Meet Craig Simpson
Craig Simpson’s career in fitness grew from his own background in competitive sport.
As a sprinter, Craig had been ranked within the UK top 10 before significant injuries brought that chapter of his life to an end.
He channelled the energy he had previously put into competing into a new career in fitness.
But building a career as a trainer and building a profitable fitness business proved to be two very different things.
The Challenge
Before working with FBDA, Craig was charging around £20 per session and delivering approximately 20–30 sessions every week.
On paper, the maths seemed straightforward. Coach enough sessions and the money should follow.
In reality, Craig found it didn’t quite work that way.
The business was bringing in around £2,000 a month, and Craig was responsible for virtually everything.
He wasn’t just the coach.
He was the salesperson, marketer, administrator, manager and head coach too.
Something needed to change.
Changing the Way Craig Thought About His Business
One of the first questions Craig was asked when he began working with FBDA was:
How much money do you actually need to live the lifestyle you want?
That question changed the way Craig started thinking about his business.
Instead of simply focusing on delivering more sessions, he began visualising what he actually wanted the business to provide for him.
That bigger goal then started influencing the decisions he made day to day.
“Once I start to think about that every single day, every decision I make just chips away.”
For Craig, the impact of that process went beyond business strategy.
“If I'm being honest, not to sound too cheesy, but it's really formed who I am today.”
The Results
Financially, the change in Craig’s business has been significant.
He describes starting at around £2,000 in monthly revenue.
In the month immediately before his testimonial, the business achieved its first £20,000 revenue month.
That represents a tenfold increase in monthly revenue based on the figures Craig provided.
But Craig is also clear that revenue alone isn’t the most important measure.
Profits have increased too.
His experience since working with FBDA includes:
- Growing monthly revenue from approximately £2,000 to £20,000.
- Achieving the business’s first £20K revenue month.
- Increasing profits alongside revenue growth.
- Moving away from relying on £20 sessions and doing 20–30 sessions each week.
- Changing how he thinks about the money and lifestyle he wants the business to provide.
- Transforming his day-to-day role within the business.
- Moving from trying to manage every part of the operation himself to operating as an owner.
Looking back at the numbers, even Craig finds the scale of the change difficult to imagine.
“Tell me that 5, 6 years ago, I'd have said, no, no way, man.”
From Spinning Every Plate to Operating as an Owner
The financial results tell an important part of Craig’s story, but the transformation in his role is just as significant.
Previously, everything relied on him.
“I was a coach, I was the salesperson, I was the marketer, I was the admin staff, I was the manager, obviously the head coach as well.”
Craig describes the day-to-day operation of the business now as “completely transformed.”
His own role has evolved with it.
Rather than simply being the trainer responsible for delivering the service and keeping every plate spinning, Craig says he progressed from trainer, to chief operator, to operating as an owner.
That distinction matters.
The goal was no longer simply to create a busier job for himself. It was to learn the fundamentals needed to build a profitable business.
What This Means for Other Fitness Business Owners
Craig knows what it feels like to look back and wish you had learnt something sooner.
It’s why his message to personal trainers and fitness business owners at the beginning of their journey is straightforward.
Think about what clients often say after finally investing in their health and fitness:
“I wish I'd have done this 5 years ago.”
Craig believes fitness professionals should apply the same thinking to their businesses.
His experience shows the difference that can come from understanding the fundamentals, thinking seriously about what you want the business to provide for you and learning how to operate as an owner rather than trying to do everything yourself.
For Craig, that journey has taken the business from around £2K to £20K in monthly revenue, increased profits and completely changed his role within the business.
Find Out More About FBDA
Experience a Complimentary FBDA Coaching Session. We don’t want to sell you into a coaching programme that isn’t right for you. Instead, we’d love you to experience how FBDA coaching actually works before you make any decisions.
We’ll take the time to understand your business, where you want to go, and what might be holding you back. You’ll experience real FBDA coaching, leave with greater clarity on your next steps, and get a feel for how we could help move your business forward.
Then we can both decide if working together feels like the right fit.
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