When you start a business, you should not focus on the money, the benefits, or status. Instead, you should focus on doing what you love. For one thing, you are willing to stay the course, even when times are tough; for another, the fringe benefits, how much you earn, the benefits you reap, and the status you enjoy will all come without your need to give them any extra attention.
One particularly rewarding line of work is starting a business to help people feel better about their bodies. This could include anything that improves people’s health and well-being.
Some interesting options to consider are becoming a massage therapist, a physiotherapist, a yoga instructor, a certified nutritionist, or a personal trainer. Let’s take a quick look at these five options from the perspective of education and training and how to set up your business.
1. Massage Therapist.
To start, you must enroll in a massage therapy school, where you’ll need to get between 300 to 1,000 hours of training to meet the requirements for your state. You will then need to take some exams for your certification and license.
Once you’re certified, you should rent a commercial space and get basic equipment like massage tables, linen, towels, lotions, and so on. You don’t need an impressive clinic to start out, and you can always add more décor and create more ambiance as your business prospers. One way to market your business is to register with a number of health funds.
2. Physiotherapist.
To start, you will need a four-year Bachelor degree in physiotherapy. After you graduate, you may want to get a Master’s degree to specialize in a particular aspect of physiotherapy.
In order to set up a successful private practice, you need to learn how to run a business. Your rate of success will improve if you can get a mentor to help you develop your business as well as develop a personal support network to encourage you as you struggle in the beginning to get your business off the ground.
3. Yoga Instructor.
You will need to spend between 200 to 500 hours training at a Registered Yoga School.
You will make the most money as a yoga instructor if you set up your own studio rather than work for a gym or a health resort, where you’ll only earn from $20 to $50 an hour. Although your monthly rent may appear to be high and you might need a small loan to create a beautiful studio, you can easily earn at least $5,000 a month by teaching 3 classes a day for five days in a row and charging around $75 a class. Later, you can hire new yoga instructors to work for your business.
My favorite way to teach yoga while creating earnings, however, is by using YogaTrade.com to find jobs all over the world. Through YogaTrade, I’ve been able to find yoga teaching jobs in places like Bali, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, and even at home in the USA. Some of the jobs are paid, while others do a ‘trade’ offering free rent and food.
4. Nutritionist.
You will need to earn a bachelor’s degree in any of the following fields: clinical nutrition, dietetics, food service systems management, or foods and nutrition. You will also need to pass an exam, complete a dietetic internship, earn a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential, and get a state license.
When starting a nutrition private practice, the most important lesson you will have to learn is something you will only have been superficially taught in school: how to run a business. After you figure out your brand name, create a viable business plan, and get professional liability insurance, you will need to market your business aggressively to develop a steady clientele.
5. Personal trainer.
Minimum requirements for eligibility in a well-recognized certification program is a high school diploma or a GED. The top organizations for recognized certification include the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
Since building a well-equipped gym is a huge expense, your best option is to join a gym and market your services in small classified ads and through networking as an independent personal training contractor.
Identify Your Personal Strengths and Interests
One way of deciding what career to pursue is by reflecting on your strengths and interests. If, for instance, you spend much of your personal time trying to help and advise family and friends how to recover their health after an illness or an injury, then you might want to consider becoming a massage therapist, a physiotherapist, or a nutritionist. If, on the other hand, you are more interested in promoting health and fitness, transforming ordinary people to be as fit as athletes, than you might want to consider becoming a yoga instructor or a personal trainer.
Also, see – 6 Steps to Loving Your Job