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Online personal training is a great way to grow your fitness business beyond your local community. Online personal trainers usually earn money in a few ways:
One-on-one training sessions
Livestreamed group training
Downloadable workout plans
Pre-recorded training programs
Local in-person training or teaching
To start and run your own online fitness business, you’ll need to decide what type of training you want to offer and get the right tools to create, manage, and promote your work.
How to sell personal training services online
There are a few key tools you need to be a successful online personal trainer and keep things running smoothly.
Business website
Class scheduling tools
Payment and invoicing software
Marketing tools, including email and social media tools
You may see personal training software targeted at business owners in the fitness industry, but you may not need it to get started. Compare pricing based on what tools you need and which come with every platform. Having one platform where you can manage all of the above will save you time and let you focus on your business plan.
For example, Squarespace has website templates designed specifically for fitness professionals so you can get a professional website set up quickly. From there, use Acuity Scheduling tools to let clients sign up for sessions with you, fill out intake forms, and pay their fees.
Squarespace subscriptions also come with tools for email marketing, creating discounts, and social media marketing. You can even make it easier for new clients to discover you by linking your new business to search engines.
Tips for starting an online personal training business
Make a plan for your business by thinking through these questions.
Do you want to get certified? Your local laws may not require you to be a certified personal trainer to sell fitness training. But a personal training certification builds your knowledge and can signal your expertise to new clients. Some gyms may require a certification if you teach any fitness programs or work with clients at their locations.
What type of training do you want to offer? Go beyond the type of exercises and workouts you’ll plan. Think through how long you want sessions to last. What class sizes would you prefer? What fitness goals do you want to help people reach?
Who is your target audience? Consider the demographic and fitness level of the clients you want to work with and why they’d be interested in personal training. This will help you shape your workout plans and marketing strategy.
How will you structure your training sessions? Sketch out an outline of a few standard training sessions so you have a template to refer to when making new plans.
How will you teach? Decide if you want to train clients in person, online, or both.
Where will you teach? If you don’t have a training gym for clients or filming, you’ll need to find a place to run your sessions. For in-person sessions, you can go to clients or train in public spaces like parks. For online clients, rent a space or set aside a studio space in your home with good lighting and space to move.
What are your startup costs? Get an idea of the equipment and tools you need to set up your business. You’ll need a website, appointment and payment processing tools, and potentially training equipment and recording equipment. Do some research to get a sense of your initial expenses to make sure you’re financially prepared to start.
How to get personal training clients
Finding your first clients is one of the biggest challenges of starting an online training business. Start by transitioning existing clients to your online business. Consider offering incentives like extra sessions or discounts for clients supporting your new transition.
To bring in new clients, focus on three things.
Brand building: Creating a brand identity doesn’t have to be complicated. Focus on giving your business a personality. Decide how you want to talk to clients, like giving gentle encouragement vs. tough love or framing fitness as a game vs. a mental health journey. Take that personality and build an online presence that reflects it.
Promotion: Use your website, social media, and in-person events to promote your new business. Post clips from your training videos or in-person sessions or share some beginner tips to start building a following and show your know-how to potential clients.
Word of mouth: Personal recommendations from existing clients can go far. Ask your current clients to recommend you to friends and family or post about your new online services. Ask for reviews and testimonials to post on your website and social media. Consider rewarding clients who make a successful referral with discounts to encourage sharing.
Get more tips for finding new clients
How much to charge for personal training
There’s no “right” amount to charge for personal training. But your rates should make sense for your clients and your experience level. Set your pricing based on:
What fitness trainers with similar experience and offerings are charging
How much you need to earn to turn a profit
The type of training you’re doing
Downloadable training plans, for example, might cost $40 since they don’t include live training from you. Group workout programs will cost less than individual sessions, but virtual training should cost less than face-to-face sessions. Or offer packages at a slight discount, like 10% off for clients who sign up for five or more training sessions at once.
Don’t forget to factor long-term costs into your expenses. That includes any insurance you might need, gas to get to in-person training sessions, and transaction fees on client payments.
With time and dedication to your client base, you’ll be able to make your fitness coaching into a profitable business.
Ready to launch a personal training business?