Going it alone may seem overwhelming at this stage; from creating a space to investing in equipment, to designing a brand. All before actually getting clients through the door. Fellow FutureFit student and Ambassador Pippa Turley has shared a few wise words based on the success of her own home fitness studio in Esher, Surrey, where she has built true community and culture. Even Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancy have been on the books!
“I base the success of my home studio over the last 3 years on a whole range of factors; space efficiency, time efficiency and most importantly, creating client satisfaction through measurable results. I’ll come back to this later.”
“When designing the space, I took into consideration that I needed to create a professional environment, detached from my family home so my clients use a private entrance around the side of my house. I now have a second PT who delivers sessions in the studio as well.”
“In the studio, I use Electric Muscle Stimulation technology, manufactured by XBody to deliver a 20-minute whole-body workout to my clients that are the equivalent of spending around 90 minutes doing conventional training in the gym. Client satisfaction and retention in all global EMS studios, not just my own, is incredibly high. It’s a practical training solution that easily integrates with modern life thanks to its time efficiency.”
“As my clients leave the studio, and in the days that follow, they really feel they’ve trained hard, without spending hours in a sweaty gym. EMS doesn’t require a great deal of additional equipment and in my relatively small space, I can actually train 2 people simultaneously.”
“To measure results and set goals with my clients, I use a Tanita body scanner, and clients love this deep insight into their body composition. I have recommended a similar starting-out model to many UK fitness professionals and all have seen success quickly due to the time-efficient, premium rate nature of EMS training. As a Master Trainer, I also use my space to train new EMS instructors alongside the XBody EMS Trainer Institute which generates an additional stream of income for me.”
Ready to go it alone and set up your own micro gym/home studio? Here is a checklist of important factors to consider in the decision-making process:
From pricing correctly for your local area to creating exclusivity, to evaluating the depth of service you will offer, understanding the local market and your place in it is key.
Your investment capital will influence your best route forward; whether renting a space, creating a space in your garden or using a room in your house is an important decision. The way you start out doesn’t have to be permanent and saving costs upfront means faster profit and therefore faster expansion.
Property (including garden rooms) is priced by square meterage, so saving on as much space as possible is a cost-effective option. Start out with only the necessary equipment and consider space-efficient training solutions like whole-body EMS which only requires 3m x 3m minimum.
As well as creating a concept, community and culture that drives retention, it’s possible to create additional income streams by renting your space to non-competitors or entering new markets.
As overwhelming as it may seem, creating a killer concept that draws on your experiences in the industry thus far will lead to an independent fitness business that is hugely rewarding both financially and developmentally.