Offline Empire: Build Your One-Person Business on the Gym Floor

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The Gym Floor Fallacy: A Smarter Way to Build Your Fitness Business

Are you tired of hearing that the only way to 'make it' in the Fitness Industry is to 'escape' the gym floor and go online?

Just like you, I felt the pressure to make sure I offered Online Coaching as soon as it became a 'thing'.

But what if the so-called 'freedom' of Online Coaching is actually a trap?

What if chasing algorithms and fighting AI bots costs you more than it earns you?

Leaving you frustrated and broke while you should be building a lucrative business with guaranteed monthly revenue.

…And don't even get me started on the time, money, and effort wasted on 'Online Gurus' who charge £5k+ for a few DM scripts and an overcrowded Facebook Group for 'support'.

I'm fed up of seeing ads like this all over social media…

And I know that many of you are too.

The idea that you are 'stuck' or 'trapped' on the gym floor, while others go online, is completely FALSE.

Why are you trapped, but they aren't?

…They still have to find, take care of, and answer to clients - just like you.

…They still have to 'show up' each day and do lead generation - just like you.

…They still have to write programs and deal with nutrition issues - just like you.

…They still have to 'go to work' - just like you.

Any successful Online Coach will tell you this themselves, they aren't sat on a beach sipping cocktails. They're behind a laptop, grafting!

The best Online Coaches work their asses off.

They've perfected their craft over years.

As I discussed in in my recent newsletter (The £60k+ Fitness Formula) most Coaches don't need to pivot their business online or follow a fancy new system to succeed.

They simply need to reverse-engineer the business they want to run, which is exactly what that newsletter shows you how to do.

Escape the Online Rat Race: The Untapped Potential of the Gym Floor

I want to play the Online Gurus at their own game and get you thinking a little differently.

Before you pack your bags and head to the digital world, challenge the assumption that online is inherently better.

Here are a few things to think about that the Gurus never mention…

> When you go online you're competing with an estimated 700,000+ Online Fitness Coaches

(This number is impossible to fully verify but it a 'best guess' with the data we have )

> When going online, you often become more of a 'Content Creator' and less of a 'Coach'

> Most Online Coaches earn LESS per hour compared to their in-person work

(I am basing this on anecdotal evidence from helping 100's of Coaches)

> The most common model for Online Coaching involves almost ZERO 'coaching' - It revolves around providing training and nutrition plans, as well as check-in. Very often, no real coaching ever occurs.

And just so we are clear…

I am NOT against Online Coaching.

In fact, I would consider myself an Online Coach.

All of my coaching is done remotely.

I have done various forms of Online Coaching over the years, both in the Fitness space and the Business space.

I am living proof that Online Coaching is a viable, successful business model.

My issue is not with Online Coaching, it is with the narrative that Online Coaching is 'better'.

…this is a false statement in my opinion.

Both in-person and online coaching have their pros and cons.

But let's be clear…If you're an in-person coach that's struggling to build your business, going online won't solve anything.

If anything, it will amplify the issues behind your struggling business.

Your in-person business isn't struggling because you are 'trapped' - it's most likely a lead generation or retention problem.

Those same problems will follow you online.

If you want to succeed online, start by being fantastic in-person.

The Untapped Potential of the Gym Floor

I've written previously about one of the biggest problems the Fitness Industry is going to face in the coming years.

In a nutshell: we operate in an aesthetic-driven industry, which makes us vulnerable to the ever-improving capabilities of AI generated content. People won't know what's real and what's fake. Trust is going out of the window and this creates a potential problem for online coaches.

In contrast, I feel that we may see a renaissance of In-Person Coaching, as people crave to work with someone they know is real and can be verified as a professional.

I don't want to labour this point too much here, as I've covered it before.

Feel free to check out the article linked above for more context.

Coming back to a key point I want to make…

As an in-person coach, you can build a fantastic business for yourself.

Whether that be from the gym-floor of a huge commercial gym, or the privacy of an independent facility.

I work with in-person coaches that consistently earn £5.5k+ per month and have room to grow (if they want).

These same people have complete control over their diary, take time off regularly to go on holiday, don't work weekends, enjoy working with their clients, and often report that they have plenty of 'freedom' in their business.

None of them say they are 'trapped'.

None of them are fighting to get out.

Most of them are simply looking for new and inventive ways to work with more people and support them in different ways.

And yes…sometimes this involves exploring online opportunities.

But even then, it's not uncommon for their first 10 'online clients' to have come from in-person referrals and interactions. Their first leads for online coaching often come in-person coaching leads that they don't have capacity for.

To Summarise…

Ultimately, your goal should be to Create a Business That Works on Your Terms and provides you with the lifestyle you desire.

There's no singular 'best path' that works for everyone.

You'll often find it's a combination of approaches that works best.

…Some well-structured, low-stress in-person coaching.

…The addition of some low-maintenance online coaching.

…And a little bit of whatever else takes your fancy (group stuff, consultancy, niche coaching)

Most Personal Trainers and Coaches like variety.

They don't want to do one thing all day, every day, for years.

I'm exactly the same.

> I still work with Fitness Clients

> I do 1-1 Business Coaching and education

> I'm building a Fitness Software business

…it keeps me interested in what I do.

I urge you to try different things, explore all your options, and never rule out an approach just because of what someone else says.

And if you are a little stuck or unsure where to turn next, connect with me here on Instagram and drop me a message. I'll be happy to help you out.