How to Find the Right Fitness Business Coach

Following your passion and building a business is rewarding work until you hit a roadblock. Your wheels are turning but you aren’t seeing results. If you are looking to scale your business, hiring a fitness business coach may be the answer. In fact, 70% of business owners who received coaching saw an improvement overall in work performance, relationships, and communication skills.

What is a fitness business coach?

A business coach provides an outside perspective on your business, helping you establish a clear vision and goals. Sometimes you’re too close to your business to see what is working and what you need to work on. An experienced business coach has tried and tested all the best marketing strategies and business management tools. As a result, they know what works and what doesn’t. They can offer you an impartial, expert look at your business to maximize your potential and reach greater financial success. A business coach is the ultimate accountability partner, to keep your business moving in the right direction.

Studies show that 86% of entrepreneurs felt they had more than recouped the cost of a coaching service, while increasing business and improving their own personal practices. You know your business, but a coach can help you get to the next level. Here are a few strategies to help you find the right coach for your fitness business.

Get a referral for a fitness business coach

A Nielson report shows that 92% of people trust referrals from people they know. On top of that, 74% of consumers say word of mouth is a key factor in their purchasing decisions. Some of your best clients likely came from a referral, and the same thing is true for many fitness business coaches. How do you find a coach from a referral?

• Six degrees of separation. This theory is based on the idea that all people on average are six social connections or less away from each other. Therefore, it’s likely a friend of a friend knows someone who has benefitted from a fitness business coach. Ask your colleagues if they have a recommendation.
• Make your intentions known on social media. Reach out to your social network of fitness professionals on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or on Facebook groups. Write a post and let them know you’re in the market for a coach to help your business grow.

Find them at online events or conferences

Events are a great way to connect with peers and learn from the experts. Providing the perfect opportunity to find an online fitness business coach, too. With Zoom reporting that virtual event attendance was up by 1000% in the first half of 2020, it’s a trend you need to get in on.

There are so many fitness events happening—many of them virtual—with unlimited access to information and industry resources. At these events, you can network with business owners and meet the best online fitness business coach for you. Here’s a look at some events to consider:

• Virtual networking events: Meet professionals just like you from around the world at virtual networking events. Pick their brains, get recommendations, and share ideas at events like the IHRSA Innovation Summit, Club Industry’s Future of Fitness Event, or virtual roundtable discussions and events through the Boutique Fitness Community.

• Annual summits or conferences: Typically lasting a full day or several days, summits or conventions offer tons of relevant information, meet-and-greets, and networking time. Consider events like the IHRSA Convention, The SUCCEED Virtual Conference and Expo, Canfitpro, and more.

Virtual events are taking place all over the world (and some of them are even free), so plan a year full of fitness education and networking, and use these events to hire the best fitness business coach for your needs.

Do they have a blog, podcast, or webinar?

Once you’ve settled on one or two coach possibilities, check out their blogs, podcasts, and webinars. The best online fitness business coaches know the importance of an online presence, so they’ll be easy to spot. Start with a Google search to see where they rank. With 97% of people stopping their searches at the first page, you want to see their names pop up immediately.

Next, move on to their platforms to make sure that their content is in line with your goals. Here are just a few examples of the content a pro fitness business coach will focus on:

Blogs

This is a great medium for fitness professionals to grow a following and establish their authority in the industry. Here are some great examples of WellnessLiving’s community coaches who are at the top of their blog game:

• Lindsey Rainwater: As a business coach and founder of the WIFA (Women In Fitness Association), Lindsey offers insight on everything from vision planning to the challenges of female entrepreneurship.
• Kate Martin: With her 22 years of experience as a fitness trainer, Kate features written blogs and vlogs offering free resources, case studies, business tips, and more.
• Emile Studham, Performance by Design: Focusing on performance and success, Emile puts his 12 years as a semi-pro athlete to teach valuable leadership and business strategy.
• Josh Biro, Nomad Business Coaching: With an emphasis on profit and peace of mind, Josh’s blog provides tactical information for yoga studio owners to grow their businesses.

Webinars

The best of the best are using webinars to educate their community. Featuring a mix of slides, video, and imagery, webinars can show just how committed a coach is to sharing their knowledge with their audience. It’s a great quality in a coach.

• Sean Greeley, NPE: As founder and CEO of NPE, Sean focuses on teaching business owners to grow their business while living the lives of their dreams.
• KK Hart: With a strong focus on sales and marketing strategy, KK uses her experience as a business coach to help fitness businesses excel.
• Lisa Greenbaum: Named in the top 100 influencers in Canada, Lisa shares her knowledge to help inspire yoga studio owners to build their businesses and stay relevant in today’s industry.

Podcasts

Podcasts have been called “the next marketing frontier” as the fastest-growing platform to entertain and inform your target audience. Like webinars, they lend themselves to collaboration in the form of interviews or shared content. It’s free to subscribe, so it’s a great way for coaches to develop a loyal following and grow their community. Here are a few favorites from our WellnessLiving coaches:

• Lise Kuecker: Lise’s weekly podcast, Studio Grow, features industry guests, focusing on inspiring fitness businesses to grow in all areas.
• Ashley Shaw: Ashley, social selling expert, shares her experience and unique perspective, helping businesses get comfortable with all aspects of sales.
• NPE: The Secrets of Their Fitness Success podcast lets the audience in on how NPE has found success, providing strategies and steps to build fitness businesses.

Up your game with a fitness business coach

Running a business is hard, so get the help you need from the pros. Using a fitness business coach will get you growing personally and professionally, with a fresh perspective, recognized expertise, and new tools.

WellnessLiving’s community of industry leaders and business coaches can get you where you want to go. Learn about all the ways WellnessLiving can help manage your business. Book a free, no-commitment demo today.