So you're going to start a fitness business! It's an exciting and sometimes overwhelming step to take as an entrepreneur. One of the first things you'll have to do, after coming up with your brilliant idea, is to write a fitness business proposal. This document is perhaps the most important tool in your arsenal, as it represents your first opportunity to persuade people that your fitness idea is worthwhile. Basically, the idea is what you're selling, so you'll want to ensure your proposal is strong and innovative.

Hone Your Idea

Are you working on a personal training business? A gym? A fitness studio? A non-profit? Think carefully about what your business or organization will entail, how it might work and who your customers might be. A key point to consider is, who is the audience for your proposal? Is it a potential investor or business partner? Consider their point of view, as well as their concerns. Consider what their objectives might be. Be sure to address both concerns and objectives in your proposal text.

Identify Your Customer

Who will your business or organization be serving? It has to be considerably more specific than just "people who want to lose weight" or "people who want to build muscle." Think "busy moms who don't have time to get to the gym, so they could benefit from in-home personal training" or "environmentally-conscious consumers who want their yoga studio to be as eco-friendly as the rest of their lives." Consider your ideal customer's age range, where they live, their interests, their shopping habits and the problem they have that your fitness business will solve. Think about doing a few simple online surveys of your ideal customer to see what they would want in a business or organization like yours. This will help you decide what to put in your proposal.

Do The Research

Show that you've done your homework on the void that your business or organization will fill. Use market research, population data and other information you can find regarding your proposed fitness idea. For example, if your idea is to open a new low-cost gym, you might include data on the average disposable income that people have in your area. The use of data and statistics will make your proposal both compelling and convincing.

Do The Math

Run the numbers so you can include them in your proposal. Consider start-up costs, materials, marketing and employees – everything that will cost you money when running your fitness business or organization. Potential partners and investors will want to see the financial projections of your proposed fitness business.

Choose A Proposal Template 

Explore different templates for your proposal – a quick internet search should turn up plenty of example. Typically, they are a few pages long, including both text and graphics. Make sure you include relevant images such as your logo if you already have one or a mock-up of your logo idea.

Present a Polished, Professional Proposal 

Fact-checking and proofreading are absolutely vital before you present your fitness business proposal. You may consider hiring an editor to ensure your copy is free of any spelling or grammatical errors. Finally, place your completed proposal in a binder or presentation folder so it looks professional.