You’ve probably heard the term SWOT analysis before. Maybe you’re familiar with it, or maybe it’s new to you. So let’s start there. SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool that stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It’s a way to evaluate your business or project and figure out what’s working well and what needs improvement.

For personal trainers, doing a SWOT analysis is a great way to see where you currently stand and where you can go from here.

Let’s take a look at those 4 elements and how they apply to the personal training business.

Strengths

When it comes to strengths, personal trainers have a lot going for them. They’re experts in fitness and health, they know how to motivate people, and they’re passionate about helping others reach their goals. These are all invaluable assets that can help personal trainers succeed in their business. Additionally, personal trainers are typically very organized and thrive in a fast-paced environment, both of which are essential for running a successful business.

Weaknesses

Weaknesses are also important to consider when doing a SWOT analysis. No business or project is perfect, and it’s important to be aware of your weaknesses so you can find ways to improve upon them. For personal trainers, some weaknesses could include a lack of experience, poor customer service skills, or a lack of marketing knowledge.

Opportunities

When it comes to opportunities, personal trainers have a lot of potential. The fitness industry is growing rapidly, which presents a huge opportunity for personal trainers to capitalize on. Additionally, many people are looking for help in reaching their health and fitness goals, making personal training a very in-demand service. There are also many ways for personal trainers to market their business, which gives them a lot of opportunities to reach their target audience.

Threats

As with any business or project, there are also threats to consider. For personal trainers, some potential threats could be competition from other personal trainers, the economy, or health and fitness trends that come and go.

So now we have an overview of personal trainer SWOT analysis, let’s think about how you and why you should do this exercise on a regular basis.

Business Planning

As a personal trainer and business owner it’s your responsibility to look after the business strategy including the day-to-day business tasks, but also looking for business growth. You should be using a SWOT analysis on a regular basis to help with this. Doing a SWOT will help you:

• Get to know your business inside out
• Identify your businesses strengths and weaknesses
• Take advantage of business opportunities
• Protect your business from potential threats

There are internal and external factors to take into consideration. Some examples of internal factors could include your business practices, training, services, pricing, and employees. While external factors are things such as economic conditions, competition, and social/cultural environment.

Reviewing your SWOT on a regular basis will help you stay on top of things and make sure you’re constantly moving forward.

Personal Development

One of the biggest internal factors can be your own personal development. Too many personal trainers can overlook this as they focus all their attention on client success. But sooner or later an issue arises that the personal trainer just isn’t prepared for and this can create a negative experience. By working on your own development you can ensure that you’re not just helping clients achieve their goals, but also exceeding client expectations in terms of service delivery.

How to carry out a SWOT analysis

The easiest way to start is to block out some time in your day, grab a pen and a piece of paper, and sit down somewhere away from too many distractions.

On your piece of paper, you’re going to divide it into four squares – one for each of the four elements of SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Write the headings in each square, and then just scribble in any thoughts you have.

Here are some things to think about as you do this:

• your personal training practice
• your business processes
• how much competition there is from other local businesses
• the training programs you offer
• how effective your lead generation is
• how many trainers you work with or need
• how many more clients you can work with or need to be successful
• how much more revenue you want or need
• are there new trends or new circumstances that you can take advantage of in your local area

Looking at things like this can help you spot warning signs in your business and ensure you get the success you deserve.

Personal training is a very competitive industry, and it’s important to stay on top of things with regular SWOT analysis. A personal trainer should be mindful of their strengths and weaknesses so they can take advantage of opportunities while also protecting themselves from potential threats.