Over 12 years ago I started a fitness business with my wife. We thought it was going to easy and fun - no suit, no tie, no briefcase. Instead, fitness business attire is comfortable exercise clothes, running shoes and you accessorize with ball caps and track jackets. We thought we'd train a few hours, kick back and do our own workouts and then wander down to the beach with the dog. The dream was for an idyllic life, calling our own shots, doing our own thing at our own pace. The reality was very different. Almost immediately we found out we'd signed up for a non-stop, 24/7 life of deadlines, decisions and competing commitments

That said, starting a fitness business is still the best and smartest thing I have ever done. No, it is not a day at the beach, but if you're up for the challenge running your own fitness business is the greatest life you can possibly have. I just wish someone would have shared the reality with me instead of pushing the fantasy.

If you're thinking of starting a fitness business here are three things to keep in mind in the very early stages of your start up. If you are already running a business you can use the same three points as a reference to make sure you are still heading towards the dream.

Fitness Business| Tip 1:

Find your niche and stay focused. I like to add the focus part because often fitness entrepreneurs who know their niche will still try to add additional services. I fell into this trap. I love personal training and I am a great trainer so that was my niche. But the sign above the door and all our brochures said, “Personal Training, Spinning, Group Training, Massage, Nutrition, Pilates and Yoga.” My fitness business was spending money and time trying to attract customers who, in the end, added very little value. Stay focused on what you do and only do things that add value to your fitness business.

Fitness Business| Tip 2:

Hire people to do the things that you do not enjoy or that eat up your valuable time. No one is great at everything so take a hard look at who you are and be honest about the tasks you're not good at. For me it was and still is math. This is an important discovery because at first it may not seem important but then the realities of accounting for your fitness business kick in and you quickly realize that you hate doing it and you suck at it. You may even be making costly mistakes. Hire, hire and hire people to make your life easier so you can focus your time and energy on what you do best.

Fitness Business| Tip 3:

Write a fitness business plan. If you do not know how to write a business plan see tip 2. A good business plan should be built around what you are successful at and should include realistic goals and projections. Really they are very similar to the S.M.A.R.T. principal used in fitness goal setting. You need to be Specific about what you do, it needs to be Measured in revenues, these revenues will need to be Attainable, the growth will need to be Realistic and of course everything needs to have a Timeline. Write it down and use it to secure funding or to lease a space but also as a reference to keep yourself on track. It is easy to get distracted by fads and other activities so stay focused by planning.
What tips do you have to share with other fitness professionals?

For more on how we grew Momentum Fitness and the different things that we went through in the building of a successful fitness business follow this blog series or download my new eBook.