So, You Want to Start a Training Business: Where to Begin?
If you’ve ever thought about opening a personal training business, you’re not alone. For coaches, athletes, and many other sports professionals, opening a business is an important, exciting step for their careers – but it’s also overwhelming and daunting, presenting unique challenges and obstacles.
Wondering where to begin? TrueCoach, a trusted personal training platform, is here to help.
Step One: Choosing Software
When starting a personal training business, finding the right software is key. Platforms like TrueCoach help streamline workflows and save time so you can focus your time on clients, not administrative tasks.
How do you find the right software for your business? Think about what your business needs: the ability to create and save workouts, a way to communicate easily with clients, the ability to track progress, and more.
Then, look at software needs from a client perspective: clients should find the software easy to use, with simple ways to communicate and share content.
With that information, you can pick the software that meets the specific needs of your business and clients.
Step Two: Certifications
A great way to elevate your personal training business, and differentiate your business from others, is through certifications. But there are tons of different programs out there. How do you choose what’s right for you and your business? Evaluate price, time, and training techniques.
To help you narrow down options and choose a certification, TrueCoach has partnered with five of the best programs around.
- International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA): ISSA is a highly-accredited association that offers training and NCCA-accredited exams. Their primary training programs include Certified Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor, Group Exercise Instructor, Certified Indoor Cycling Instructor, and Strength Training Specialist.
- USA Weightlifting: USA Weightlifting offers the leading certification for coaches and trainers looking to work with athletes who utilize the snatch, clean, and jerk for sport, fitness, or health.
- National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF): Another NCCA-accredited program, NCSF offers premier online certification courses for Personal Trainers, Strength Coaches, and in Sports Nutrition.
- National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM): NASM educates personal trainers, wellness coaches, and nutrition coaches.
- American Council on Exercise (ACE): ACE offers four NCCA-accredited certifications: Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Health Coach, and Medical Exercise Specialist.
Step Three: Create a Business Plan
With your certifications and software behind you, the next step is to create a business plan.
These plans include information on your business, future goals, market research, and financial analysis. They help you stay focused and organized, identify future challenges and opportunities, and eventually lead to conversations about growth.
The TrueCoach team compares them to a blueprint of a house:
- “The business plan…. outlines your goals, strategies, and steps to achieve success. Just as a blueprint ensures that every corner of the house serves a purpose, your business plan guides your decisions, making sure each aspect of your business contributes to its growth and stability.”
Like the blueprint of a house, the business plan connects directly to the other pillars mentioned above, certifications and software:
- “Certifications are like the building materials and techniques used to construct the house. Just as quality materials ensure the durability and safety of a house, certifications demonstrate your expertise and commitment to delivering effective and safe training to your clients,” the TrueCoach team expanded.
- “The software serves as the home automation system of a personal training business. It helps coaches manage clients, track progress, process payments and communicate seamlessly. This efficiency allows coaches to focus on what truly matters – guiding their clients toward their fitness aspirations.”
Save time, deliver a better client experience, and grow your training business with TrueCoach, the #1 Platform built for personal trainers.
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