If you’re a personal trainer in a commercial gym and have a full diary of paying clients, you may be itching to take the step and set up your own private personal training studio?

I got my PT studio built last year (Jan 2019), and it’s been one of the best business decisions I’ve made…

The new studio has attracted plenty more customers, has allowed me to increase my prices and also take on another personal trainer (who completes 10-15 sessions for me each week). 

I now have a PT studio that I’m incredibly proud to have! I love working in my studio, and it pays me handsomely for my efforts! Win-Win! 

That said, it’s also been quite stressful and cost lots of money! I’m certainly glad that I did my due-diligence beforehand – otherwise, I may have gone broke and aged 20 years! 

If you’re a personal trainer with a full diary of clients and who’s ready to jump into having your own PT studio then here’s…

4 Things To Consider Before Getting Your Own Personal Training Studio In 2020 

#1 Create A Business Plan 

If you’re a personal trainer in a commercial gym, you may have a full diary of clients, but who got you those clients? 

The chances are that if you work for a company such as Virgin Active, they have a fantastic reputation and a marketing team that’s bringing in all of the leads for personal trainers in the gym. This all costs money, expertise, and time! 

When you set up by yourself and create your own personal training gym, you need to have a business plan, with one of the main questions being:

“How are you going to attract new clients to your facility?”

Even if all of your clients move with you, what happens when a client leaves? Which is inevitable! You need sales and lead strategies in place. 

Here are some great questions you need to ask yourself for before jumping in at the deep end and getting your personal training studio:

• Where will my PT studio be located? At home, in a warehouse, in the city center, etc 
• How will I get new customers? Website, SEO, Google Adwords, Referrals, Email Marketing, Flyers, etc
• What equipment do I need? 
• How much money do I need to finance the PT studio? (more on this shortly) 

#2 Hire An Expert To Design Your Gym 

The chances are that while you know what makes a good gym, you don’t necessarily know much about how to put your gym together and fully maximise the space of your new studio. Why not hire an expert or pay a company to do all the hard work for you?

There are companies such as Power Gym Fitness who can do your gym installation and maximise the space of your facility, getting you the most bang for your buck. Most personal trainers will go from a BIG commercial gym into either a warehouse or a small room (30-50 square meters) – so you need to maximise the space you have. Seek professional advice and make sure that you know exactly how your personal training studio is going to look, and the cost!

#3 Know Your Figures Inside Out 

Get your business brain engaged!

Please don’t go into having a private personal training studio without first having gotten to know your financial figures inside out. Getting your own PT studio is going to be expensive. You need to know the following;

• How much will the equipment cost? Either buying the equipment outright or hiring.
• How much for bills? Heating, gas, electricity, etc.
• Cost of equipment? 
• General Cost/Maintenance – broken down machines, the cost for a cleaner, etc 

I would recommend having a spreadsheet and getting completely clear on all of your financial numbers. You need to know the setup cost, but also how much it’s going to cost you each month to maintain. 

Alongside the above, I would recommend having a buffer bank account where you have at least 3-6 months of savings to fall back on, just in case things go wrong. This will give you some security.

Too many personal trainers take the leap of faith BUT have nothing to fall back on, and end up becoming broke! You may then have to swallow your pride and go back to your commercial gym! 

Do your due diligence! Know your numbers! 

For more tips on personal training finance, you may also want to check out this article I wrote covering ways to obtain funding and some other costs to consider before getting your PT studio.

#4 Prioritise What Equipment You Buy/Rent

Once you’ve gained clarity on the above 3 points, you can do the exciting bit, and that’s getting all your equipment ready for clients. 

If you’re like most personal trainers taking their next step by getting a private PT studio, then you may not have a considerable amount of money to spend, so you either have to rent equipment, get a loan, or be super smart with the equipment you do buy! 

Before buying your gym equipment, sit down and think about what do my clients need? Are you training muscle building clients? If so, you’ll need a dumbbell rack, squat rack, bench, etc. If it’s weight loss clients, then you may need more cardio machines, etc. 

When choosing gym equipment, think of the cost, quality, and space (how much room it will take up!). For most personal trainers who train the Average Joe, the following pieces of kit are ideal: 

• Dumbells (1-30kg) 
• Olympic Barbell Set (140-180kg) 
• Bench 
• Rowing Machine 
• Ski Machine 
• Assault Bike 
• Battle Ropes
• Pull Up Station 
• Squat Rack
• Accessories – resistance bands, TRX, medicine balls, mats, etc

Choose the equipment that best suits your business. 

Thanks for reading, if you have any questions please get in touch. Also, if you’re a personal trainer and want more business tips then check out my blog for fitness professionals – there are over 100 FREE Articles to help you take your personal training business to the next level!

Nick Screeton – Founder of LEP Fitness