My Advice To Personal Trainers Who Want To Open A Gym
I am often approached by Personal Trainers who want to open their own gym but need help knowing where to start.
My journey began in 2016 as a subcontractor working out of a commercial gym. After doing this for two years, I decided to take the leap and open my own private gym.
Admittedly, I dived into gym ownership headfirst without a plan or any idea of how to run a gym.
I didn't seek any advice before opening my first gym, but this is the advice I give to personal trainers who ask for my help and the advice I would like to have received.
This advice will help you open your first gym successfully and ensure your fitness business doesn't become another 'industry statistic' while avoiding the mistakes I initially made before I scaled my gyms to multiple locations.
#1: Leverage: Open a Gym To Scale
The first question I ask anyone who wants to open a gym is, "Why?"
Do they want to open a gym and become a 'solopreneur' personal trainer who trades time for money in their own business?
Or do they want to become a fitness business owner who has leverage?
I opened my first gym to get off the 'personal trainer hamster wheel'. When I worked at a commercial gym, the impact I could have on people and the money I could earn was limited by the amount of hours in the day.
Once I opened my gym, I built a team and designed systems so we could scale, which helped me leverage my time. This meant I could help more people and earn more money while working less hours.
But if you are opening a gym without a plan to scale, you will end up with a job in your business that demands long hours, pays a low wage, and comes with high levels of stress.
#2: Open With The Minimum Viable Product
Many gym owners make the mistake of overcapitalising on 'shiny objects' when opening their gym. They think expensive gym equipment is a key selling point as opposed to the experience, coaching and results they can offer.
When I opened my gym, I didn't have much capital to invest in 'shiny objects'.
The building was down a dark alley and looked like a scene from a horror movie. I could only afford basic equipment; I didn't have a fancy lighting system, and paint and signage would come later.
I was opening with the MVP: "Minimum Viable Product."
Instead of focusing on custom dumbbells, branded gym equipment or hexagonal lighting...
I was focusing on my customer journey, building community and client results.
When we did start to make money, instead of blowing it on objects that wouldn't generate revenue for the business, I invested it in marketing, building a team and business coaching.
This investment paid off, as within a year, the first gym was at capacity, and I was able to open my second and third gyms. A year after that, I renovated the first gym and turned it into my dream gym.
#3: Reverse Engineer Your Training Model
When I opened my first gym, I did two things well, and one I could have done better if I had known what I know now.
What I did well:
Locality - I opened in an area with an existing client base and reputation.
Price - I didn't get myself locked into an expensive long-term lease. I found a building in my local area that was within my budget.
What I could have done better:
I didn't know what size building to look for as I didn't know what my training model would be. As a 1-1 Personal Trainer, I didn't have a plan when opening my gym to deliver a scalable service.
When I did open, I eventually adopted small-group semi-private training, which we still do today. However, the original floor space was a touch on the small size, and the equipment needed to be rearranged to suit it.
We eventually took over the neighbouring building to help expand our layout and reconfigured the equipment to suit small-group training.
If I had known how I would train my clients, what equipment I needed, and how many members we would train per session from Day 1, I could have saved time and money when scouting locations.
#4: Know Your Numbers
The most common mistake newbie gym owners make is not knowing their numbers.
When I opened my first gym, I only accounted for one major expense: rent. I compared the rent I would pay for my gym to the rent I paid as a Personal Trainer at a Commercial gym. On paper, it wouldn't seem like my expenses would increase much.
In reality, I learned that there were a lot more expenses I didn't account for:
Outgoings + GST
Payroll, BAS + Super
Utilities
Insurance
Marketing
I needed to learn my numbers and map out how to make my gym profitable as I scaled by:
Calculating my total expenses
Setting a goal profit margin
= Goal total revenue
Then, understand how many members it would need to hit my goal revenue and make my gym profitable.
Summary:
If you are about to open your own gym and want to kickstart your journey as a successful gym owner:
Have a plan to scale for greater career longevity
Open with the Minimum Viable Product and avoid shiny objects
Design your training model before scouting locations
Know your Numbers and set goals to become profitable
Knowing what I know now, I have opened five more gyms since opening my first. These gym openings have become smoother and easier as I learn more lessons. Now, each gym opens close to capacity and is designed perfectly to fit our model.
Click the button below if you want me to help you launch your first gym.