Ryan Ketchum describes the five stages of a fitness business owner’s journey as an individual transitions from a fitness professional to a fitness business owner.

Finding a well-educated and open-minded employee is, in most cases, simply luck of the draw. Instead of hoping for the perfect new hire to come walking through the door, a business owner could try a different technique in which they shed their business owner mindset and transition into a mentorship role. Using an internship program, the mentor can ideally build themselves the near-perfect employee.

The Fitness Business Owner Journey: 5 Stages of Skill Development For Success

One of the universal challenges in running a small fitness business is finding new ways to generate traffic. In this session from the 2015 NSCA Personal Trainers Conference, Josh Leve reviews the results of a survey of thousands of owners, fitness professionals, and coaches to identify best business practices. There is no better strategy to grow a business than leveraging the combined experiences of others.

This PTQ article shares a real-world story to give inspiration and practical advice on creating your own sport performance business. Visit NSCA online to read more on athletic performance and professional development.

Just as any decent coach would not have a client perform a heavy deadlift without first conducting a fitness or movement assessment, a potential facility owner should not move forward without assessing the state of their current business. This article explains three steps for conducting an assessment.

David Crump, Owner of Spark Fitness and a business consultant, discusses the importance of utilizing systems to improve the customer experience.

In the private sector, you are always auditioning. Joe Neal, owner of 2SP Sports Performance based near Detroit, MI, shares a blueprint for serving athletes from youth to the professional ranks. Those foundational principles support off-season training for National Hockey League (NHL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) players. Neal reflects on his untraditional path from an underserved college baseball athlete to a business owner. Along the way, his coaching was guided by self-experimentation, creative training techniques, and relentless learning. He explains what makes a strong private-sector program: coaches should be prepared, moving, and communicating, not buried in screens or programming. Neal also breaks down how he uses technology to individualize training, track progress, and support better decisions without losing supervision. He emphasizes long-term development, where overlooked athletes can keep growing, stay healthier, and outperform early expectations. Listen for practical lessons on culture, coaching, business, and private-sector development across every level of sport. Connect with Joe on Instagram: @joeneal2 or by email: joe@2spsports.com | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Join the NSCA Entrepreneur Special Interest Group (SIG) on LinkedIn to connect with other coaches and explore ideas for building and leading in the private sector.

Before taking any steps toward opening a facility, the personal trainer should review the following considerations to ensure they are making the right decision.

For fitness business owners, marketing is understanding the audience and being able to craft stories that capture their attention. This article includes recommendations of ways to get current clients more engaged, as well as reach out to new clients.