Not your Traditional Fitness Center

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The business model behind this fitness facility is a little different then a regular gym.  Different in a good way of course!

Today we Have a Post By Dominic Costa the owner and founder of Domination Fitness. If you have the drive and passion Dominic has laid out some great advice on how to start your own fitness Business.  He is a true Fitness Entrepreneur. Take a few minutes to learn how he has become successful.

Hey Dominic, could you give us a brief overview of your business. 

Domination Fitness is home to coaches, not personal trainers, whom are independent contractors. The equipment at Domination Fitness is the best in the world in both bio-mechanics and ergonomics. There is a mixture of full-time coaches and part-time coaches who still love training and don’t want to deal with box-gym nonsense. I train as well, ranging from the athlete that has aspirations of making it to the next level to the man or woman who wants to be trained like an athlete.

Nice interesting concept.  How about you what is your fitness and back ground?

I was a high school All-American football and track athlete who then went on the play college football for the University of Arizona. Injuries and setbacks kept me from playing professionally but I have taken that same work ethic that I had and have instilled that upon all the athletes that I train.

Sound like you had a good run at it! If someone was in the planning stages of opening their own fitness business what would you recommend?

I have always wanted to run my own business because I am someone who is internally motivated and will do what it takes to get the job done right. One thing that I can’t stress enough to people who want to start their own business is that you must do your due diligence when it comes to all aspects of your business model. You must research everything that pertains to your business so that when your doors open you will feel confident that you have done all you need at that point to be successful. This research may take up to a year or more even after you have your business plan completed. Also, please keep a record of all your financials. 90% of small businesses do not keep track of their expenses or what they bring in and that is recipe for disaster.

What is one of the biggest obstacle you had to overcome when starting? and how you worked around or over it?

Well the biggest obstacle for me to start was in getting the capital needed to start the business. With the way that banks are today in lending money, a person really does need to have a lot of financial backing in order for a bank to take you serious. I was persistent and eventually I found a venture-capitalist who believed in what I had to say.

Pricing is always a hot topic for people how did you come up with yours? have you changed it since opening?

Pricing came from looking at the best interest of the coach and what most fitness facilities take for their personal training services. I really wanted it to be advantageous to the coach so that they can truly benefit from being on their own. If I take care of my coaches, then they will take care of me. I have not changed the pricing since the doors have been opened.

What client management software do you use if any? (mindbody, zen planner or just an excel sheet)

At this point I do not use any client management software besides excel, but I have used mindbody with much success in the past.

How about marketing? referrals, Search Engine Optimization, or online advertising?

Referrals are always going to be the best course of advertising for a personal trainer because each party will know what to expect before they have their first conversation. I have talked with many people who run large businesses who don’t advertise anymore because they have found that in referrals they know exactly the type of person they will get.

Nice Referrals are a great way to spread the word.  When it comes to hiring what has worked best for you?

Making sure that you have a very specific profile so that you can convey that to all potential clients and coaches.  If you allow in everybody you meet that may not be the image you want to create, so by putting together a very specific list of things you are looking for all parties know what to expect.

And last thing what is the best piece of advice you have for someone who wants to start a gym?

The best piece of advice I have for anyone who wants to start their own gym is to once again due your research on everything that relates to your idea.

Thanks Dominic.

Be sure to check out Domination Fitness

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