The Complete Guide to Starting a Wellness Business

The wellness industry encompasses a wide range of different opportunities and concepts that allow you to turn your passion into a business. From a digital yoga studio to a personal chef or meal kit delivery service, there are a lot of different ways to enter the wellness market.

When it comes to starting a wellness business, going from an idea to a physical concept and bringing your business to fruition is a long journey. Here, we discuss everything you need to know about starting a wellness business:

The Wellness Industry in a Nutshell
Health and Wellbeing Business Opportunities
4 Great Wellness Brands to Learn From
8 Tips for Starting a Wellness Business

The Wellness Industry in a Nutshell

The global wellness industry is now worth $4.5 trillion and that number is only going up. Every year, entrepreneurs come to the market with an exciting wellness product or service. Some brands stand the test of time, others fall flat. While the wellness industry continues to grow, there have been a few key shifts over the past few years.

Similar to the fitness industry, wellness is coming into the home. Brands are finding ways to offer their services and products in a home setting. Home wellness as well as getting out in nature will both be key drivers for the wellness industry.

Additionally, wellness and fitness are no longer being seen as separate businesses. Now, you will regularly see boxing gyms including breathing sessions in their routines and HIIT studios adding a touch of yoga or pilates to a class to help with the warm-up or warm-down.

The lines are blurring in the wellness industry, and now is a fantastic time to dive in and find your own business opportunity.

Health and Wellbeing Business Opportunities

Wellness is an umbrella term that covers everything from fitness and physical health to nutrition, mental health and mindfulness, and sleep. Whether you’re an aspiring wellness entrepreneur with a new business idea or want to add a virtual wellness coaching business to your gym’s offering, there are plenty of ideas to enhance your wellness business. Let’s dive into the different wellness methods you can make the most of.

Fitness, Mind, and Body Activities

To start with, the physical health economy is a significant part of the wellness industry. Think sports, fitness, mindful movement, equipment, technology, apparel, and footwear. It’s a billion-dollar market that shows how critical movement is in supporting a healthy lifestyle. From gym memberships or an online personal trainer to a yoga teacher and health club, the opportunities are limitless.

Key Action Point: Discover where your business fits in the wellness industry – are you providing something new? Or building off the businesses of others?

Nutrition, Weight Loss, and Healthy Eating

Nutrition and healthy eating cover a range of business opportunities. A nutritional therapist, personal chef, weight loss coach, healthy food products, dietary supplements, and even an organic juice bar all slot into this area. A person’s wellness is made up of so many different elements. Although the wellness industry is crowded, there are still new ways you can help someone live a healthier life.

Key Action Point: Whatever your nutrition needs, there is a business out there that can provide you with the vitamin, mineral, or oil you need to thrive. Supplements can also be a major upselling opportunity for businesses, so it pays to include them in your strategy.

Personal Care and Beauty

Personal care and beauty are another part of the wellness puzzle. With anti-aging, preventative skincare, and other beauty products and services, it’s a billion-dollar segment of the wellness industry. Opportunities for this would include massage, natural beauty products, and home wellness products.

Key Action Point: If you’re running a fitness studio or wellness gym, these are services you can offer as an add-on or as a retail offering in your reception. Again, remember – it’s in the add-ons that your business will get the highest returns on investment.

Wellness Tourism, Retreats, and Spas

Wellness tourism, retreats, massage therapists, and spas are big businesses. People have stressful lives and will pay top dollar to get a break that they know they deserve. Your goal as a business is to provide an exceptional service that people will recommend to all their friends who need a bit of R&R.

Key Action Point: Ask yourself what your business or product does to improve the lives of your members or customers. If it doesn’t, you have a problem.

4 Great Wellness Brands to Learn From

Health and well-being are incredibly important. What’s interesting is that wellness is having an increasingly bigger role to play in the larger healthcare picture. With more accessible and affordable ways to stay healthy and rising healthcare costs, more and more people will be interested in improving their overall well-being. Within the rising wellness movement, there are a number of brands that you should take inspiration from. Whether it’s an exceptional product or a brilliant marketing campaign, there’s something here for you to find helpful.

1. Calm

Calm is rated the number one app for sleep, meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation. It’s considered very successful and is on a clear mission to make people happier. With mental health issues on the rise, isolation and financial uncertainty pose a serious health risk for many people’s mental state. Through a series of questions, Calm creates exercises based on each user’s need. This level of personalization is essential for the user. The app is highly effective, easy to use, and a great tool for reducing stress.

Key Takeaway: Design an app, service, or product that fits market needs. Take a look at rising trends and hobbies and where your business can fit within that.

2. WelleCo

WelleCo by Elle MacPherson is a health supplements company that produces super elixir greens powders. The powder mix combines 45 ingredients and is on the more expensive side of the wellness market at $135 for the starter pack. The brand is polished and the elixir is created using science; adding complete authority.

Key Action Point: Don’t be afraid to be an upmarket product – profit margins in the wellness industry are notoriously tight. Remember that people are willing to pay more for peace of mind, especially if it’s backed by science and research.

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3. The Nue Co.

The Nue Co. launched in 2017. They wanted to redefine the relationship you have with health. Through innovation and science, this wellness company delivers supplements without chemicals. Again, similar to WelleCo, the brand uses science to create evidence-based supplements that aim to improve their customer’s health. It’s designed to be simple yet effective.

Key Action Point: Remember that you’re marketing a better lifestyle or feeling to your customers – take the time to ensure that your packaging, marketing, and mission statement all show your value proposition clearly.

4. Fitbit

On the fitness side of the wellness world, Fitbit is a great example of a brand that has faced steep competition but still remains a big player in the industry. In recent years, Fitbit has undergone some major changes. Google has recently completed its acquisition of Fitbit. By combining the health and fitness knowledge of Fitbit with the operations of Google, no doubt there will be exciting products on the horizon. But even with all the new changes, Fitbit has always excelled at creating a community and encouraging movement with digital challenges and some friendly competition.

When you take a closer look at some of the best health and wellness brands right now, you see how they leverage technology to create a fantastic user experience. Apps and digital tools allow for a seamless user journey and it’s clear that technology will continue to have a big role to play in your wellness business.

Key Action Point: Make sure your business is focusing on community and that feeling of inclusion and participation. It is, by far, the biggest motivator for members of the modern fitness industry.

8 Tips for Starting a Wellness Business

It’s an intriguing time to think about health and wellness business opportunities. The wellness industry continues to grow and the latest developments in technology open up the door to innovative new possibilities. Here are eight tips for starting a wellness business.

1. Develop a Concept and Do Your Research

If you have an idea for a business, it’s time to develop a more solid concept and do your research. All the information you collect in the early stages of your business planning will put you in a stronger position down the line. Your research includes competitor and market analysis. Do you have a solution to a problem? Is there a large enough audience for you to scale your business? Ultimately, if you can create a solution for a problem and be an expert authority in your niche, you can outrun your competition and stand out from the crowd.

2. Know Your Audience

Part of the research stages of starting a business includes knowing exactly who your audience is. Depending on your type of business, you may have multiple audience personas. Segment your target audience so that you can find out as much information as possible. Think about demographics, interests, dreams, hurdles, life milestones, and more. When you know who you are targeting, you can get the right message to them on a platform they use at a good time. Combining these elements gives you the best opportunity to convert a stranger into a paying customer. Consider how a gym may have older members, weightlifters, and post-natal clientele. These people have different needs and aspirations. All this affects your overall business and marketing strategy.

3. Get Qualified

This stage may not apply to everyone, but the majority of people will need to get a qualification. Or at least, hire a team with the right qualifications. Qualifications create authority and trust. Elle Macpherson’s WelleCo brand is a great example of this. The supermodel works with doctors and scientists to create a product that creates a stronger sense of trust. The same applies when you’re creating a results-driven workout or developing a healthy eating plan or service. Part of running a wellness business is having the qualifications to be an authoritative voice in a sea of noise.

4. Write a Business Plan

Writing your business plan is a pretty big task in itself. Your business plan will form the foundation for your business. You will refer to it as you build your business. It’s your blueprint. You wouldn’t build a house without a plan. You shouldn’t start a business without a business plan. Give yourself the best chance of success, secure funding, manage your business effectively, and attract investors with a solid business plan. It should include sections such as your mission statement, executive summary, industry analysis, and financial projections.

5. Create and Establish Your Brand

Having a strong brand can be a big differentiator in the wellness world. It can be what makes you stand out and gives you a unique edge against your competition. When starting your business, you will need to create and establish your brand. Your brand is about how people see you, it’s the voice you use, your personality, and the way your business looks. Elements to consider include your visual brand, messaging, values, and qualities.

6. Think About Your Finances

Another important part of starting your own business is securing your finances as a start-up. How will you fund your business? You have a few different options to consider. Firstly, determine how much you need. If you can’t self-fund the venture, look to investors and crowdfunding. You also have the option to get a small business loan. Your financial projections section of your business plan should help you determine your finances as well as secure potential investments.

7. Legal and Insurance Considerations

When starting a new business, you will have certain legal and insurance elements to consider. You will need to register your company, obtain the right licenses and permits, sort out your tax, open a business account, get insurance, and consult with legal professionals. Your needs may change depending on the type of business you have. For example, an online business has different needs than a physical business with an in-person location.

8. Nail Your Marketing Strategy

Finally, develop and craft an incredible wellness marketing strategy. You can create the best digital fitness studio with a great app, but if no one knows about it, you’re not going to get that far. Your social media and marketing strategy raises brand awareness, attracts new customers, and gets the ball rolling. The best marketing plan is a multipronged approach that takes into account your target audience. Data is your friend and the more you know about your ideal customer, the better you can target and convert them into a paying client.

In Summary

Going forward, successful businesses will have a digital element. Whether that’s a digital fitness platform, an ecommerce wellness brand, or a virtual health coach, at-home wellness is crucial. Consumers expect personalization, a polished brand, and a great user experience. As the wellness industry continues to grow and adapt, entrepreneurs have the potential to catapult a new innovative business into the market.

If you’re looking to venture into the wellness industry, you’re going to need a platform that can help you reach out to members, track attendance, and make it easy for your customers to book classes at your gym or studio.

With a complete fitness-focused booking and member tracking platform, ABC Glofox can be that partner for your wellness business.

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