So you’ve graduated from your Certificate III & IV in Fitness (or about to), and it’s time to take the next step in your career. You’ve done all you can to educate yourself and get the practical experience, now it’s up to you to make the most of it.
The big question at this point is: Which PT business is right for you? Here we take a look at the three options you have when deciding what fitness career to take on.
Your Own Business:
Like any business, doing things on your own has many pros and cons. From having to set everything up in regards to business certifications and registrations, right through to investing in your resources, equipment and facilities. And unless you have built up a strong network of clients prior to or during your studies, it will take some time to grow your business.
The best part is, you don’t have to share revenue with anyone. What you make is all yours, and everything is done on your terms. No one telling you when to work or how to do things, it’s all in your hands. Plus, you determine the location of your sessions, whether it’s in a home gym or at a local park or beach. You’re not confined to the one space.
In many cases, people choose this option if they want to remain in another job or only want to work as a PT part-time. As you choose your own hours, you can fit your sessions around other important aspects of your life, whilst still bringing in revenue.
If this is your full-time job, then you have the opportunity to earn as much as $120,000 per year, as outlined in our projected earnings based on charging clients $60/hour.
Rent A Space:
This option is a very common choice for personal trainers who want flexibility and security, without having to run your own business. Most franchises such as Vision Personal Training, Goodlife, Anytime Fitness, etc, will have these rental opportunities available, where you pay a weekly rental fee, but take all the earnings from each session.
Fitness recruitment service Health People suggest that PTs can typically cover their rental fees in the first 3-5 sessions and make the entirety of everything else beyond that.
The other positive with this option is what you get as part of your weekly fee. Not only do you get access to the gym and its equipment, but you also get access to local clients so you don’t have to worry about sourcing your business.
Most of the larger franchises provide additional support, training and mentoring to assist you to get started and grow your business.
Work For A Business:
If job security and regular income are high on your priority list, then this option will be best for you. Not only does it provide you with a full- or part-time salary, but it also means you don’t have to bear the costs of overheads and resources, and you won’t have to go out and source your own clients.
Many council managed facilities and YMCAs operate under these arrangements, whereby fitness staff are paid a salary and work regular shifts throughout the week.
So the upside is that you’re guaranteed a wage, the downside is that you’re limited as to what you can earn. As a salary is a fixed amount, there’s typically a cap on how much you can bring in. If you were to run the same number of sessions each week either as part of your own business or on a rental agreement, you’d be more likely to earn a higher amount.
Making Your Choice:
When weighing up the decision on how to proceed with your career once you’ve graduated, you need to factor in which elements of your lifestyle are most important. Perhaps, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you want to own your own business or work for someone else?
- Do you have the capital to invest?
- Is this going to be a full-time or part-time job?
- Is this a short-term or long-term commitment?
- How much money do you want to make?
Hopefully, this article has given you some helpful advice about deciding which PT business is right for you. If you’re after some more information about what it takes to start your own business, visit our step-by-step guide here.
To see an extensive list of personal trainer jobs and other business opportunities in the Australian fitness industry, visit our Job Board.
