If you want to open a gym or become self-employed as a coach, you will have a lot of competition. To stand out from the crowd, you need a good business plan. Simply putting a few machines in a room is not enough. You need to offer your guests something special and you can do that if you know their needs. We'll tell you which insider tips will make you a sought-after facility in the fitness industry.
Offer your guests altitude training
An increasingly popular training method is altitude training. With the right equipment, this works without any mountains nearby. It trains your guests' lungs as well as their cardiovascular system and muscles. With respio, you also get the right software platform: For easy management of training data and efficient support of your processes. This means you not only offer your guests an exceptional training experience, but also a professional overview of their progress.
Rely on EMS for your visitors
Correctly performed EMS training activates around 90 percent of the muscles, allowing for a short and crisp workout. If your visitors include business people who have little time for their daily training routine, you have a great crowd puller. Influencers are increasingly publicizing EMS, which increases demand in studios or from personal trainers. If you use this factor effectively in your advertising, you can generate new customers and set yourself apart from the competition.
Offer topic-specific training
Not only do women train differently and benefit more quickly from their training, they often like to train without men. If you are opening a studio and don't want to target just one gender, topic-specific training is an option. You could offer targeted postnatal gymnastics for women, training for mothers (with or without a baby), training for people over 50, for men with heart problems, overweight people or working people. This will appeal to a broad target group and give you a good chance of attracting more customers than your competitors.
Rely on quality instead of quantity
There are faceless XL fitness studios from chains on every corner, but not everyone feels comfortable there. If you want to appeal to a different target group, opt for a small, but fine studio or a personal training facility. Your advantage is that you know your customers personally and they are usually a very pleasant customer base. If you have a fitness license yourself, personal training is possible.
Good extra: Don't just get your trainer's license, but also focus on an online license. Many people still find it difficult to go to the gym and find it easier to train in front of a monitor. If you have both licenses, you can combine the two.
Organize events and activities
To make your gym better known, you should not only offer a training program, but also draw attention to yourself with events and special highlights. You could enter into exclusive collaborations with influencers to reach a large target group on the internet.
If you attract an experienced coach with reach, you can offer exclusive training sessions with him or her and provide your guests with great entertainment. The more you stand out from the crowd, the more likely you are to inspire your customers.
Source: respio GmbH
Image source: #1505337273 saleha / stock.adobe.com
Published on: 6 November 2025