If you’re an entrepreneur who pursues a healthy lifestyle, starting up a health-related business could be a perfect fit for you. You could start it as a sole proprietorship and then hire employees to grow into a small business. When you have more clients than you can personally manage, don’t put people on a waiting list; instead, hire other people with professional qualifications to fulfill your client’s needs.

Here are 3 ideas to consider if you’re a massage therapist, a yoga teacher, or an aerobics instructor:

1. Build a massage business.

After you have got all the necessary state licenses and certifications, you don’t necessarily have to work in a Chiropractor’s office, spa, gym, or other employers. You can start your own freelance massage business. All you would need are two pieces of equipment.

First, you would need a portable massage chair to work on clients at a health food store or other health-related venues where you can give people a 15 to 30-minute session for a $1 a minute. This will be a powerful marketing tool. It is your opportunity to give people a sample massage and to pass out your business cards.

Second, once you have a few appointments, you could visit them at their homes or office with a portable massage business.

In essence, you would start building your business as a freelance massage therapist and then open a small one-person clinic. Later, as your business flourishes, you could hire other massage therapists.

2. Start a Yoga studio.

Frankly, if you love yoga, working at any other job will seem somewhat lackluster, especially if you have to work in a cubicle. Most people who have a passion for yoga do so because they have a high kinesthetic intelligence. They see yoga as a wonderful challenge as it takes time and patience to master the more advanced asanas.

In order to start, you would need an affordable place to rent. You may be lucky enough to find a place that you can rent that requires little renovation.

Break up your classes into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. This will give those who have passed the beginner level, more classes to join. If you only have beginner classes, then your business won’t have continuity. Since those who have mastered the basic asanas will be bored by the slow pace, they will either start exercising at home or go to a studio that teaches them more advanced practices.

You will need to be business-minded to build a successful studio. Many yoga studios fail because the owners aren’t good at simple things like charging students a price that will cover business overheads. So, once you’ve got your studio set up, figure out your costs and what a fair student price might be. Then, market your studio and work on building your brand.

In the beginning, your profit margins will be on the low side. However, if you can earn more than you pay to keep the studio running, you’ll get to a point where word-of-mouth business will replace your advertising costs. At that point, you may want to consider hiring other instructors or train your best students to become instructors.

3. Launch an Aerobics Center

As an aerobics instructor, you could build your reputation working for a gym. After you have sufficient experience, you could raise funds to start your own aerobics center. You will need about $10,000 to $50,000 to start a small fitness center. Another route you could take would be to find a leased location that has already been set-up to operate as an aerobics training center. In that case, you would just need to rent the space that you need. 

Besides having classes, you may want to consider other income sources like selling merchandise related to aerobics; for instance, you could sell books, DVDs, and sportswear. You might even want to set up a small refreshment bar to serve smoothies after a hectic workout.

In closing, If there is something that you love to do—helping people heal through massage therapy, introducing people to yoga, or creating a venue for people to improve their health and fitness in an exciting community—then you owe it to yourself to monetize your passion and start your own business. As your reputation flourishes, your business will grow in an organic way.