The Big Jump: From Enthusiast to Fitness Studio Founder

So you’ve decided to make the jump: from fitness enthusiast, sweating away in a gym, to studio founder – sweating over the stress of starting your own business. It can be a scary move, but we at Creative Fit have seen it happen. All of our clients started out as fitness hobbyists; but after discovering their passion, they’ve leveraged it into a career as owners of boutique fitness studio owners.

What does it take to succeed? There’s the obvious stuff – do your market research; decide on a target market; write a business plan; and find the perfect location – but these are a few other keys to success we’ve observed while working with fitness studio founders.

Build your brand before you invest.

We don’t just mean your studio’s brand – we can help with that when the timing is right. We mean your personal brand! Partner with other small businesses or fitness centres to teach new classes and get your name out there. Run events that test your concept and see how the community reacts, and start building a list of contacts you can target when you open your doors.

Lean on the experts.

As a small business owner, you can’t do everything by yourself – especially if you want to focus on the important things: growing your business. Surround yourself with people you trust who can round out your skills. Bring in great teachers to round out your schedule; hire guest services professionals to give your fitness studio polish; and outsource tasks like bookkeeping and marketing to dedicated service providers.

Know what you stand for.

Especially when it comes to the wellness industry, people don’t just buy into what you do, but also why you do it. Know what your values are, and you’re more likely to attract people who share them and will go on to become loyal customers and advocates.

It’s not going to be easy, but if you’ve got the drive – and you are ready to sweat for it – dreams can come true. And don’t forget – when you’re ready to make the jump, we’re here to help.