. Save time when dealing with phone and email inquiries by crafting a well written script.
13. Strongly encourage referral giving as a condition of doing business with you.
14. Make it a habit to run a client referral contest once a month.
15. You should be consistently over delivering on your clients results, customer service, and the recognition and appreciation of your clients.
16. Use the Human Billboard method to generate huge word-of-mouth referrals and leads.
17. Create and distribute press releases that relate to relevant news and human interest stories.
18. See what your community is searching for on Google and get your website to rank for those top keywords in your area.
19. Get in touch with former clients and prospect and offer them fantastic low cost, low risk trials to grab their attention.
20. Get your community excited and involved by offering Free Saturday Group Training and Boot Camps for 3-4 weeks at a time.
21. Learn to become a better “assistant buyer”. Selling is all about transferring your feeling for fitness to the person across from you.
All serious businesses recognize the importance of a well thought out budget. If you don’t know how much you’re spending, then there’s no way for you to know how much you’re really earning. You’re also way more likely to spend money on things that aren’t needed.
You are the face of your own business and you have to be the very best “you” you can be. You have to be the one that brings the energy, motivation, and passion to your clients. Make them believe that you are the expert and that you are the only one that can do what you do.
Remember to love up your clients and show them you appreciate them by congratulating them on their accomplishments and their decision to start a new healthier lifestyle. They should always be happy to see you.
Keep your group training and boot camps fun and invigorating by continuously learning new exercises and by making your fitness boot camp a community… a place where people feel that they belong.
If you’re looking for a boot camp business model that gives you turn-key systems and support and helps you take your passion to a new level then check out the Fit Body Boot Camp franchise model becuase it may be the perfect business that you’ve been looking for.