Assuming I have clients booked in, my day starts pretty early. Many clients like to train before they go to work so that means I have to be prepared to rise before most. So I’ll usually wake up at around 5:00 am. If you’re not an early bird I wouldn’t worry as neither was I. It just takes some getting used to and then your body will adapt. Also, I’ve found that the clients that wish to train early are also usually the most motivated which really sets the day up on a positive note.

To avoid any misunderstandings I have a 24hr cancelation policy as you don’t want to be wasting your time waiting around for a client who doesn’t show. I usually charge for the full session if they cancel later than this (bar an emergency or unforeseen circumstance).

I choose to walk to work as it’s not too far and I enjoy getting some steps in, in the morning. I occasionally cycle if I’m in a hurry.

My first client of the morning is usually at 6:30 am (but have started earlier on occasion). I give my clients an allotted time of 45 minutes. In reality, it’s an hour but I like to give myself some wiggle room if a session runs over or a client is a few minutes late. I hate having the place feel like a doctor’s waiting room with clients hanging around until I’m ready. The extra 15 minutes or so usually keeps everything moving nicely.

I will then train clients until 9:30 am. After this, I will usually block out an hour to complete any administrative tasks. This includes creating programs, scheduling appointments, following up with leads, or anything else I can squeeze into the hour.

From 10:30 am to 13:30 pm I’m usually booked out most days. This is a busy period for me as I work with a lot of mums who come after the school run. Also around midday people like to come and train during their lunch breaks. Even if I don’t have a one-to-one client the facility will usually be busy which means it’s a great time to scour for more clients, network, have initial consultations, etc.

When I don’t have clients booked I will often look at our schedule for classes. If there are classes available to lead then I will put my name down to take them. Once that’s locked in it can’t be changed, even if a new one-to-one client becomes available during that time. I personally prefer when my schedule for the day is full, so any opportunity I get to take a class when I don’t have personal clients I’ll usually snap up. The added bonuses to classes are of course the additional revenue but also it presents another opportunity to promote my one-to-one services to a larger group of people all at the same time.

From 13:30 pm – 14:30 pm is my time to chill out and take a break. I’ll grab a bite to eat and often workout during this time too. The next couple of hours is usually the quietest of the day. I usually have a long list of tasks that I need to work through so this is a good time to work on that if I have 0 appointments. I also like to expand my learning so will often read or do coursework. Also, I’ll try and get on top of all the things I don’t really enjoy doing such as sending and replying to emails, making phone calls, and dealing with taxes.

Things begin to pick up again from around 16:30-17:00 as people come in after they finish work. I take on clients up until 19:00 so this is the earliest I will ever leave. However, I tend to hang around until 19:30 as there is always something I need to do or prep for the following day. If I didn’t workout during my lunch break then I will sometimes do it once I’ve finished. It really depends, but I prefer to exercise during lunch and then I can just relax at the end of the day.

Pros

• There are lots of opportunities to grow your business. You can work with clients face to face and online.
• Multiple tasks keep the job exciting and motivating
• Get to work and interact with people, helping them along their journey
• May get some nice perks like free access to training facilities

Cons

Although I have what one of my typical days looks like, often my schedule will be based on the convenience of others.

• When the client is available to train could potentially change each week
• The client may cancel at any moment
• You may have to work out of normal working hours. You can’t work with a client if they are working themselves so you need to be flexible.
• Long workdays