How I Started A $9K/Month Online Personal Training Business
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
My name is Andy Griffiths, I am the founder of Expert PT; an Online Personal Training service that specializes in fast-tracking body transformations.
The service is a unique one to one online coaching service where I personally help individuals achieve their desired physiques using bespoke training and nutrition plans as well as weekly personalized video feedback.
My clients are wide-ranging in terms of age, culture, background, and demographic, I have consciously set out to achieve this via a persona and tone that does not alienate any one group. I have created a lucrative business model that has minimal static overheads which allows me to work from anywhere and with a global client base.
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
After years of coaching people in the military, in commercial gyms and private studios, it became apparent to me that I was limited in terms of the volume of people I could help and support. There were only so many hours in the day, only so many clients I could work with. I found myself saying no to a lot of people who really needed my help, as I simply didn't have the capacity to support them all - something which was against my own values of helping anyone that needs support.
Focus on making money first and foremost as focusing too much on building social media platforms and overly fine-tuning systems will delay your growth.
Eventually, I had an epiphany; I decided to take my service online! Taking my service online afforded me the time I needed to help more people, to have an impact all over the UK and internationally. So, I did what anyone does when aspiring to take on a new role, or simply find something out; I Googled it! What I found was both shocking and inspiring.
I found that few of the Online Personal Trainers were offering the service they were promising. I wanted to really experience what was out there; so I trialed as many online trainers/coaches and nutritionists as I could find, on Google, on Instagram as well as Facebook. This wasn't cheap but I reaped the rewards in terms of understanding where that all-important gap in the market lay! Overall, I felt that there was a serious lack of support; I didn't feel like I had a coach, more like I was merely following a generic plan.
A coach should make you feel at ease, make you feel that what you're doing is correct. A coach should keep you accountable and push you through the struggles. A coach should be able to push you further than you ever thought possible. And most importantly, a coach should make you feel like he cares!
This inspired me, I found that gap in the market, I didn't believe there was an Online Personal Training service out there that offered enough support for most individuals to reach their goals. I felt it was my job to create one, to create a truly bespoke service. From that day to this, my mission has been to create the highest quality online personal training service the UK has to offer and I believe that I have achieved this.
Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product.
My first online personal training service was delivered via Google Sheets, a simple sheet to track sessions and formulate specific calories and macros with very low outgoing costs associated.
This developed over the years and I refined it to the point where I wasn’t able to make any more improvements to it. At that point, although it was fit for purpose, I knew the user experience could be better and I knew that other areas of my service were way ahead in terms of sophistication, so I took the very considered decision to invest a far more effective and user-friendly app, which you can see in part below.
Describe the process of launching the business.
I started with a pretty soft launch, as I began the business with my already established 1-1 training venture.
I had carried out a lot of research on effective websites, tools, SEO, etc as I already knew my craft, but the technology side was new. I chose to have a site built on the Squarespace platform as it suited my requirements and I could get to market quickly as build time and costs were low.
I initially focused on social media for marketing and used free / discounted trials in order to gather likes and a following, plus many of these discounted clients were retained, so I quickly built up an online portfolio of clients.
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
My USP is me, I’ve kept focused on my goal of providing the best online coaching in the UK and this has meant that I have great client retention and a high volume of referrals. Clients come to me because they want to work with me, they like that they won’t have pot luck in which PT they will get and they like the personal touch they get from me. This is important. Figure out what your USP is and capitalize on it.
Know what you are good at and niche, don’t waste time doing too many things at once. Find what you are really good at and focus on perfecting this.
Google has worked very well for me, I manage SEO of my site, I have tried, but no longer use SEO partners as I don’t think they always know a lot more than most people when it comes to changes in Google’s algorithms and for their cost, the rewards aren’t always where they should be. I focus a lot of attention on my Google rank and the position is always directly related to the number of inquiries I receive.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
My business is very profitable, due to my number of clients and low overheads and is growing (100% revenue increase on last year). My current annual turnover is in excess of £90,000 (111,046 USD) and I have regular leads coming through Google, referrals, and social media.
My operation has matured over the years, not only have my skills as a PT developed, but the technology I use and the effectiveness of my site have also highly developed into a sophisticated and automated (as much as possible without negatively impacting the service) experience for users that allow clients to sign and up also go through screening 24 hours a day.
My short term goal is to continue offering world-class service and create financial freedom by capitalizing on my continued growth.
My long term goal is to continue to be the leader in the online PT industry and to decide how to scale without compromising my main goal of being the best.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
Technology is important, users expect and should expect a fantastic experience when using your software, make sure you live up to this as a defective site or inadequate software will lead to drop-offs.
Know what you are good at and niche, don’t waste time doing too many things at once. Find what you are really good at and focus on perfecting this.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
I use Vimeo, Trainerize, Squarespace, PayPal, and social media channels.
This is the current list, it’s evolved over the years but these are the platforms and tools that work for me and my business.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
Focus on making money first and foremost as focusing too much on building social media platforms and overly fine-tuning systems will delay your growth. Get working with clients and making money which allows you the resources and freedom to develop these as you go.
Where can we go to learn more?
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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