Starting a business

[4phw]

Do you have any credentials/education/certifications in fitness, nutrition, healthcare?

3 years at the Chek institute (many certs), many mentorships as well. Knowledge wasn’t as helpful as applied knowledge. That’s when I took my health seriously and did it on myself first.

 

[S.Clancy]

3 years at the Chek institute (many certs), many mentorships as well. Knowledge wasn’t as helpful as applied knowledge. That’s when I took my health seriously and did it on myself first.

I would do the absolute minimum certs for people to take you seriously. They are all absolutely worthless and only function on getting the organization for $$$.

 

[4phw]

I would do the absolute minimum certs for people to take you seriously. They are all absolutely worthless and only function on getting the organization for $$$.

I learned that as well. They only get you so far haha. Just took me a little longer than it should’ve

 

[S.Clancy]

I learned that as well. They only get you so far haha. Just took me a little longer than it should’ve

About the only one I feel confident in saying would help from an actual knowledge standpoint would be a CSCS from NSCA.

 

[Laramie]

There are 4 people in my small LinkedIn network doing this currently. One of them seems to be doing pretty well and the others are grinding. I actually paid for a personal trainer 20 years ago- not the same but it did make a huge difference in my life.

I have 3 different side businesses. 2 are basically passive and the third requires hard work but it pays very well.

Best advice I can give is to clearly define your goals going in. What do you want to get out of the work you put in? Involve the important people in your life with the goal setting so they can help you with motivation and remove all sense of guilt about the extra work.

All else can be learned but not having clear goals in mind hurts motivation later. For instance, one of my side gigs is umpiring baseball. My goal with that each summer is to pay for all of my hunting and fishing trips. I budget for the year and that lets me know exactly how much I need to work to pay for it all. Those late season games are hard on the mind and body but the thought of the trips keeps me going. My wife also supports me 100% because she knows I am working hard to benefit everyone in the family.

 

[4phw]

There are 4 people in my small LinkedIn network doing this currently. One of them seems to be doing pretty well and the others are grinding. I actually paid for a personal trainer 20 years ago- not the same but it did make a huge difference in my life.

I have 3 different side businesses. 2 are basically passive and the third requires hard work but it pays very well.

Best advice I can give is to clearly define your goals going in. What do you want to get out of the work you put in? Involve the important people in your life with the goal setting so they can help you with motivation and remove all sense of guilt about the extra work.

All else can be learned but not having clear goals in mind hurts motivation later. For instance, one of my side gigs is umpiring baseball. My goal with that each summer is to pay for all of my hunting and fishing trips. I budget for the year and that lets me know exactly how much I need to work to pay for it all. Those late season games are hard on the mind and body but the thought of the trips keeps me going. My wife also supports me 100% because she knows I am working hard to benefit everyone in the family.

Great insight on goals. I much need to improve on setting goals in all aspects of my life. Not just the physical. Thanks!

 

[307]

I think honestly your odds of success are really low unless you're super good looking and present very well on camera. Honestly, that's probably even not enough these days with the infiltration of AI into the space not to mention the GLP 1 revolution taking place at the same time.

I have 25 years in health/wellness/fitness. I've owned gyms, done more CE on corrective exercise than I care to admit, have a gym worth of equipment, have opened in 3 different places. My undergrad degree is exercise science and my professional degree is in a similar space. I make my $ on the healthcare side of the fence rather than fitness/coaching but have experience with both. I know dozens of people who've tried to do what you've done in one form or another and it's a very, very difficult road with extremely low odds of success.

The money in health/fitness is in selling guys like you the certifications, equipment, services on the implied promise that you can start your own business and live out your dreams of being a coach and changing people's lives...

"Working hard" sounds great but also consider that if you spend 1000 hours a year trying to get this business off the ground, and it will take that and more, that's 1000 hours you won't have to spend with your wife and child, or hunting, or doing any other thing you value. You can't get those hours back.

It's best to see the reality of these things rather than the "rose colored glasses" version that the institutes, coaches, and salespeople will present, all so that they can get their $ before you know the hard part

 

[mtnbiker208]

I have been self employed for 23 years now. So take this with a grain of salt.
I say do it, if you have thought it thru, and i do mean done the math to see how many customers you need to make a profit. I have seen a lot of smart people loose there life savings starting a business. In my opinion there are a few charateristics a business owner needs to have to be succesful: one is unrelenting, the other is totally believe in yourself. Can you make a decision or are you wishy washy? Are you willing to loose everything for your idea? Is your spouse on board?

Do you like to sleep at night? if you do, do not start a business, you will be stairing at the ceiling most nights trying to figure out how to do, what ever is next.

You are wanting to enter a field that has alot of people in it right now. I can go to youtube and get all the coaching i want and need for the rest of my life right now. So the question to you is: HOW CAN YOU SERVE MORE PEOPLE BETTER, than what is out there right now?

I am lucky, my wife is on board, she knows about all the signature guarantees that i have done. What is a signature guarantee? That is when you sign a piece of paper saying you will pay all the bills your llc has occured, even if the llc fails. Do you have the stomach for that? Can you stand tall when everything is falling around you?

 

[4phw]

I think honestly your odds of success are really low unless you're super good looking and present very well on camera. Honestly, that's probably even not enough these days with the infiltration of AI into the space not to mention the GLP 1 revolution taking place at the same time.

I have 25 years in health/wellness/fitness. I've owned gyms, done more CE on corrective exercise than I care to admit, have a gym worth of equipment, have opened in 3 different places. My undergrad degree is exercise science and my professional degree is in a similar space. I make my $ on the healthcare side of the fence rather than fitness/coaching but have experience with both. I know dozens of people who've tried to do what you've done in one form or another and it's a very, very difficult road with extremely low odds of success.

The money in health/fitness is in selling guys like you the certifications, equipment, services on the implied promise that you can start your own business and live out your dreams of being a coach and changing people's lives...

"Working hard" sounds great but also consider that if you spend 1000 hours a year trying to get this business off the ground, and it will take that and more, that's 1000 hours you won't have to spend with your wife and child, or hunting, or doing any other thing you value. You can't get those hours back.

It's best to see the reality of these things rather than the "rose colored glasses" version that the institutes, coaches, and salespeople will present, all so that they can get their $ before you know the hard part

Respectfully I wasn’t asking if I should or shouldn’t do it, I wanted to hear other entrepreneurs experiences with getting past their head and into their experience.

I value your input with such a great amount of experience, but AI simply isn’t there whatsoever with being able to coach people. It still thinks muscle growth is caused by microtears and a pump haha. Pretty off on most biomechanics stuff as well.

As far as “selling” me dreams of certs/ business. I’ve spent a total of 10,000 on education- which really isn’t much in the grand scheme of things. Especially learning under successful coaches that have done and currently doing what I’d like.

I work my A off anyway, so why not for myself? Why not me? I’m going to try either way. Especially when the bar is so low. I bet 50% of coaches just have AI write a program and make it “custom”. Every single client I’ve worked with has had amazing results.

I’m not in it to get rich/ make money. I’m in it to use my God given talents to influence the world for the best, as that’s what I want the end goal to be.

 

[4phw]

I have been self employed for 23 years now. So take this with a grain of salt.
I say do it, if you have thought it thru, and i do mean done the math to see how many customers you need to make a profit. I have seen a lot of smart people loose there life savings starting a business. In my opinion there are a few charateristics a business owner needs to have to be succesful: one is unrelenting, the other is totally believe in yourself. Can you make a decision or are you wishy washy? Are you willing to loose everything for your idea? Is your spouse on board?

Do you like to sleep at night? if you do, do not start a business, you will be stairing at the ceiling most nights trying to figure out how to do, what ever is next.

You are wanting to enter a field that has alot of people in it right now. I can go to youtube and get all the coaching i want and need for the rest of my life right now. So the question to you is: HOW CAN YOU SERVE MORE PEOPLE BETTER, than what is out there right now?

I am lucky, my wife is on board, she knows about all the signature guarantees that i have done. What is a signature guarantee? That is when you sign a piece of paper saying you will pay all the bills your llc has occured, even if the llc fails. Do you have the stomach for that? Can you stand tall when everything is falling around you?

The decision making is a great thing I needed to hear. Much appreciate that input.

I’m lucky enough to have the greatest wife for me, truly.

 

[Nine Banger]

Just get started.

Don't try to make everything perfect.

If the market wants it you'll know and you can get more serious and more invested in what's working and scale up as needed.

Don't read too many business books. You're an entrepreneur not a mid level manager so don't act like one.

 

[Huntndog]

I am looking at this from the other side . 22 or so years ago I trained dogs on the side for friends and family for free while working full time. One day my wife told me I should charge people for training. I laughed and assured her that nobody would pay me to train their dog. Her sister’s boss had one he wanted trained and she had told him
I would do it for a fee. When he showed up to get his dog and asked what I wanted
I said $200. I stared at that money in my hand and a lightbulb came on….
A few months passed and I trained another one . My wife agreed to keep a dog for someone while I trained another. A year later we probably averaged 4-5 dogs a day.

As the business grew we built infrastructure one piece at a time. We never took on debt and both worked full time. Eventually we took the plunge and did the kennel business full time. Just prior to Covid I was training over 300 dogs a year ( mostly obedience)
We have kenneled thousands. As we speak there are about 40 out there with a bunch coming in this weekend.

The advice you have gotten in this thread is excellent. I never met anyone who has a successful small business who hasn’t worked like a trojan to get there. Reputation is everything and if people are happy they will tell others. Nobody will work as hard or care for your business as you will.

The positive side is enormous. We make 7-8 times what I did when we started.
We call the shots and make the rules. There is great satisfaction in knowing you created something successful. As others have said , in your particular case you can pursue your dream without too much risk. I say go for it!

 

[4phw]

I am looking at this from the other side . 22 or so years ago I trained dogs on the side for friends and family for free while working full time. One day my wife told me I should charge people for training. I laughed and assured her that nobody would pay me to train their dog. Her sister’s boss had one he wanted trained and she had told him
I would do it for a fee. When he showed up to get his dog and asked what I wanted
I said $200. I stared at that money in my hand and a lightbulb came on….
A few months passed and I trained another one . My wife agreed to keep a dog for someone while I trained another. A year later we probably averaged 4-5 dogs a day.

As the business grew we built infrastructure one piece at a time. We never took on debt and both worked full time. Eventually we took the plunge and did the kennel business full time. Just prior to Covid I was training over 300 dogs a year ( mostly obedience)
We have kenneled thousands. As we speak there are about 40 out there with a bunch coming in this weekend.

The advice you have gotten in this thread is excellent. I never met anyone who has a successful small business who hasn’t worked like a trojan to get there. Reputation is everything and if people are happy they will tell others. Nobody will work as hard or care for your business as you will.

The positive side is enormous. We make 7-8 times what I did when we started.
We call the shots and make the rules. There is great satisfaction in knowing you created something successful. As others have said , in your particular case you can pursue your dream without too much risk. I say go for it!

I love hearing stuff like this. I liked the part where you laughed about charging people- and you turned it into a business. I really have no risk, so why not? I’m happy for you that you are doing great!

 

[4phw]

Just get started.

Don't try to make everything perfect.

If the market wants it you'll know and you can get more serious and more invested in what's working and scale up as needed.

Don't read too many business books. You're an entrepreneur not a mid level manager so don't act like one.

Thanks for the words! Scope is great by the way.

 

[180ls1]

Whatever you can do to keep your cost of living low and have a nest egg to live off of (or spouse) until you really start getting traction.

Ideas are most overrated. Plenty of well established "boring" careers that pull in multiple six figures every year. However, everyone remembers the moonshots that make the news and goes "why didn't I think of that?"

Check out Donald Miller, great marketing content.

 

[4phw]

Whatever you can do to keep your cost of living low and have a nest egg to live off of (or spouse) until you really start getting traction.

Ideas are most overrated. Plenty of well established "boring" careers that pull in multiple six figures every year. However, everyone remembers the moonshots that make the news and goes "why didn't I think of that?"

Check out Donald Miller, great marketing content.

Looking him up now. Luckily we live well below our means, but have our first kid on the way.

 

[S.Clancy]

I think honestly your odds of success are really low unless you're super good looking and present very well on camera. Honestly, that's probably even not enough these days with the infiltration of AI into the space not to mention the GLP 1 revolution taking place at the same time.

I have 25 years in health/wellness/fitness. I've owned gyms, done more CE on corrective exercise than I care to admit, have a gym worth of equipment, have opened in 3 different places. My undergrad degree is exercise science and my professional degree is in a similar space. I make my $ on the healthcare side of the fence rather than fitness/coaching but have experience with both. I know dozens of people who've tried to do what you've done in one form or another and it's a very, very difficult road with extremely low odds of success.

The money in health/fitness is in selling guys like you the certifications, equipment, services on the implied promise that you can start your own business and live out your dreams of being a coach and changing people's lives...

"Working hard" sounds great but also consider that if you spend 1000 hours a year trying to get this business off the ground, and it will take that and more, that's 1000 hours you won't have to spend with your wife and child, or hunting, or doing any other thing you value. You can't get those hours back.

It's best to see the reality of these things rather than the "rose colored glasses" version that the institutes, coaches, and salespeople will present, all so that they can get their $ before you know the hard part

This is what I wanted to say at first. To say this industry is difficult to make a living in is a massive understatement.

The people that I know that make OK $$$ rent a small commercial garage, buy equipment and then in short order hire other trainers and scale into products or something else.

 

[4phw]

This is what I wanted to say at first. To say this industry is difficult to make a living in is a massive understatement.

The people that I know that make OK $$$ rent a small commercial garage, buy equipment and then in short order hire other trainers and scale into products or something else.

Fully expecting to get my butt kicked. For the Lord, myself, and my family I have to try!

 

[Aussie Dan]

Also, someone else mentioned fitness for old folks.
I have a friend in Sydney who does group workout/zumba sessions at old folks homes and is absolutely killing it.
That might be something you could look into.
I wouldnt box yourself in to any one aspect of training/coaching until you have your niche figured out.
You might need to do a couple different types of training/coaching Before you can specialise.

I believe you said earlier that youre a Christian, I assume that means you go to church regularly.
Maybe you could offer group fitness training through your church.
20 people @ $5 per person is $100 for an hours work.

You could offer online training/coaching to schools to use in gym class.

Theres a million different low risk options and ways to move forward, despite as others have said it being a saturated market.

 

[4phw]

Also, someone else mentioned fitness for old folks.
I have a friend in Sydney who does group workout/zumba sessions at old folks homes and is absolutely killing it.
That might be something you could look into.
I wouldnt box yourself in to any one aspect of training/coaching until you have your niche figured out.
You might need to do a couple different types of training/coaching Before you can specialise.

I believe you said earlier that youre a Christian, I assume that means you go to church regularly.
Maybe you could offer group fitness training through your church.
20 people @ $5 per person is $100 for an hours work.

You could offer online training/coaching to schools to use in gym class.

Theres a million different low risk options and ways to move forward, despite as others have said it being a saturated market.

Thanks for the input! I like the ideas a lot, helps me think outside the box. So far I LOVE working with beginners, but I haven’t coached enough to find my niche.