Anyone who is self employed or running a small business will completely understand the ‘spinning plate’ reference. Working as a self employed personal trainer in Fulham instantly makes you CEO, finance director and coal face PT. Unlike those working for an established fitness chain such as F45, the freelance trainer is responsible for all aspects of the business. Trying to keep on top of everything whilst delivering to a growing client base is challenging. Sometimes overwhelming. Here, experienced Fulham Personal Trainer Nathan Kelly, shares experience of juggling various roles effectively.
It is what it is
Working as a fitness coach in a commercial gym is straightforward. However, the kudos of working as a freelance trainer comes at a price. Personal training is no different from any other business. It is exactly that – a business! Mobile personal trainers must approach the trade as a business in order to be successful. It is what it is.
At NK Fitness we look at the year in much the same way as an athlete would. There’s an overall objective for the long term. What is the aim of the business in the medium / long term? This may be similar to an Olympian’s quadrennial planning (the four year cycles between Olympic and Paralympic Games). Long term goals provide direction year on year for your business.
Annual Planning for Success
In the same way that elite athletes need to complete many different forms of training modalities, the elite self employed Fulham personal trainer has many different job roles. These extend beyond delivering effective mobile fitness sessions to happy clients. Some roles are considered ‘year round’. Other roles may be seasonal. Furthermore, others roles may be regular but infrequent.
When planning the week, time must always be made for essential admin. These roles include programming, liaising with clients, fielding enquiries and recording financial information. Depending upon a self employed personal trainer client base there are likely to be periods in the year when their schedule is less busy. Summer and Christmas holidays are prime examples. Times when the diary is quiet represent excellent opportunities to revisit goal setting, blogging, marketing and CPD.