How to Design and Purchase Professional Personal Trainer Uniform

​Very often one of the perks of running your own business is the laissez faire attitude towards uniforms, shirts and ties etc. However, when self-employed within the health and fitness industry one of the big questions when starting out is, should I wear uniform as a personal trainer?! Well, let me save you some time, the answer is yes!

​By having your own business, and own client schedule you may not have just one place of work you call “the office”. Which means you can very often find yourself in local community facilities, parks, centres, separate gyms, halls and so on. With or without your very own home business facility a uniform can separate you from the crowd as well as competitors.
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As you may have already experienced when running your own PT business, you are never off duty. Essentially you are a walking, talking advert for your business and always have the opportunity to build up your clientele. 

A Personal Trainer uniform is the billboard for your business. Away from the setting of health and fitness you need to be advertising your business, not just on social media but personally as well. It’s the people you meet outside of this health based world that become your future clients. If you have Personal Trainer clothing then you get free advertising wherever you go, to hundreds of people with potential income opportunities.

Gym apparel such as Personal Trainer t-shirts is a great place to start to enable your brand, your colours, your name and your already well-toned body to be viewed by many.
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​It’s all very well people knowing what you do within the world of health and fitness, but these people have already decided to keep fit. PT uniforms can transform your business to the next level of client engagement. 

Uniform Supply Chain

Finding a good uniform supplier that can specialise in fitness apparel is your essential first step. We are looking for gym clothing here that you can work out in as well as advertise your business effectively. So the average down the road school t-shirt printing company may not cut it.

This important first step enables you to find a supplier that meets your needs as well as the business needs. The appropriate printing processes need to be applied as you will be wearing this clothing day in, day out, as well as working out and using it in non-fitness settings.

Sports performance material is what we are after here, clothing that can keep up with your active lifestyle as well as enable you to conduct business. Look for performance materials such as polyester and spandex which are durable, breathable and have ‘wicking’ properties.
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A professional custom printing clothing company will be aware that a vinyl heat press is recommended to be used instead of embroidery. This process will then be able to maintain quality and adhere to the uniqueness of your business brand all without affecting the properties of the garments. 

Doing the Deal

Once you have established a suitable uniform supplier for personal trainers and performance wear, it is here that can really make the company work for your business. There are big questions that need to be asked on your part, such as arranging discount for large scale orders, the speed in which they turn around their orders, their history of supplying personal trainers with apparel as well as business feedback from other customers.
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If the supplier you have chosen has a professional website and good social media presence that display many answers to the above questions then you could be on to something good for you and your business. However, always ask the company if they supply a small order which allows you to test out their clothing without breaking your self-employed clothing budget.  

Types and Trainers

Personal Trainers come in all shapes and sizes, quite literally. However, knowing what your business is, who you’re appealing to and what you specialise in will all impact on your personal Trainer clothing.
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Similar to job roles, having an understanding of what your clothing will be used for is important, such as outdoor military boot-camp fitness, at home one to one tuition or within an air conditioned gym environment and so on. Each setting will require different qualities from your clothing. So knowing where, when and what you will be doing whilst in your apparel will be crucial to save you money and prevent re-orders.

If your business is doing well, you may have already or thinking about employing additional personal trainers. This then needs to be taken into account by considering clothing that suits both men and women. It’s essential that you choose apparel that maintains the essence of your business in terms of branding, colours and fittings whilst considering male and female versions.
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Furthermore if you attend lots of conferences, meetings and opportunities to raise your profile within the community the polo shirts and collared shirts can give more of a professional look. This goes for any reception staff on your pay-role too, as a professional image, as well as a stylish look can seriously influence potential future customers to your business. 

Personalisation

​Personalising your personal training clothing just adds that extra layer of quality and professionalism to your business. Custom clothing usually incorporates printing your business logo, details, names, numbers, events and so on onto the apparel. However, it is crucial that any personalisation fits within your branding and marketing aims and objectives as well as being reproduced with quality.
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Logos must maintain your business identity at all times, they must be visible and readable by all. Very small text will not be seen by your customers; it will be illegible and can look unprofessional. Logos that reproduce well are single or dual colour, in which case check with the supplier website and customer service team that your own branding and logo design can be replicated with clear definition.
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Use templates to place the logo in various positions on the clothing, as well as any additional text such as “personal trainer”, “fitness instructor” and so on. Placing the logo and text in various places can help you stand out from the crowd as well as working better for the clothes your wear and the activities you carry out. Practice makes perfect when creating your own personal trainer uniform, and as always ensure you ‘measure twice, pay once’ and not the other way around!

Author

Thanks for the article to David Allen from Personal Trainer Clothing. If you are in the process of finding a supplier, feel free to contact his team.