Getting Started as a Coach | FitConnect Help Center

Overview

Welcome to FitConnect! This guide walks you through the complete onboarding process to get your coaching business up and running. The onboarding wizard will guide you through each step, but this documentation provides additional detail and tips.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Sign up

Click "Get Started" on the homepage and select "I'm a fitness coach". Enter your email and create a secure password.

Verify your email

Check your inbox for a verification email and click the link to confirm your account.

Start onboarding

After verification, you'll be automatically redirected to the coach onboarding wizard.

Pro Tip

Use a professional email address that clients will recognise and trust.

Step 2: Basic Information

Enter your professional details:

Display Name: How clients will see your name (e.g., "Coach Mike" or "Mike Johnson")
Bio: A compelling description of your experience, approach, and what makes you unique
Location: Your city or area for in-person sessions
Experience: Years of professional coaching experience

Coach basic info form with name, bio, and location fields — Enter your basic professional information

Writing a Great Bio

Your bio should cover: your qualifications, coaching philosophy, types of clients you work best with, and any notable achievements. Keep it personal and authentic—clients want to know the real you.

Step 3: Specialties

Select your coaching specialties. You can choose multiple:

Personal Training: General fitness, strength training, weight loss
Nutrition: Diet planning, meal prep guidance, macro coaching
Boxing: Boxing technique, conditioning, sparring
MMA: Mixed martial arts, grappling, striking
Bodybuilding: Competition prep, posing, physique development

Note

Be honest about your specialties. Clients search by specialty, so only select areas where you have real expertise and can deliver results.

Step 4: Services & Pricing

Define the services you offer and set your prices:

Hourly Rate

Set your base hourly rate. This is displayed on your profile and in search results.

Session Types

Create different session types with specific durations and prices:

Free Consultation: 15-30 min intro call (recommended)
Standard Session: Your typical training session
Extended Session: Longer sessions for complex training
Online Session: Virtual coaching via video call

Online vs In-Person

Indicate whether you offer online sessions, in-person sessions, or both. Online expands your potential client base significantly.

Pro Tip

Offering a free consultation dramatically increases connection requests. Use it to qualify leads and build rapport before they commit.

Step 5: Availability

Set your working hours for each day of the week:

Enable days

Toggle on the days you're available to work.

Set time ranges

For each active day, set your start and end times.

Consider time zones

If you offer online sessions to clients in different locations, consider extending your hours to accommodate different time zones.

Availability settings showing daily time slots — Configure your weekly availability

Note

You can always adjust your availability later. Many coaches start with limited hours and expand as they build their client base.

Step 6: Connect Payments (Stripe)

To receive payments from clients, you need to connect a Stripe account:

Click Connect with Stripe

Click the Stripe Connect button to start the setup process.

Create or log in to Stripe

You'll be redirected to Stripe. Create a new account or log in to an existing one.

Complete verification

Stripe will ask for business information and bank details to verify your identity.

Return to FitConnect

After completing Stripe setup, you'll be redirected back to continue onboarding.

Warning

You can skip this step, but you won't be able to accept payments until Stripe is connected. We strongly recommend completing it during onboarding.

About Platform Fees

FitConnect charges a small commission on client payments. The rate depends on your subscription tier: Free (4%), Starter (3%), Pro (2%), Enterprise (1%).

Step 7: Integrations (Optional)

Connect optional integrations to enhance your coaching:

Video Conferencing: Connect Zoom or Google Meet for automatic meeting links
Calendar: Sync with Google Calendar or Outlook to manage all appointments

Pro Tip

These integrations can be set up later from Settings → Integrations. Feel free to skip during onboarding and return when ready.

Step 8: Dual Account (Optional)

You can optionally create a client profile in addition to your coach profile:

Train with other coaches on the platform
Experience the client side of FitConnect
Compete on leaderboards and earn achievements

Note

Many coaches find value in also being clients. It helps you understand the client experience and stay motivated with your own fitness goals.

Step 9: Choose Your Plan

Select a subscription plan for your coaching business:

Free

£0/month

• Up to 3 clients
• Basic features
• 4% platform commission

Starter

£19/month

• Up to 10 clients
• All features
• 3% platform commission

Pro

£49/month

• Up to 50 clients
• Priority support
• 2% platform commission

Enterprise

£99/month

• Unlimited clients
• White-label options
• 1% platform commission

Pro Tip

Start with the Free plan to test the platform, then upgrade as you grow. You can change plans anytime from your settings.

📱 Subscribing on Mobile

If you're using the iOS or Android app, plan purchases use in-app purchases (Apple App Store or Google Play) instead of card payments. Prices shown are platform-specific and managed through your device's app store account.

What's Next?

After completing onboarding, focus on these priorities:

Complete verification to earn your verified badge
Upload a professional photo and card image
Create session packages to offer discounted bundles
Set up message templates for common responses
Build workout and nutrition templates you can quickly assign to clients

Changelog

26 December 2024: Added mobile in-app purchase note for Step 9 (plan selection).