Survival of the fittest – how your fitness business can adapt   

The mandatory closures of gyms and fitness studios due to COVID-19 has forced personal trainers to come up with new ways to keep their businesses running. Take a look at some of the more innovative tips, resources and examples of what others in the fitness industry are doing to stay afloat. 

Run online classes

Online apps and programs like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Skype enable you to get online and interact with your customers. If you ran regular classes, get in touch with your customers and turn them into virtual lessons. If you provided one-on-one sessions, get online and continue providing your services. You may need to think outside the square if you used certain equipment but it’s a challenge worth taking on! 

Need some motivation? Check out these Aussie personal trainers who are using apps to connect with new clients across the world.  

Work as a team

Connecting with other fitness professionals creates a chance to network and explore opportunities to collaborate.  

Diversify your content with these ideas: 

• Get a fellow industry professional to feature on your YouTube channel and share their workout, tips and advice. 
• Have a social media takeover day where you swap accounts with another fitness professional. This can be a lot of fun and helps create new content and gain new followers.  Have a Q&A session with another industry professional on Instagram stories or Facebook where your followers can interact and ask questions. 

Harness the power of social media

The interactive nature of social media makes it easy to connect with others. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are ideal for sharing activities and challenges with your followers. Being able to adapt and make your content accessible is one of the keys to keeping your clients engaged. This is something Sydney based gym The Fitness Playground has mastered. 

After the mandatory closures the gym had to adapt to stay alive. The team quickly transformed the gym into a film production studio and hired skilled content creators and a film crew to record their classes. Their bootcamp sessions became a hit with Instagram followers who watch and follow their live streamed classes. While on site classes usually involved specific equipment, the team adapted what could be used  so anyone at home could get involved.  

Keep your insurance

While you can’t control when things will return to normal, you can control how to protect your business. Ensure your insurance policy is in place, paid-up to date and that you have the right cover. 

If you have an active Professional Indemnity insurance* policy and are running online classes, it will still cover you for claims against your business. This includes claims as a result of actual or alleged negligent acts or omissions in the provision of your professional service or advice.  

Professional Indemnity insurance will also assist with the legal costs associated with responding to or managing claims which are covered by the policy.  

Useful links

These are some useful government websites to help assist with different areas of the business. 

• Australian Taxation Office: https://www.ato.gov.au/
• COVID-19 Information and support for small businesses: https://business.gov.au/risk-management/emergency-management/coronavirus-information-and-support-for-business
• Grants and programs: https://www.business.gov.au/Grants-and-Programs
• My Business Health portal https://www.asbfeo.gov.au/my-business-health/home

What others are doing in the fitness industry

Seeking some inspiration? Look at what some of the most creative online fitness businesses are doing with their platforms and clients. 

The Australian Ballet now offers viewers access to their free online classes. The classes run for approximately 40 minutes for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. No barre? No worries, a dining chair will do the job. 

AFL’s Auskick program is keeping kids active by providing video resources to help create their own Auskick sessions. The videos give guidance on what drills to practice, resources they can access to learn more and ways to stay up to date with the AFL. 

Fernwood Fitness has created an online hub of resources for their members who can now access a library of workouts, recipes, meal plans and meditation sessions. Each club has its own Facebook group where members and staff can share goals, plans and advice.