Summary: In this article I unpack the six-step system I use (and recommend to fitness business owners) for launching a successful fitness side hustle – from identifying real problems to testing and scaling the idea. This is based on the process we follow in the Fitness Side Hustle Project.
5 things you’ll learn in this article
- Why starting with a problem, rather than an idea, is the key to building a viable fitness side hustle.
- How to generate and filter multiple business ideas using your avatar’s real pain points.
- The frameworks I use to evaluate and prioritise ideas with low risk and high reward.
- What a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) actually looks like in the fitness industry – and why you should never build before testing.
- How to assess whether your side hustle is scalable, sustainable, and worth growing.
If I wanted to start a side hustle in the fitness industry, there are six steps I’d follow. I’ve used this system myself, and it’s the same one I recommend to the business owners I mentor.
Here they are:
- Find problems.
- Generate ideas.
- Identify the solution.
- Build a Minimal Viable Product (MVP).
- Launch the business.
- Review the project.
Let’s unpack them.
Step 1: Find problems
People come to me all the time with good ideas. But here’s the truth:
A good idea is not a good idea – unless it solves a real problem.
You need to start by identifying a problem. A real one. A problem experienced by someone you want to help.
So start with your avatar. Your avatar is your ideal client. It’s the person you want to help – the demographic or psychographic you know well. Maybe it’s someone you’re already working with. The best ideas come from people you understand deeply.
Once you’ve identified your avatar, list their pain points. Write down 20 things that keep them up at night – 20 problems they wish someone would solve. Your business idea will be a solution to one of these problems.
And here’s a key principle: ‘Dig the well before you’re thirsty.’
Build a business for people who already know, like, and trust you. Don’t wait until you’re desperate for clients to start building relationships.
Step 2: Generate ideas
Most people start here, with an idea. But that’s backwards. Ideas come after you identify the problem.
Now that you have your list of pain points, come up with three potential solutions for each one. If you have 20 problems, you’ll now have 60 ideas.
Then, combine ideas. Refine them. Innovate.
You don’t need to be 10x better than everyone else – you just need to be different. A unique solution to a real problem is your unique selling proposition (USP). Don’t waste time on ideas that require you to climb a mountain to stand out.
Start with something that’s easy to push downhill.
Think about how your current business model could pivot to solve these problems. Previously I’ve explored the nine main ways to pivot (listen / read more).
Step 3: Identify the solution
Now it’s time to sort your ideas.
Use two frameworks:
First, the Four E’s Framework:
- Entertain: Ideas you may do one day.
- Explore: Ideas you’re considering and want to test with an MVP.
- Expand: Projects that are generating small income.
- Exploit: Proven ideas that are now your main income source.
Second, the Difficulty vs Demand Matrix: Ideas can be low potential or high potential, easy or difficult. We want to try ideas that are high potential, but easy to test.
And here’s the thing – you have a LOT of ideas. Don’t build a business around the difficult ones. If it feels uphill, stop.
Ask yourself the ten questions to evaluate an idea’s potential (I cover these questions here: listen / read).
Step 4: Build a Minimal Viable Product (MVP)
This is where most people go wrong. They overbuild before testing.
An MVP is the simplest version of your product. It’s a facade. It might be a landing page, a social media post, or a form asking for expressions of interest.
You haven’t built the full product yet. You’re just putting it out there to gauge interest.
Ask for something small in return: a form submission, a DM, a reply to a text.
If interest isn’t there, stop. Don’t build something people don’t want. Find a business that runs itself down the hill.
If interest is there, move on to step five.
Step 5: Launch your MVP
This isn’t the full business launch – it’s just putting the MVP out there and saying, ‘You said you want this. Here it is.’
Ask people to put money down. A deposit. A subscription. A pre-order.
If no one is willing to pay, the idea isn’t validated.
But if they are? It’s go time. You’ve got a tight window – maybe just two weeks – so you drop everything and build the experience they’ve paid for.
But again, don’t build it until people pay for it. Don’t spend six months building something only to hear crickets.
Step 6: Review the project
Did it work? Can it move from Explore to Expand?
If it’s generating revenue consistently and can scale, maybe it’s time to move it to the Exploit column.
Test for:
- Sustainability
- Scalability
- Simplicity
If it passes all three, this side hustle may be worth growing into something big.
Then? You go back to step one. Do it all again.
Some other things to consider:
- Don’t overcommit. Limit your time. Maybe you work on the new idea for two hours a week. Set a timer. Be strict.
- Apply the 20% rule. Google gives its employees 20% of their time to work on whatever they want. It’s how Gmail was born. Use that principle. Create during your 20% time.
- Give it no more than six hours. If it hasn’t shown promise in six hours of total work time (including testing, MVP, marketing) – ditch it. Move on.
- Test lots of ideas. Let’s say you’ve got 100 ideas over the next five years. If you spend six months per idea, it’ll take you 50 years to test them all.
But if you apply this six-hour framework, you’ll find the winners faster. Maybe 10 out of 100 have potential. Five might be strong. One or two might be game changers.
The faster you throw darts, the sooner you’ll hit the bullseye.
You can’t avoid failure. You have to embrace it. Pursue it. Expect it.
This is the system I follow to build my side hustles. It’s simple, it’s lean, and it works.
Your action steps:
- Choose an avatar you know well and list 20 problems they face that you can potentially solve.
- Create three solution ideas for each problem and look for opportunities to be different, not just better.
- Use the Four E’s Framework and the Difficulty vs Demand Matrix to evaluate which idea to test first.
- Build an MVP with minimal effort – just enough to validate demand – and ask for a small commitment from potential customers.
- If you get strong interest and early buy-in, build and launch quickly; if not, move on without hesitation.
If you enjoyed this, you’ll also enjoy the following, they’re some of my most popular articles and podcasts on topics similar to this one:
- The four Es. A framework to build fitness businesses.
Read the article | Listen to the podcast - 9 ways to pivot your fitness business to earn more.
Read the article | Listen to the podcast - 10 ways to ensure your side hustle idea will make $50k.
Read the article | Listen to the podcast - A strategy guide to generating multiple income streams for Fitness Professionals.
Read the article
