Contract Worker

Personal Trainers Are Like Rock Stars - They Both Have Short-lived Careers

The career span of your typical rock star is extremely short lived. If a band is lucky they may have five or six good years. Unless they produce a lot hits fast they disappear into obscurity. There are groups like U2, Bon Jovi and Elton John who have made careers in the music industry but they are the exception. Making a career out of personal training and becoming an in-demand trainer can be just as challenging as becoming a rock star. It takes a lot of time, dedication and perseverance to make it happen and then requires stamina, business skills and planning to maintain it. Many trainers struggle and as a result have short-lived careers.

Personal training burst onto the scene in the early 1990's and peaked in and around 1995. Since then, growth in the industry has been steadily climbing but not enough to keep up with the gluttony of trainers being pumped through the certification process. This has dumped more trainers into the market then public demand and the availability of jobs. Where trainers used to seek employment at fitness facilities, recreation centers or private studios many of them are starting their own businesses just to be able to work. With little to no business experience these trainers fail because they lack the fundamental knowledge of the industry, mentorship and understanding of what it takes to have longevity in the field.

The appeal of making sixty to a hundred dollars an hour lures many people into the industry. While there are trainers making this hourly rate they are typically more seasoned, possess a higher level of education, have obtained a specialty, considered to be an expert or have gained notoriety. Most trainers earn far less. Unlike a regular job, trainers don't work a typical forty hour work week but average around twenty to twenty-five hours a week. This is usually because working with people one-on-one or even in groups can be extremely draining to your personal energy. Every client requires a hundred percent of a trainer's attention and focus. Most trainers find it difficult to be on top of their game for forty hours a week. As any seasoned professional will tell you, over packing your schedule with clients will certainly lead to burn-out and a loss of passion.

Another issue that arises for trainers is the ebb and flow of work week hours which impacts income. From week to week the number of hours can fluctuate due to client cancellations, illness or holidays. Trainers can seldom guarantee their income and it's not uncommon to have twenty or thirty sessions booked and then have five or sometimes even ten cancellations depending on the season. There are also two significant down periods in the industry which occur during August and December. Income can drop to almost zero during these months and a savvy and experienced trainer knows how to budget for these times of famine.

Most independent trainers find it difficult to build a clientele when first getting started. Friends of friends or family members are typically amongst their first clients. Word of mouth is highly relied upon to build the business and for a short time this strategy seems to work. However, referrals dry-up quickly and unless a trainer has some marketing experience they often struggle to find new clients. Without the influx of new prospects any existing clients that do leave have a tremendous impact to their finances especially if the client was a regular.

Adding to the fluctuations in income and the difficulty in building a clientele there are long hours and a lot of unpaid time required to build the business. There is no benefits package in place so getting sick can be very costly. There are trainers who don't take vacation because they can't afford to lose the income. Unless you contribute to a retirement savings plan there won't be any money put aside for you to retire on.

To get a successful personal training business off the ground takes effort. Even with a plan in place, it's been my observation from over eighteen years experience that the typical career span of a personal trainer is roughly about five years. Some only make it to three and then succumb to the pressures of trying to make enough money to keep them going. They realize it's harder than they thought and decide to do it part-time and seek full-time employment in another field or they stay in their current job and train on the side or just simply leave the industry.

This is the reality of the personal training industry which isn't communicated to you in school or when taking your certifications. You are given no real business direction about how to be successful and little if any mentorship once you're done. Like the rock star you are left to your devices to make it work and it's either sink or swim.

Now that I've informed you of the challenges of being a career personal trainer you can analyze each situation and work to mitigate the obstacles. Here is a summary of the challenges a trainer must know and understand in order to build a career in the industry.

1)Lack of employment opportunities within fitness facilities, recreation centers and private studios leading to the need for trainers to start their own businesses in order to work in the field.

2)Minimal business experience and knowledge of the fitness industry.

3)Limited income ability due to number of hours a trainer can work in a week plus the added impact of client cancellations, holidays and illness.

4)High burn-out rate amongst trainers that attempt to work forty hours a week on a consistent basis.

5)Fluctuating income cycle with two definitive slow periods in August and December.

6)Relying on word or mouth rather than building a solid marketing plan to attract new prospects.

7)Long, unpaid hours to build the business.

8)Inability to take personal holidays and illness which can impact income generation.

9)Supplemental income may be needed if training does not cover the necessary financial requirements to cover personal expenses.

10)No benefit or retirement savings plan.

These are the facts. But what if I told you there was a way to increase your likelihood of being successful. What I'm about to share with you is not a guarantee of success but a chance to increase your odds, a shot at the stage and an opportunity to rock. Successful bands have great managers. Someone who knows the music business, is well connected and believes enough in the bands' ability to help them navigate the competitive field. The manager is familiar with the pitfalls of the industry and helps the band avoid situations that could lead them down the wrong path. If the bands' enthusiasm or direction starts to wane, the manager swiftly gets them back on track.

To help you obtain your rock star status as a personal trainer you would be wise to consider the services of a business coach. Someone who knows the industry, can help you understand all aspects of the business and how to get you started the right way. As a personal trainer, clients' hire you for the same reason you should consider a coach. The client can learn to do it for themselves but they are more likely to be successful with a trainer coaching them along. You help your clients avoid unsafe exercises, provide correct technique and results oriented programs.

Business coaches have been around for a long time servicing other industries with great success. It's only in the past year or two that a handful of industry knowledgeable fitness professionals made the move towards business coaching. These business coaches know the industry and are helping trainers through their own experience and by providing a mentorship opportunity which is much needed and lacking in the industry.

While hiring a business coach can't guarantee your success because you still have to the work, it certainly will prevent you from making costly mistakes or heading down the wrong path. If you are looking for a career as a personal trainer, the right business coach will understand all the issues I've presented here and help you think about ways to get around each one. Why not use all the advantages you can get to ensure your success and earn your rock star status.