If you’re thinking about starting a fitness center or sports center business, which direction would be right for you? Will that approach work where you want to have your business? How can you find out more?

We’ve grouped the following resources together as a starting point for your research into what it would take to start your own fitness/sports center business. In addition to the free content (such as sample fitness and sports center business plans that you can read in full online), you will also find links for additional tools and products to help you move from the “where do I begin?” research step to the “how do I get started?” step — when you’re ready.

Fitness or Sports Center Sample Business Plans

Looking for inspiration? Check out our fitness/sports center sample business plans.
See how others like you got started and turned their business idea into a reality. These plans can be read fully online, are available in LivePlan.

Health Club Sample Business Plan (Full plan online)
By choosing a ‘proactive’ approach to wellness, Corporate Fitness helps employees change their behavior patterns and choose more healthy lifestyles, which helps lower companies’ health care expenditures and raise worker productivity.

Yoga Fitness Center Sample Business Plan (Full plan online)
The intention of the instructors at Garden Way Yoga Center is to assist students in the development of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being: a truly priceless health advantage.

Multi-Sport Complex Sample Business Plan (Full plan online)
The Supreme Courts will be a full-service multi-sport complex whose mission is to provide the best programs, staff, and equipment, to fully meet the various sports and fitness needs of its members. The center will include three full-size basketball courts that can also accommodate many other sports, a food and beverage/lounge area, a massage therapy clinic, and other amenities such as offices, a conference room, a childcare center, and full-service locker rooms.

Fitness Center Marketing Sample Plan

Once you’ve decided on the type of business you want to start, you must also plan how you will reach your potential customer market and how you will convince them they want to do business with you. That’s what marketing is all about. Read this sample marketing plan and see how Corporate Fitness targeted its ideal online customer base.

Start a Business Resource Kit

Looking for more resources to help you start your fitness center business? This free online business planning toolkit includes a presentation by business planning guru Tim Berry, a set of business calculators, sample business plans, and more. Launch the toolkit

Articles on Starting a Business

In addition to the home-based business and marketing sample plans above, the following articles address many of the common types of questions entrepreneurs have about starting a business. No matter what type of business you’re interested in, you will find these articles to be helpful.

Reducing Risk for a Startup Business
How do you transition from employment to self-employed entrepreneur without losing your shirt? That is a fundamental question….

No Money? No Problem!
Is it possible to start a business without money or collateral? Anything is possible…

The Right Business For You
If you want to work for yourself, but don’t have a particular business in mind, you’re probably wondering what kind of business you should start. Fortunately, the answer is always the same…

Top 15 Questions from SCORE
1. What kind of person makes a successful entrepreneur? …

Additional Sample Plans Available in LivePlan

These, and 40+ other sports and fitness center sample business plans, as well as the fully viewable plans listed above, are available in LivePlan.

Baseball Batting Cages Business Plan
Executive summary (excerpt only)
Rick’s Strike Zone will offer a central, indoor location for guests to learn and practice their baseball and softball skills. The facility will include batting cages, pitching areas, team skills areas, meeting area, equipment rental, & rest area.

Bowling Entertainment Center Business Plan
Executive summary (excerpt only)
This plan provides detailed investor information and includes the basic strategic business plan information necessary for initial establishment and operation of Kiln Creek Bowling Center.

Physical Fitness Gym Business Plan
Executive summary (excerpt only)
Ladies Only Fitness is a women only health club that creates a personalized environment for women to pursue their fitness goals. We have the best equipment and the best training program in this arena. We prepare our clients for success!

Martial Arts School Business Plan
Executive summary (excerpt only)
Cents and Senseibility will be value-priced taekwondo martial arts school serving its customers in our community by providing several programs for a variety of purposes, ranging from basic martial arts, to self defense, to esteem and life skills building, and more.

Fitness Center Industry Research

Get valuable financial intelligence and industry trends in a fitness center industry research report, which provides five years of financials, business ratios, and more. Better yet, these industry reports are available at the U.S. national, state, and even county level, so you can really understand the local competitive environment. Start your market research the easy way.

Browse industry research reports and search under “Amusement and Recreational Services (79)” and subcategory “Physical Fitness Facilities (7991).

How to Finance a Business Start-up Kit

Get all the details you need to find financing sources. The kit contains details about various loan programs, venture capital funding advice, pages and pages of contacts, and much more.

Want to start a small business, but not sure where to start? Get the professional tools and guidance you need with our all-in-one business start-up kits. Each kit features LivePlan software plus an informative binder with detailed information and advice on your specific business type.