"Personal Trainer Franchise"

Personal Trainer Franchise vs. Fitness Studio: What's Best for You?

Personal Trainer Franchise: Before setting up budgets, choosing a location or even thinking of a name for your company, you must first decide whether to join an existing line of franchisees or whether it will be more beneficial to "go it alone".

We are here to help you look at both sides of the coin.

IMPORTANT: We will look at In Home Personal Training options in a later Chapter.

Your Experience

Whether you are coming from a health club background, an existing studio, or are an independent fitness consultant considering ownership of a training facility, the first question you need to ask yourself is....Am I Ready?

Looking back on my career thus far, I can say without hesitation that I would not have been sufficiently prepared for business ownership until I completed my third year with a large health club organization.

IMPORTANT: This will not be the same for everyone. Remember, your individual experience and confidence is what will have the biggest impact on your future success.

At that point in my career, I had been an Exercise Physiologist working in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Stress Testing, Master Personal Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor, Small Group Personal Trainer, Fitness Manager, Faculty Representative, In Home Fitness Consultant, and had spent countless hours learning how to help run an organized health club.

Take Action

So, as part of that Am I Ready? question, take a close look at your strengths and weaknesses. It does sound cliche, but take a moment to look at what situations you would be able to handle effectively and where you might struggle if all of the successes and downfalls landed on your shoulders rather than those of a superior.

If you can pinpoint a few areas of concern, then take action. Find an experienced fitness professional at your place of work or in your city and learn as much as you can from them. P.S. - My Personal Trainer School is also a terrific resource!!! ;)

Ready, Aim...Ready, Aim...

Your confidence level is up...GREAT! Now it is time to take a closer look at your two biggest options. Let's start with a Personal Trainer Franchise.

The Franchise

The Personal Trainer franchise is rapidly becoming a popular business ownership model. A large number of the owners that I run across in my networking circles started their careers in either a health club or at a fitness studio similar to that or those they currently own.

A smaller number of owners began theirs careers in fields far from those of the fitness regime. I have met former lawyers, salespeople, accountants, even software engineers who have made the jump into the business of fitness -- one they once considered a hobby.

Franchise Benefits

One of the most comforting benefits of joining a Personal Trainer franchise organization is that the men and women who make up the support network of that company have "made all of your mistakes for you". They have helped people in your position with similar goals in mind make the journey from "the light bulb to the finished product"...and, they are there afterwards to continue to assist and advice in your business decisions.

Not only that, but their brand name, their logo, and their marketing is often much more familiar to your potential clientèle than your first and last name are. An exception to this is if you are an established Personal Trainer with an internet following, or if you are also known as an accomplished health lecturer. In this case, the number of people that have heard your words or "your legend" are that much greater, hopefully driving more traffic to the doors of your facility.

The next few pages of this Chapter will examine in more depth the details surrounding what may be one of the largest decisions of your career.

Continue to: Fitness Instructor Training