Business ideas? I lost 103 pounds and became a trainer - Personal Trainer Community - Forum

[ellesan]

Hi,

In August 2007 I stopped yo-yo dieting and decided I would change my life. I had kept off 23 pounds before from my highest weight (224 pounds) and have lost 80 pounds since Aug. 2007 through proper diet and cardio/strength training. I am currently 121 pounds and feel fantastic. I am so passionate about health and fitness now and got certified as an ACE personal trainer in December. I will be getting a few more certifications this year (ACE lifestyle and weight management and ACSM personal trainer) and want to start my own weight management/personal training business.

What I know: At this point I want to work with women who either just want to get in shape or have a lot of weight to lose. I want to go into their homes and teach them about basic nutrition and food and exercise in addition training. My goal is to empower women to change and know that by sharing knowledge and my personal experience it is possible!!

I am currently in the medical field and am totally burned out with my job, but with the economy know that I cannot do personal training full time at this point. It seems like all the business names I think of are "taken" and it's frustrating to know where to start. I would love some ideas/advice for my situation. My work's health newsletter will feature my story next month, and I have sent in my story to a few magazines. I'm ordering business cards and getting the word out. I still have a lot of planning and preparing to do before I officially start taking clients.

I'm also looking for a good personal trainer software program but I see a lot of confusing or incomplete reviews.

Any and all info/comments welcome. Thank you!
Sandra

[megfit]

Hi Sandra,

Congratulations on all that you have accomplished! Don't let that passion die off as you work on the BUSINESS side of your business!

You are in an ideal situation. I first think of one article I wrote that would be good for you right now. I THINK my article on bootstrapping is on the article section of Think Tank. If not, you can access it (and others) here: http://tinyurl.com/8tyz2e (the business article page of my www.meg-enterprises.com site).

The reason I say you are in an ideal situation is because you can put your business together while still working and create criteria you must meet before you a) ask to drop your hours and then b) quit your 'day job'.

One of the first things that dawned on me while reading your note is that it might be an excellent addition to your credentials to look into coaching. For your purpose, I would suggest looking into WellCoaches (http://www.wellcoaches.com/).

Also, as you work towards putting your business together, start networking locally; woman's business organizations, chamber, entrepreneur organizations, etc. This is where you will learn the aspects of business you need AND meet potential clients and people who can help you grow as a business professional. Being a "Fitness professional" is only half the picture. If you want to own a successful business, you have to change your perspective and realize that, in order to be taken seriously, you must now wear a different hat (and different clothes at such networking events, grin).

In your networking efforts, in order to grow your list of experts to surround you, make sure you find specialists you can refer clients to, as well; physical therapists, registered dietitians, chiropractors, therapists, etc. Also make sure to remember what your own scope of practice is as a personal trainer. This will help increase your professional image.

Now, I strongly suggest you check out my book, because much of what I'm going to say is spelled out in my book, "Just Jump". If you buy from my website, http://www.californiabasedpublishing.com before January 30, you'll receive the companion ebook for free, which includes all the worksheets to go with the book (so you can work through the exercises), but also includes information you'll need about what type of business structure do you want to create (sole proprietor, LLC, etc), contracts, intellectual property, and how to get your website set up.

So, you have a vision; have you put it down on paper, yet? Think long term; what you want to create in 10, 20, 30 years from now. And, you have an idea of who you would like to work with. GREAT! But make it even more defined so you can 'speak' to these people and help them know you understand. Then you need to really learn how you are unique. You have a WONDERFUL story that will attract clients! Then you have to package all the previous information into a format that will attract your ideal clients to you REGARDLESS of the economy! (and it IS possible, Sandra!)

Then it's necessary to put your plans together. The business plan helps you map out your goals and objectives; short term AND long term. What would you like to accomplish in 6 months from now? It may NOT be quit your job, but it IS something! It might be to get the business plans together and start working with X number of either 'pro bono' or 'guinea pig' clients. So, why not make it clear to yourself (and share with others) what that is! In the business plan you will not only detail what services you will offer, but get into the nitty gritty of how much revenue those services will bring in. So, if you set a goal that in 1 year you wanted X number of one-on-one clients, how much income will that bring in? And what will your expenses be? The greatest tool (that I use with coaching clients, but was too involved for the book) is a cash flow projection sheet. You may be able to find one online, check the SBA (small business association) site.

Once you're clear what your goals and objectives are, and what services you offer and what value your ideal clients will put to those services, and have mapped out your financial projections, then you have to determine HOW you will make it all happen! This is where the marketing plan comes into play. Spelling out HOW you will make it happen is what action steps are all about. This really is the meat and potatoes of getting a business up and running. Where are your ideal clients? What do they read, where do they hang out? What makes them tick? What messages will hit them where it 'hurts' (which leads them to CALL YOU!)? This is what the marketing plan is all about.

For my clients, and in the book, the final step is putting all those action steps onto a calendar. I call it peace of mind, because I'm sure your mind is ALREADY going 1,000/miles/minute! Sleep becomes a desperate necessity, but if you keep remembering another call or email or letter just as your head hits the pillow, you're useless the next day. And this is a time you HAVE to be creative and on your game!

Ok, long note. Hopefully some of it helps. Never believe that you cannot become extremely busy at this tough economic climate! If you can dig into the pains and challenges of your ideal clients, and you can use that information to CAPITALIZE on the economy (one example, STRESS EATING???), you can make this business grow beyond what you can imagine, Sandra. Trust me, others are, so why not you? BUT, you have to do the work to make it happen. We cannot just .build it and they will come'...

Margie