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  1. #1
    Registered User EdgarAllanPoe's Avatar
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    Any other studio owners have a hard time finding quality trainers?

    Maybe its because i'm looking for part time trainers...idk

    I've had 3 consistent problems with trainers aside from 1 that i've had paying rent from the start always on time, totally professional, reliable...if he says something will be done its always done.

    1. Trainers coming in asking for a free ride, asking if i can "work with them". Now i'm doing a 50/50 split to start, but prior to that i was asking for rent and plenty of people wanted to start but nobody wanted to pay lol....seriously?

    2. Bringing in contractors you expect them to handle their business. I'm bringing in contractors so I can focus on my business and not have to supervise theres. HORRIBLE communication, if you tell me you'll have me x,y,z on friday then i expect to have it on friday. That's how i am. I've had to keep following up with people.

    3. Certification and insurance proof from "experienced" trainers. People claim to have a client base, I ask for this and excuse after excuse not to provide it.

    Are majority of trainers simply not business savvy or reliable, are majority of trainers operating without insurance (insurance is soooo cheap!!! no excuse)

    I even brought one person in, gave her a key....was told she knew all types of people and had been training in parks outside...been about 3 weeks and she hasn't gotten started or brought in a single person.

    If i didn't have any clients, id just straight up tell someone the truth.

    Not to mention i have been cancelled on time and time again from people who initiate contact with me. Is everyone else dealing with these same issues consistently? I even had someone from NASM contact me directly wanting to meet at my studio and this person cancelled about 30 minutes before he was supposed to show EARLY on a weekend.
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    ACE CERTIFIED BC02's Avatar
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    probably because they are trainers,not salesmen. Pay them about 16-20 an hour(client or no client), supply them with clients, give them insurance,give them bonuses for results, and then I bet you wont have this problem
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    I am unclear on some of your points:

    a) You are asking your independent p/t's to give you a 50/50 split for clients that they bring in? Seems high.

    b) "if you tell me you'll have me x,y,z on friday then i expect to have it on friday" - You speak about proper communication and I have no clue what this statement means?
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    Originally Posted by EdgarAllanPoe View Post

    Are majority of trainers simply not business savvy or reliable, are majority of trainers operating without insurance (insurance is soooo cheap!!! no excuse)

    I even brought one person in, gave her a key....was told she knew all types of people and had been training in parks outside...been about 3 weeks and she hasn't gotten started or brought in a single person.
    The majority of trainers are not good business people, not even close. That's why so many of them fail about a year after they go independent and most of them can't even survive at a chain gym. They get into it without realizing that it is a business, they think it is playtime in a gym.

    I'm renting space in a studio right now that is owned by a trainer and I have no idea how he keeps his clients or his business going. He's away all the time, the place is a mess and nothing gets done properly (although he always promises it will soon). He has lost several clients since I have been here because he's not a great trainer and only trains about 15 hours a week from what I can see. I'm on the verge of cancelling my rent cheques until a couple of things get done like fixing equipment and hiring cleaners. If it wasn't so convenient and I didn't want to uproot my clients so soon I'd be gone. I guess I'm in the reverse situation.
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  5. #5
    Registered User EdgarAllanPoe's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by BC02 View Post
    probably because they are trainers,not salesmen. Pay them about 16-20 an hour(client or no client), supply them with clients, give them insurance,give them bonuses for results, and then I bet you wont have this problem
    so you're going to pay a trainer in a personal training studio $20 an hour with or without a client, i wouldn't expect you to stay in business very long

    i can pay for my space on my own, i have a massage therapist and a trainer that generate and maintain their own clientele. Money I get from them is extra, they're both on time, reliable, and get things done when they say.

    why would i pay for their insurance?

    you aren't allowed to give independent contractors bonuses, you can give employees bonuses but not contractors. Unless its already previously documented in your independent contractor agreement. There are absolutely no benefits to hiring employees over contractors in a small personal training studio whatsoever. Any business one of your primary objectives should be to keep costs low and profits high, everything you speak of is creating a higher overhead.

    Contractors pay their own insurance, obtain their own credentials, market/advertise for their own clientele, charge their own rates.

    Also sounds like in your situation all you would bring in is new trainers with little to no experience.
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  6. #6
    Registered User EdgarAllanPoe's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by MkADcision View Post
    I am unclear on some of your points:

    a) You are asking your independent p/t's to give you a 50/50 split for clients that they bring in? Seems high.

    b) "if you tell me you'll have me x,y,z on friday then i expect to have it on friday" - You speak about proper communication and I have no clue what this statement means?
    only other studio i'm aware of in the area starts at 70/30 but they do provide clients (altho at a slow pace)

    a 50/50 split starts your pay rate at higher than any big box chain gym....if someone were to work over 20 hours a week/30 hours a week i'd probably adjust the split. So far, i've had an inquiry from someone with 7 clients supposedly but he could never provide his certification/insurance after meeting 2 times. Everyone else who has contacted me doesn't even have 7 clients.

    as for b...i don't know what you don't follow....."if trainer tells me they'll have form a, my certification, and insurance to you on friday then i being the studio owner expect to have it on friday when i was told i'd have it. Idk whats confusing about that, makes perfect sense to me.
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  7. #7
    Registered User EdgarAllanPoe's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by WoofieNugget View Post
    The majority of trainers are not good business people, not even close. That's why so many of them fail about a year after they go independent and most of them can't even survive at a chain gym. They get into it without realizing that it is a business, they think it is playtime in a gym.

    I'm renting space in a studio right now that is owned by a trainer and I have no idea how he keeps his clients or his business going. He's away all the time, the place is a mess and nothing gets done properly (although he always promises it will soon). He has lost several clients since I have been here because he's not a great trainer and only trains about 15 hours a week from what I can see. I'm on the verge of cancelling my rent cheques until a couple of things get done like fixing equipment and hiring cleaners. If it wasn't so convenient and I didn't want to uproot my clients so soon I'd be gone. I guess I'm in the reverse situation.

    if you have the money i'd advise opening your own place. Thats the reason i opened mine, people i worked for were so incredibly unreliable, unprofessional, poor trainers.....I've worked where the lead trainer literally gave the same workout to everyone all day long regardless of goal/ability/injuries, etc...No adjustment whatsoever.

    More work in running your own biz but at least you know if you succeed or fail its all on you and you don't have to rely on other people taking care of business
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    Originally Posted by EdgarAllanPoe View Post
    if you have the money i'd advise opening your own place. Thats the reason i opened mine, people i worked for were so incredibly unreliable, unprofessional, poor trainers.....I've worked where the lead trainer literally gave the same workout to everyone all day long regardless of goal/ability/injuries, etc...No adjustment whatsoever.

    More work in running your own biz but at least you know if you succeed or fail its all on you and you don't have to rely on other people taking care of business
    Working on it...my wife and I only moved here about three years ago, bought a house and have a baby on the way - saving to open a gym is not high up on the saving scale right now unfortunately. I've already started scouting space and equipment because if things continue this way I'm in a year contract but I definitely would not renew.
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  9. #9
    Registered User EdgarAllanPoe's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by WoofieNugget View Post
    Working on it...my wife and I only moved here about three years ago, bought a house and have a baby on the way - saving to open a gym is not high up on the saving scale right now unfortunately. I've already started scouting space and equipment because if things continue this way I'm in a year contract but I definitely would not renew.
    i have a 1250 sq ft space and my clients are primarily 1 on 1, i'm in a upscale area in my city just b/c the studio is like 3 minutes from where i live. If i went a little bit away from center city i could get a large warehouse for the price i'm paying here but i prefer 1 on 1 anyway.

    Lots of my equipment i've bought on craigslist or through used equipment stores and just acquired over the years. My startup costs were extremely low, and i borrowed $0 to get it done, basically trading my training for expensive ads

    A guy i worked for just had a baby, the monthly rent for the place was $6000, he borrowed money for 100% of the equipment, he wasn't booked anymore than i was, he paid for internet business class, directv, expensive magazine ads that didn't generate any business, etc...

    My advice is to keep overhead super low, there are cheap ways to advertise. I got stencils and make my own h-wire signs instead of paying to have them printed out...still looks equally as professional but saves me a ton. Like $3 a sign is all I pay, i just have to color it in. I made my own website, i make my own graphics which saves on a lot.

    When i first started my goals was to never spend money I didn't have.....I just signed up with a barter company that i'm going to try out for some additional advertising that hopefully works.
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    Originally Posted by EdgarAllanPoe View Post
    so you're going to pay a trainer in a personal training studio $20 an hour with or without a client, i wouldn't expect you to stay in business very long

    i can pay for my space on my own, i have a massage therapist and a trainer that generate and maintain their own clientele. Money I get from them is extra, they're both on time, reliable, and get things done when they say.

    why would i pay for their insurance?

    you aren't allowed to give independent contractors bonuses, you can give employees bonuses but not contractors. Unless its already previously documented in your independent contractor agreement. There are absolutely no benefits to hiring employees over contractors in a small personal training studio whatsoever. Any business one of your primary objectives should be to keep costs low and profits high, everything you speak of is creating a higher overhead.

    Contractors pay their own insurance, obtain their own credentials, market/advertise for their own clientele, charge their own rates.

    Also sounds like in your situation all you would bring in is new trainers with little to no experience.
    I personally believe it should be the gyms job to get the clients for the trainers. The trainers job should be get the clients their wanted results. I also believe that if a trainer is there available to train but has no client, thats on the gym, not the trainer. having said this, if they are willing to be independant contractors, then thats their fault, and yes they then should get their own insurance. I believe any business should be required to offer EMPLOYEES health/dental insurance though.
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  11. #11
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    You'll always have difficulty getting decent staff in a PT studio for the reasons already brought up - money and experience.

    If someone is an experienced trainer and has a stack of clients already, then they're successful somewhere else. Any move will lose them 1/4 to 1/2 their current clients, thus dropping their income at least temporarily, unless they can get 4/3 to 2x the money per client with you. They also have to feel sure there are good prospects of getting more clients at your place than wherever they are now. BC02 is a Bitter Non-Trainer (also known as a BINT), but he's right that people want some income security - and experienced trainers with lots of clients can and do demand income security.

    For example, take me. I'm in my third year of being a PT, however I've been involved in training people in other skills since the 1990s in the armed forces. I have certifications in kettlebell and barbell coaching, and am experienced with consulting with medical professionals to assist in rehabilitation of back, knee and shoulder injuries such as herniated discs and reconstructions. I have a 64yo woman who had herniated L4-5, and coached her to a 77.5kg deadlift at her bodyweight of 56kg. I have a 32yo man who in January had operations for skin and lymphatic cancer, he's on Interferon and has to wear a pressure stocking on one leg to reduce lympoedema, his first "squat" workout in April was simply stretching, at the end of November he squatted 110kg.

    I am going to the Starting Strength Seminar in Seattle in February, and have other things lined up, too. Overall I spend 10% of my income on continuing education in one form or another.

    Overall, it's fair to say that I am an experienced, moderately successful trainer with a commitment to continuing improvement in my craft.

    At my gym with 5,000 members I've worked reasonably hard to get 13 clients on my own, and have only been given 2 clients by the managers. I work at the Y here in Australia, they give me $23 an hour for casual gym shifts, of which I do about 15 hours a week. The clients pay $63-$73 an hour to the Y, and I get $38.53 of it. The gym shifts help me meet members who might be interested in PT, and give me a base income to tide me over the seasonal lows in PT.

    If I left this gym for a PT studio nearby, I might be able to keep 10 of these 15 clients at most. Please tell me how I as an experienced and moderately successful trainer would benefit from leaving this job and going to a place like yours? Because it's not obvious to me. I'd have to get new clients without having access to the 5,000 members I do now. This is nothing hostile, I'm just explaining: experienced and successful trainers will rarely want to leave where they are now.

    But if someone is inexperienced and has no clients then EAP won't want them.

    Bit of a Catch-22, really. From what I've heard, most successful PT studios are started by 2-6 PTs working together, rather than by an individual. This solves the hiring problem, you work with your buddies whom you trust.
    Last edited by KyleAaron; 12-09-2012 at 01:25 PM.
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    Yup I gave up looking for independent contractors. All I ever got was a bunch of looky lous.
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    Originally Posted by KyleAaron View Post
    You'll always have difficulty getting decent staff in a PT studio for the reasons already brought up - money and experience.

    If someone is an experienced trainer and has a stack of clients already, then they're successful somewhere else. Any move will lose them 1/4 to 1/2 their current clients, thus dropping their income at least temporarily, unless they can get 4/3 to 2x the money per client with you. They also have to feel sure there are good prospects of getting more clients at your place than wherever they are now. BC02 is a Bitter Non-Trainer (also known as a BINT), but he's right that people want some income security - and experienced trainers with lots of clients can and do demand income security.

    For example, take me. I'm in my third year of being a PT, however I've been involved in training people in other skills since the 1990s in the armed forces. I have certifications in kettlebell and barbell coaching, and am experienced with consulting with medical professionals to assist in rehabilitation of back, knee and shoulder injuries such as herniated discs and reconstructions. I have a 64yo woman who had herniated L4-5, and coached her to a 77.5kg deadlift at her bodyweight of 56kg. I have a 32yo man who in January had operations for skin and lymphatic cancer, he's on Interferon and has to wear a pressure stocking on one leg to reduce lympoedema, his first "squat" workout in April was simply stretching, at the end of November he squatted 110kg.

    I am going to the Starting Strength Seminar in Seattle in February, and have other things lined up, too. Overall I spend 10% of my income on continuing education in one form or another.

    Overall, it's fair to say that I am an experienced, moderately successful trainer with a commitment to continuing improvement in my craft.

    At my gym with 5,000 members I've worked reasonably hard to get 13 clients on my own, and have only been given 2 clients by the managers. I work at the Y here in Australia, they give me $23 an hour for casual gym shifts, of which I do about 15 hours a week. The clients pay $63-$73 an hour to the Y, and I get $38.53 of it. The gym shifts help me meet members who might be interested in PT, and give me a base income to tide me over the seasonal lows in PT.

    If I left this gym for a PT studio nearby, I might be able to keep 10 of these 15 clients at most. Please tell me how I as an experienced and moderately successful trainer would benefit from leaving this job and going to a place like yours? Because it's not obvious to me. I'd have to get new clients without having access to the 5,000 members I do now. This is nothing hostile, I'm just explaining: experienced and successful trainers will rarely want to leave where they are now.

    But if someone is inexperienced and has no clients then EAP won't want them.

    Bit of a Catch-22, really. From what I've heard, most successful PT studios are started by 2-6 PTs working together, rather than by an individual. This solves the hiring problem, you work with your buddies whom you trust.
    At the Y in my area trainers get $14-$16 depending upon experience/certification and the Y charges between $70-$80....

    independent contracts charge whatever they want, lets say $60 and in my split would take home $30 PLUS the added benefit of being able to write off so much stuff for taxes opposed to the opportunities an employee would have. Theres really no comparison there, the only catch is whether you can generate your own clientele on your own away from a gym.

    NO GYM AT ALL in my area whether box or studio pays any trainers for floor hours at all under any circumstance except for maybe planet fitness but i don't even consider them a real gym, lol. All the boxes in my area pay strictly for training hours and then they have a variety of different commission setups.

    It sounds like your box gym is paying better then here in america.

    So you're training 15 people out of 5,000 in a gym. That's a very low percentage and I believe with a very good website and low cost advertising, some free boot camps, most can generate 15 clients in a reasonable amount of time as an independent, while making more and having the extra tax benefits. If you can generate your own clients great, if not then obviously a gym setting is what would have to work for you.

    I can generate my own clientele but not enough clientele for like 5 other people.

    You look at having access to 5,000 gym members as a benefit and I look at it as a negative. I have access to the whole city. Most gym members around here can get a membership for like $15/month. Majority of them are penny pinchers not able to afford training anyway. I've got two clients that travel over 30 mins to train with me (from craigslist ad and referral). My clients don't need a gym membership, I view that as being confined rather than having a large pool to choose from.

    I personally would never work for a gym under any circumstance. Before I found my own studio I was about to pay 1000 a month just to rent a 1200 foot space from someone else. This studio is nearby and has about 12 trainers, all responsible for generating their own clientele, all paying 1000 a month (or at least i would've been paying that much) and its such a small space. That's why when I look at the other options in my area my offer seems like the best there is.

    Only thing I agree with is the risk of losing clientele. I've moved twice, the first time i lost 5-6 people, the 2nd time I lost zero. But it was def a fear the 2nd time.

    With that being said I recently did bring someone on, who had little experience (possibly none now)....this person has a degree in exercise science, a nasm certification, insurance and has been training clients in parks on the side supposedly but after 3 weeks has yet to bring a person into the studio...


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    Part of my point in general, is the people that have contacted me have been super unreliable, they've wasted time, they've had ridiculous expectations. I'm honest and if i say i'll do something it always gets done. I have people wanting to use my space and then they'll cancel last second our meeting....or the whole situation with getting me proof of insurance, why do these people not already have insurance. If they say they'll send me the insurance on Tuesday and Friday comes along and I still don't have the insurance I just don't get the level of un-professionalism I'm witnessing.

    BTW - Benefits to being a contractor....tax perks, be your own boss, run your own business, make your own rules, create your own policies, make more money, more control of your brand. Unless you have no ability to generate business on your own outside of a gym I don't see why anyone would choose being a employed personal trainer over being independent. Being a independent is a risk, but if you believe in yourself your work ethic and your product I really don't see it as too high of a risk.

    Sounds like your pay where you're from is a little bit higher compared to the states but I'm sure even wherever you're located you would make plenty more as an independent if you could generate your own leads consistently. But i remember you saying you had a new born and the whole family life, I'll def say running your own studio is like a 50-60+ hr a week job, I have way more to keep up with now. Plus a part time job for benefits.
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    husband, father, trainer KyleAaron's Avatar
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    US pays are ridiculous, your minimum wage is half ours.

    The unattended 24hr gyms charge about $50/month, community gyms $60 or so, the Y statewide is about $80-90, some fancy joints in the pricier suburbs much more. Most have a $50-$150 joining fee which covers the wages of people for the initial 2-3 consults all members get.

    If your local gyms don't pay for floor hours, this will explain why the gym rates are so cheap. Service would be poor, though.

    I'm training 15 out of 5,000, however other trainers are there, too. By which I don't mean I couldn't get more clients, simply that overall it's not a super-low percentage.

    In terms of access to gym members and people generally, it's not either/or. 4 of my current clients came to me from online enquiries, that's just with a webpage and forum participation which is not actually aimed at getting clients. These people all travel to get there, there's no way they would have come to my gym without knowing me first. So it's possible to promote yourself as an individual trainer while working at a big box gym. I have immediate access to the centre's 5,000 members, for access to anyone else I have to work on it. If I can recruit people to come to a little studio, I can recruit them to come to my big centre.

    In Australia we get tax perks whether employed by others, or self-employed. For example the cost of flying to and staying in Seattle can be deducted from my taxable income. The perks are a little wider if self-employed but not by a huge amount. If self-employed I'd have to register for the 10% sales tax, though, the issue is less the actual tax and more the paperwork burden of quarterly very detailed statements, retaining receipts for 7 years, etc.

    If I'm a contractor with you, I don't have full control over things, you do. You may choose one day to do things differently, or sell the place to someone else, etc, who knows.

    You mention that you're getting flaky people. Again, the issue is that experienced, serious and committed professionals have better opportunities available to them than your studio offers. This is part of the price you're paying for the autonomy of being self-employed. If you run a little diner you simply won't get the same quality staff you could get running a bigger restaurant, because you can't offer the same pay or conditions they could.

    Supply and demand. The supply of decent trainers is low, the demand is high, this raise the price. You pay the price for good trainers, or go cheap and get crappy trainers. If a potential client complained PT cost a lot, you'd say, "for a good PT, it's worth it." The same applies when you're the owner doing the hiring. For a good PT, it's worth it.

    If even the owner of the studio needs a part-time job on the side to keep himself going, I would feel sceptical about my own prospects of success there.

    You're paying peanuts and wondering why you're getting monkeys. Or even worse, "HERE is your OPPORTUNITY to go get your own peanuts!" Um, thanks.

    If you want top staff, you have to be a top employer. This is something few employers grasp.
    Last edited by KyleAaron; 12-09-2012 at 09:30 PM.
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    Originally Posted by KyleAaron View Post
    US pays are ridiculous, your minimum wage is half ours.

    The unattended 24hr gyms charge about $50/month, community gyms $60 or so, the Y statewide is about $80-90, some fancy joints in the pricier suburbs much more. Most have a $50-$150 joining fee which covers the wages of people for the initial 2-3 consults all members get.

    If your local gyms don't pay for floor hours, this will explain why the gym rates are so cheap. Service would be poor, though.

    I'm training 15 out of 5,000, however other trainers are there, too. By which I don't mean I couldn't get more clients, simply that overall it's not a super-low percentage.

    In terms of access to gym members and people generally, it's not either/or. 4 of my current clients came to me from online enquiries, that's just with a webpage and forum participation which is not actually aimed at getting clients. These people all travel to get there, there's no way they would have come to my gym without knowing me first. So it's possible to promote yourself as an individual trainer while working at a big box gym. I have immediate access to the centre's 5,000 members, for access to anyone else I have to work on it. If I can recruit people to come to a little studio, I can recruit them to come to my big centre.

    In Australia we get tax perks whether employed by others, or self-employed. For example the cost of flying to and staying in Seattle can be deducted from my taxable income. The perks are a little wider if self-employed but not by a huge amount. If self-employed I'd have to register for the 10% sales tax, though, the issue is less the actual tax and more the paperwork burden of quarterly very detailed statements, retaining receipts for 7 years, etc.

    If I'm a contractor with you, I don't have full control over things, you do. You may choose one day to do things differently, or sell the place to someone else, etc, who knows.

    You mention that you're getting flaky people. Again, the issue is that experienced, serious and committed professionals have better opportunities available to them than your studio offers. This is part of the price you're paying for the autonomy of being self-employed. If you run a little diner you simply won't get the same quality staff you could get running a bigger restaurant, because you can't offer the same pay or conditions they could.

    Supply and demand. The supply of decent trainers is low, the demand is high, this raise the price. You pay the price for good trainers, or go cheap and get crappy trainers. If a potential client complained PT cost a lot, you'd say, "for a good PT, it's worth it." The same applies when you're the owner doing the hiring. For a good PT, it's worth it.

    If even the owner of the studio needs a part-time job on the side to keep himself going, I would feel sceptical about my own prospects of success there.

    You're paying peanuts and wondering why you're getting monkeys. Or even worse, "HERE is your OPPORTUNITY to go get your own peanuts!" Um, thanks.

    If you want top staff, you have to be a top employer. This is something few employers grasp.
    I'm providing them more $$ then what they would get elsewhere locally, the two independent spots I could've went to were both $1000 a month so thats really a moot point you keep hitting at. Not even a comparison to the regular box gyms paying $16 + commission w/ little to no tax benefit

    as I said i keep a part time job for my benefits, i've had for 7 years. free benefits that don't come out of my check that is better than every other person I know. I'd be fullish to give that up, then turn around and make my overhead higher

    Edit*
    Was in hurry...

    In comparison around here I pay better. I just dont provide clients. 1000 rent is superexpensive for sharing space and and thats the two options in my area. Old studio I was at were doing a 30% split for trainer maxing at 40%. Last I saw theyre doing $10 but they dont kbow diff between employees/contractors. Then no gym starts higher than 16 and no gym is paying floor hours, its just expected.

    I train at a gym and recruit from outside like u say then here I would have to get them to g get training and gym membership in top of it.... harder sale. Another drawback for working at a gym.

    You keep pointing out im not offering a good deal but I dont see a better option in my area. Im offering peanuts yet if it was my choice itd be an easy one.

    Lastly in America the tax perks are a huge benefit. If theyre the same in your countru thata good for u but doesnt apply here. Not only are my trainera making more but the ability to write off so much more as a contractor makes their pocketed income even greater

    Also contractors do have full control. I can get rid of the biz but anyone can do that. Contractors work for themselves and make their own rules. Business owners have very little control over contractors... such as the bonus stuff mentioned earlier. ..it cant be done unless documented before hand in their agreement. Biz owners control their contractors business then ultimately contractor can petition for employee benefits from that employer including health vacation etc.

    My contractors wear what they want..setup their own policies...make own schedule..charge own rates...mainain credentials...pay biz costs..etc....any biz owner interfering with that is potentially screwing themselves if the trainer learns the law
    Last edited by EdgarAllanPoe; 12-10-2012 at 04:38 AM.
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    I think it's easier to find a spouse than a good training partner lol
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    I think the problem is that there aren't many good trainers out there to start with. Most do this as a part time gig. The people you should be trying to attract right now should be people like myself who have trained in other gyms for a while and not yet ready to rent my own facility.

    50/50 split to me seems very high. Say I make $50,000 in sales per year working out of your facility. This is assuming $50/hr, ~20 hours per week. Before any other expenses, I'm already down to $25,000/year. I essentially payed ~$2000 a month to use your facility. Could I rent a facility in the area that could get the job done for that price? If the answer is yes, then I don't find that to be an attractive business deal.

    Forgive me if I missed anything, but there are some pretty long posts in this thread and I have ADD at times. Not many good trainers work at big box gyms for this reason. The split is usually 50/50 or worse. What do trainers get for that? No benefits in 90% of gyms, maybe a few clients that you otherwise wouldn't have, but that's it.

    I know you mentioned you might reduce the share if they train for more hours, but that high initial rate would be enough to send me in the other direction. I think it would be quite difficult to find people with existing clients as well. If I had existing clients, I would probably rent my own small facility for $1000/mo.
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    Originally Posted by SFT View Post
    I think the problem is that there aren't many good trainers out there to start with. Most do this as a part time gig. The people you should be trying to attract right now should be people like myself who have trained in other gyms for a while and not yet ready to rent my own facility.

    50/50 split to me seems very high. Say I make $50,000 in sales per year working out of your facility. This is assuming $50/hr, ~20 hours per week. Before any other expenses, I'm already down to $25,000/year. I essentially payed ~$2000 a month to use your facility. Could I rent a facility in the area that could get the job done for that price? If the answer is yes, then I don't find that to be an attractive business deal.

    Forgive me if I missed anything, but there are some pretty long posts in this thread and I have ADD at times. Not many good trainers work at big box gyms for this reason. The split is usually 50/50 or worse. What do trainers get for that? No benefits in 90% of gyms, maybe a few clients that you otherwise wouldn't have, but that's it.

    I know you mentioned you might reduce the share if they train for more hours, but that high initial rate would be enough to send me in the other direction. I think it would be quite difficult to find people with existing clients as well. If I had existing clients, I would probably rent my own small facility for $1000/mo.
    i mentioned the alternatives in my area above...

    50/50 for $50 an hour would give you $25 an hour

    any box gym around here is charging at least $70 and paying trainers with a good certification $16/hr or $14/hr for a lesser certification

    You work those same 20 hours you're making a lot more money with a 50/50 split compared to at the box. PLUS the additional tax benefits. Granted there is a little additional commission at the box gym. $25k is pretty good for a part time 20 hr/week job.

    Maybe it'd be wise to come up with a detailed pay scale to promote aside from just starting at 50/50 but needless to say that doesn't answer why I get so many late cancels, and unreliable inquires. After dealing with a lot of these people and having to check up on them for such simple tasks, I wouldn't bring them in anyway. It just boggles my mind how so many trainers don't follow through with what they say they'll do.

    I'm getting probably 3-4 inquires a week from online postings...so far its been people with no clients or people with clients but no insurance and the inability to obtain it for whatever reason
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    Originally Posted by EdgarAllanPoe View Post
    i mentioned the alternatives in my area above...

    50/50 for $50 an hour would give you $25 an hour

    any box gym around here is charging at least $70 and paying trainers with a good certification $16/hr or $14/hr for a lesser certification

    You work those same 20 hours you're making a lot more money with a 50/50 split compared to at the box. PLUS the additional tax benefits. Granted there is a little additional commission at the box gym. $25k is pretty good for a part time 20 hr/week job.

    Maybe it'd be wise to come up with a detailed pay scale to promote aside from just starting at 50/50 but needless to say that doesn't answer why I get so many late cancels, and unreliable inquires. After dealing with a lot of these people and having to check up on them for such simple tasks, I wouldn't bring them in anyway. It just boggles my mind how so many trainers don't follow through with what they say they'll do.

    I'm getting probably 3-4 inquires a week from online postings...so far its been people with no clients or people with clients but no insurance and the inability to obtain it for whatever reason
    I don't think you got SFTs point.

    Why would ANYONE ever pay you a hypothetical $2000 a month, when they can probably rent a space for much less.

    Everyone else is saying you are taking too much, you insist it is fair, yet in the same breath wonder why you can't find trainers. People are not calling you back because your offer... well sucks.
    Last edited by acrawlingchaos; 12-11-2012 at 02:01 AM.
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    husband, father, trainer KyleAaron's Avatar
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    I can see I haven't been clear enough.

    There are good trainers, and crap trainers. Only the crap trainers are applying to work under you. The good ones have better opportunities so don't even apply, you never meet them.

    No business owner likes to face the possibility that maybe it isn't hundreds of potential or current employee, but it's just them. "I couldn't possibly need to change... it's those hundreds of others who need to change. I will just sit and wait patiently until they change. After all, sitting around waiting is the route to complete business success!"
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    Originally Posted by acrawlingchaos View Post
    I don't think you got SFTs point.

    Why would ANYONE ever pay you a hypothetical $2000 a month, when they can probably rent a space for much less.

    Everyone else is saying you are taking too much, you insist it is fair, yet in the same breath wonder why you can't find trainers. People are not calling you back because your offer... well sucks.
    Yes, that was pretty much my point. $25/hr might sound better than $14-16/hr if that was your only other option. However, if I can find someone who will let me use their facility for $500/month with the same number of clients, I am now at a 12/88 split. If you don't make the deal more attractive than renting their own space, they will not come.

    At the end of the day, I think the percentage of sessions only works for so long. Once the person is established, I would move them to a flat rate if you want to keep them happy. If I'm running my own business, I really don't care to report to them how much I'm making per session. How do you even confirm this? Do I give you complete access to my books? Again, this is something that a good trainer would think twice about.

    What we did at my old facility was a ramped rent for our massage therapist. Rent started at $100, increasing $100 per month, to a maximum of $600/mo. This allowed her to build up her client base over time. This is especially important if a trainer would be losing a portion of their existing client base by moving to a new facility.

    I do understand your point of view. You have a facility that you have to rent for each month. You would really like if that rent was paid for, in part, by someone else. However, by offering undesirable terms, you will turn away people with better opportunities. Even if you keep them for some period of time, they will eventually leave you.
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  22. #22
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    The way you talk about it in this thread, it seems to me that all you want other trainers around for is to foot the bill for your rent. If I sat down for a job interview with you, prior to being set up, a 50/50 split would sound great to me (on the proviso of being able to negotiate a more favourable percentage or just a flat rental rate once a certain amount of paid sessions are happening each week -- 50/50 is wonderful when you've only got a handful of sessions a week, whereas paying rent on such a small number of sessions would send a trainer broke; meanwhile 50/50 on 20 hours of PT/wk would be a grand rip off), however the attitude you're presenting here would turn me right off.
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  23. #23
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    I'll make a couple of suggestions based off of what has worked for me.

    Start an internship program at your studio. This is a great way to get kinesiology, physical therapy, etc. students from your local university to come and learn from you. This will give you a great talent pool to pick from in the future. Here's a link to my internship program http://foodandfitnessonline.com/internship-program/

    Also, I give my trainers clients and pay them directly. I base the pay off how many hours they work. The more hours, they more they make. This way people that fiddle around and don't bring in more clients or retain clients, you aren't paying them much anyways and its not a big loss. I base it off of how many hours they train in the month. Here's the example of what I use:

    Trainers

    Advancement Full time client equivalents Pay Monthly income
    Level 1 Trainer 1 $15/client $135
    Level 2 Trainer 2 $20/client $360
    Level 3 Trainer 3 $25/client $675
    Leader 4 $30/client $1,080
    Assistant Manager 8 $35/client $2,520
    Manager 16 $40/client $5,760

    1 Full time client equivalent = 9 hours per month
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    Already offered flat rent....got less inquiries asking just 200/month for part time. I got the impression people were scared to pay rent and have the extracresponsibility...thats y I switched to split. Still with 200 I had experienced trainers asking for free rent....200 is less than one client.

    Since advertising 50/50 split ive got many more inquiries.

    Security cams to verify sessions along with paperwork. Will get mindbody software one fully staffed
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    Originally Posted by EdgarAllanPoe View Post
    Already offered flat rent....got less inquiries asking just 200/month for part time. I got the impression people were scared to pay rent and have the extracresponsibility...thats y I switched to split. Still with 200 I had experienced trainers asking for free rent....200 is less than one client.

    Since advertising 50/50 split ive got many more inquiries.

    Security cams to verify sessions along with paperwork. Will get mindbody software one fully staffed
    How do you know how much the trainer is charging? What if I charge $50/hr with one client, $38/hr with another, and $75/hr for a group class. How would you know that without looking at my books?

    To me it seems like $200/month was enough to get rid of the people that you don't want training at your facility. Sounds good to me! That is a bargain and anyone who balks at that probably has little confidence in their ability to make money. This is assuming that they did not have other concerns. I think it would be easier to charge the flat rate monthly. You don't have to deal with confronting people about underpaying, wasting your time watching videos, etc. You will also get rid of most of the bad trainers. Even if you have to wait a few months to get someone in there, at least you won't have so many bad trainers contacting you.

    Remember that you are having a hard time finding "quality" trainers. More inquiries doesn't mean higher quality.
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    Registered User EdgarAllanPoe's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by SFT View Post
    How do you know how much the trainer is charging? What if I charge $50/hr with one client, $38/hr with another, and $75/hr for a group class. How would you know that without looking at my books?

    To me it seems like $200/month was enough to get rid of the people that you don't want training at your facility. Sounds good to me! That is a bargain and anyone who balks at that probably has little confidence in their ability to make money. This is assuming that they did not have other concerns. I think it would be easier to charge the flat rate monthly. You don't have to deal with confronting people about underpaying, wasting your time watching videos, etc. You will also get rid of most of the bad trainers. Even if you have to wait a few months to get someone in there, at least you won't have so many bad trainers contacting you.

    Remember that you are having a hard time finding "quality" trainers. More inquiries doesn't mean higher quality.
    As it is now...
    massage therapist pays rent...she came on before i had my split setup how i wanted
    1 trainer pays rent....same reason
    1 trainer pays 50/50 split...this trainers clients pay me, i in turn pay her twice a month. They have a sign sheet, I have them on recurring billing so the client agrees to the payment and # of sessions prior to training. Does this still require a bit of trust...yes...but its working at the moment.

    I'm happy with the 3 I have. I will make much more from the 50/50 trainer than the other two despite her having less of a clientele.

    Keep in mind, i'm bringing in independent contractors and I'm actually treating them as such. There is a timetable on these contracts. Also keep in mind the two remaining trainers I'm looking for are only part timers that will work only in the evening (never any more). I anticipate turnover. It is a business, and their income supplements my business...i'm not building a team. Contractors are different than employees and i believe a lot of people are viewing my thinking process along the lines of building a long term employment team.

    Someone starting out is a good candidate, someone moving to my area from another trying to build clientele until they can get their own place is a good candidate....even more so a experienced trainer who is already successful in one area but trying to expand.

    Don't twist my words and say I don't care if the people succeed or don't but yes the primary reason for bringing in contractors is to generate the most amount of money possible so I have more money to invest in my business (advertising, equipment, education, etc). I have the mornings all to myself, so my clients are paying for me and the privacy of the entire studio...I have no intention of changing that. I will not be working alongside any trainers but 1 that I already have on two days.

    To me a flat rent of $200 is a waste when it could easily be more. One trainer has 6 clients that pay $300 a month, that will net me $900.

    Of course if I get someone that i can depend on and trust, then and only then after time will I adjust things to try to keep them around. For example the one trainer paying rent already that I have. He's ALWAYS on time, if he says he'll do something he always does it, his clients love him thats why I have him paying a low rent and I didn't adjust anything for him...he's got a sweet deal.

    The fact that i'm limiting this to part time and evenings will obviously limit some things.

    I've been leasing this specific space since September and already have 3 trustworthy people with the goal of possibly 2-3 more. I think thats a pretty good rate. The whole point of this thread tho is more the SHOCK of how unprofessional majority of these people are who contact me seeking an opportunity or the fact that so many are simply beggars with nothing to offer expecting a handout.
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    Originally Posted by rdferguson View Post
    The way you talk about it in this thread, it seems to me that all you want other trainers around for is to foot the bill for your rent. If I sat down for a job interview with you, prior to being set up, a 50/50 split would sound great to me (on the proviso of being able to negotiate a more favourable percentage or just a flat rental rate once a certain amount of paid sessions are happening each week -- 50/50 is wonderful when you've only got a handful of sessions a week, whereas paying rent on such a small number of sessions would send a trainer broke; meanwhile 50/50 on 20 hours of PT/wk would be a grand rip off), however the attitude you're presenting here would turn me right off.
    That is the purpose of independent contractors really is to foot the bill. Contractors are not expected to be forever and thats the understanding from the start, that should be common knowledge in terms of a independent contractor. I don't get how thats a bad attitude or anything else, its business. It's a contractor vs employee.

    Any business whether large or small will try to keep overhead low and profits high.

    If I can bring in a qualified trainer that isn't at risk of injuring people that will pay me $200-$300 rent and work with 5 clients.....or I can bring in the same qualified trainer to pay me 50% of the $200/month that his 5 clients pay him providing me with $500. Why would i take the $200-$300?

    Yes, the reason I am bringing in trainers to my facility is to make myself more money

    I'm friends with the current people i have in now but if I brought in someone that just came to work, trained clients, left and didn't say much of anything that would be perfectly fine too as long as the person was dependable, trustworthy, professional, responsible and didn't get clients hurt.
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    Where are you located? I work as an independent contractor, so i sorta get what you are saying as far as tax breaks, but the others are correct as well. If someone is established and has their bills paid and is happy, what are you offering them that would be any better??
    If you are seeking people who are professional, then you have to offer something better than what they have now. It sounds like though you think you are giving them a great deal, you are not, otherwise they would be flocking to your gym.
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    Originally Posted by EdgarAllanPoe View Post
    That is the purpose of independent contractors really is to foot the bill. Contractors are not expected to be forever and thats the understanding from the start, that should be common knowledge in terms of a independent contractor. I don't get how thats a bad attitude or anything else, its business. It's a contractor vs employee.
    Common Knowledge? If your contractors are there to foot the Bill, until you "don't need them". you are doing it wrong. Having others trainers at your facility should be part your business plan.

    Any business whether large or small will try to keep overhead low and profits high.
    Often done at the expense of quality.

    If I can bring in a qualified trainer that isn't at risk of injuring people that will pay me $200-$300 rent and work with 5 clients.....or I can bring in the same qualified trainer to pay me 50% of the $200/month that his 5 clients pay him providing me with $500. Why would i take the $200-$300?
    If I am underpaying and can't find a trainer.... why would I pay more? I know there is a logical explanation SOMEWHERE in there.

    Yes, the reason I am bringing in trainers to my facility is to make myself more money

    I'm friends with the current people i have in now but if I brought in someone that just came to work, trained clients, left and didn't say much of anything that would be perfectly fine too as long as the person was dependable, trustworthy, professional, responsible and didn't get clients hurt.
    Odd work ethic.
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    Originally Posted by EdgarAllanPoe View Post
    Maybe its because i'm looking for part time trainers...idk

    I've had 3 consistent problems with trainers aside from 1 that i've had paying rent from the start always on time, totally professional, reliable...if he says something will be done its always done.

    1. Trainers coming in asking for a free ride, asking if i can "work with them". Now i'm doing a 50/50 split to start, but prior to that i was asking for rent and plenty of people wanted to start but nobody wanted to pay lol....seriously?

    2. Bringing in contractors you expect them to handle their business. I'm bringing in contractors so I can focus on my business and not have to supervise theres. HORRIBLE communication, if you tell me you'll have me x,y,z on friday then i expect to have it on friday. That's how i am. I've had to keep following up with people.

    3. Certification and insurance proof from "experienced" trainers. People claim to have a client base, I ask for this and excuse after excuse not to provide it.

    Are majority of trainers simply not business savvy or reliable, are majority of trainers operating without insurance (insurance is soooo cheap!!! no excuse)

    I even brought one person in, gave her a key....was told she knew all types of people and had been training in parks outside...been about 3 weeks and she hasn't gotten started or brought in a single person.

    If i didn't have any clients, id just straight up tell someone the truth.

    Not to mention i have been cancelled on time and time again from people who initiate contact with me. Is everyone else dealing with these same issues consistently? I even had someone from NASM contact me directly wanting to meet at my studio and this person cancelled about 30 minutes before he was supposed to show EARLY on a weekend.
    My studio has had one renter for almost two years, but in that same time frame we've had over 10 trainers who have come and gone. It's nice to have renters/independents around, but as far as business goes its just supplemental income. Not all trainers have the marketing skills to build a clientele, the training skills to retain a clientele, and the budgeting skills to deal with income fluctuation that comes with being an independent trainer. Its just not for everyone. However, every now and then you'll find a trainer who is able to do all three.
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