(fitness) business ethics question

[Farah636]

Hi Cathletes!

I have a business related question and I wanted to get some opinions. While I'm a grad student hoping to pursue a career in academia, I've always wanted to have my own small side business in fitness. I've been working as a group fitness instructor for a few years now (at my university's rec center), but it doesn't pay very well and I just like the idea of maybe striking out on my own. That said, I had been toying with the idea of becoming a personal trainer b/c I'm already knowledgable in that area and I think it offers the flexibility I need, what with my current academic/professional obligations.

Here's the thing: I have the intention of getting ACE certified -- I bought the textbook and all -- but b/c of time constraints (I'm going to be taking my qualifier exams soon for my phd!) the studying has been VERY slow going and I feel like it's going to be a while before I finish all the readings/practice exams. But I really want to get going on acquiring some PT experience!! Here comes my question, finally, lol: Do you think it's ok to be paid for personal training services even if you're not certified?

My justification:

-I dont have that PT cert, but I have 2 other group exercise certs and 5 years of experience teaching everything everything from strength training and cardio to pilates and yoga.
-I would advertise as such -- I lack ABC but I do have XYZ
-I would not charge as much as a certified trainer
-I'm also CPR/First Aid certified, so I'm trained with handling possible emergencies
-I'm still working on the PT cert, no plans to abandon it
-Since I'm also a university student, my target clients are other university students who, like me, could never afford the full on PT sessions offered and might be willing to forego an official credential to receive discounted PT sessions.

I guess the only thing that keeps me from drawing up the plans and advertising to friends is that I don't want anyone to think I'm a cheat/dishonest, or that "oh, she has no business doing that, she's not qualified enough." I definitely don't want to pursue something where others won't see me as qualified, even if I myself feel pretty confident about my fitness expertise.

Wooh. That was a long one, sorry, lol. But any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated!

 

[mspina]

I see no issue with this at all. In fact, I would *not* mention that you *don't* have the PT cert, rather, I would simply list the certs you do have and leave it at that.

The only think you might need to think about is personal insurance. You train someone. The suddenly have a back issue (due to working out or not) and decide to sue you. Can you get personal insurance (which I think you really should get) without the PT cert? I don't know the answer to that one - you may, given you have other fitness related certs, but I wouldn't be surprised if you need the PT cert to get insurance for private training.

 

[Farah636]

you're right, that is something I should look into. Thanks for suggesting that! The only liability-related issue I had previously thought of is if people had pre-existing conditions, like heart issues or a pregnancy, in which case I could just say "sorry, I don't want to risk your health." But being blamed for an injury could be messy without insurance. Yeesh, I know *nothing* about insurance except the university-provided health insurance plan I have, which I suppose won't be of much use to me here. I'll have to do some research.
Thanks again!

 

[RapidBreath]

Just be honest with people and be sure to have the insurance to cover yourself. I'm thinking in terms of errors and omissions and some kind of general liability.

 

[exercise-lover]

My Pilates teacher had me sign a liability waiver. She had another form on "informed consent" basically stating that I am exercising voluntarily and know there are risks, etc. You might look into this. Even with these forms, she has professional liability insurance. Good luck!

 

[mspina]

My Pilates teacher had me sign a liability waiver. She had another form on "informed consent" basically stating that I am exercising voluntarily and know there are risks, etc. You might look into this. Even with these forms, she has professional liability insurance. Good luck!

Yes, you should definitely have a waiver worked up before you sign someone on as a client. Those are generally non-binding if someone actually decides to come after you, but it's a good reminder to the client that they are engaging in an activity where they might get hurt, blah blah blah....

Even though you might not have much "stuff" for anyone to sue you for, just being sued could be a nightmare of lawyer fees and such, so insurance is a really good idea. Do you know any personal trainers who you could talk to about this? Actually, let me ask one of my friends to see what she does - she might have some suggestions for you.

 

[Farah636]

Aaaah, I'm so excited AND nervous about jumping into this!

Thank you for your great suggestions! Let me know what you hear, Mspina!

 

[Happy Yogini]

I am NSCA certified as a PT and hold certs for yoga and when I got liability insurance I had to give them proof of my certs. I'm not positive what the legal stipulations are for your state, but you will need to know that beforehand. Usually a lawyer will be okay with answering questions like these at no charge or you can check with the local clerk of court. My suggestion is to talk to local trainers and business owners for more info. Hope that helps a little and good luck!