In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has swept across the world, many people turn to self-employment or move their services online. In particular, for those in the fitness industry, now is a fantastic time to create a business, especially as many gyms are closed for an indefinite period. Going solo means you can work remotely and reach a wider audience if you choose to go online. Below are a few things you’ll need to do to start a self-employed business in fitness.
Determine Your Niche
If you don’t know your niche, you’ll want to establish this first before you set other things in motion. Whether you’re aiming to be a class teacher or a personal trainer, you’ll want to narrow down the niche areas of your industry and your target audience. This includes figuring out the age group and location of your potential customers. Also, with industries like personal training or teaching, you’ll want to specialize so that you can stand out.
Establish Your Medium
Depending on your niche, it’s important to determine whether you’ll deliver your services in person, online, or both. For example, will you rent out a studio? Or will you teach or train in people’s homes? You could even provide your services wholly online and capitalize on the likes of YouTube and Facebook Live. While many are opting to go completely online, there are also advantages to taking your services out into public areas like parks or studios.
Build a Website
Like all businesses, it’s imperative to build a website to promote your services. A high-quality website will tell a story about who you are, what you’re passionate about, and what services you offer. Websites are also important for SEO and for helping you establish authority via blogs and other content.
Visuals such as images and video are also incredibly important for demonstrating your expertise. Where possible, provide an introductory video, as it can be an excellent way to capture your site visitors’ attention. Getting familiar with video editing tools can also go a long way towards helping you produce something that truly stands out.
Set Up Subscriptions
If you’ve opted to go mainly online, setting up a subscription for your services is also an excellent idea. Sites like Patreon are great for freelancers to promote their services and get paid a subscription fee. Alternatively, you could build your own subscription platform and create packages for your services.
Learn About Marketing
To succeed as a self-employed fitness instructor or trainer, you’ll need to become familiar with marketing basics. With so many businesses flooding the market these days, you’ll need to find ways to stand out and be found by would-be fitness fanatics. Along with your website, make sure you are set up on all the primary social media channels. Get familiar with SEO practices and ensure you’re using keywords in your web content, blogs, and videos. It’s also a good idea to run marketing campaigns to promote what you do.
