How to Start Your Own Gym, Fitness Center or Personal Training Business

This would be your standard type of gym. You will likely have standard fitness equipment like cross trainers, stationary bikes, rowing machines, treadmills, resistance trainers and weights. You’ll also probably provide fitness classes in special rooms and event spaces.

This type of gym might focus on specific types of training. For example, you might have a gym dedicated to weight training or endurance training, with equipment designed to achieve focused results.

Many gyms have very expensive monthly membership fees. You might choose to go another direction with more basic equipment and a lower fee. Rather than having monthly memberships, you might even go with a “pay-as-you-go” approach.

This type of business may focus on fitness-related activities that help maintain health and well-being rather than a relentless focus on getting fit. This could include activities like yoga, Pilates, dance and similar approaches.

If you’re running a gym, the location will be vital. You’ll need somewhere that’s easily accessible, with enough space for all the equipment you’ll need and classes you want to run. These types of spaces can be hard to find, so engage a commercial real estate agent who can provide options for renting and leasing space. Remember to take into account specialized needs like flooring for classes, reinforced areas for weights and multiple power points for fitness equipment.

One of your main expenses for your gym will be fitness equipment. You’ll need special training devices for cardiovascular workouts like treadmills, rowing machines and cross trainers. You’ll also need other equipment like weights, balance balls, resistance machines and much more. Don’t forget to budget for all your fixtures and fittings, together with computer equipment and entertainment systems to keep members happy while they work out.

If you’re a personal trainer, you probably won't need to hire anyone else. If you’re running a gym, it’s likely you’ll need to take on some staff to help you with administration, providing fitness classes and other tasks.

The right software and processes will make running your gym, fitness or personal training business much easier. See our list of the best apps and software at the end of this guide.

If you’re running a personal training business, you’ll have more flexibility. You may be able to rent a hall or event space when you need it for classes or work with a local gym owner to provide services at their location. Some personal trainers may choose to provide classes in the great outdoors but beware of weather changes.

Marketing will be a huge part of your gym, fitness or personal training business. Naturally, you will need an awesome website, but you'll also need to get branding, newsletters, digital ads, social media accounts and other channels in place.

You will need a separate business bank account for your gym or personal training business. You might also want to consider a business credit card. Additionally, you will need to keep careful bookkeeping records and file business and personal taxes. Here at Bizee we can even help you file your taxes.

As a personal trainer, you’ll need far less equipment. Your exact needs will vary depending on the type of training you offer, but you will at least need some good sets of gym clothes and shoes, a mobile device to track signups and schedules and a reliable mode of transportation.