Business situation needs advice

[ponyfitness]

Hey folks,

I'm a PT and have been for 5-6 years. Just had a situation come up at the gym I train the majority of my clients out of. I have been training a guy there 3x/week for about 1.5 years. We have a great relationship and I also train his wife. I landed him as a client because the gym I was at got his wife as a client for me and she set things up between us. He doesn't like the owners and only puts up with them because of me.

Recently his situation changed and he has decided he wants me to train him at his home 3x per week instead of coming to the gym. When I told the owner this he said that he had problems with it because he wasn't in the business of finding clients for other trainers to train at home and even if I train this guy at home they are still entitled to a cut of the cash (which they have been getting all along because I use their facility). I told him I disagreed and we got into an ethical argument with him.

My perspective: I'm doing what the client wants and they have made a lot of money off of him already by me keeping him for 1.5 years. They didn't really find him in the first place anyway. Why are they entitled to anything?

Theirs: I only have that client because of them and therefore they have a right to any dollars I make off of that client even if I'm training him somewhere else.

Any perspective I'm missing here? I have no contract with these people but I have a feeling if I tell them too bad they will just tell me I'm not welcome there anymore and boot me and try to move my clients to someone else (not that my clients will not leave with me). I'd rather not have to go somewhere else because I've been there for 3 years and all the members know and trust me. Am I being a bastard here because I really don't see how I am but any insight appreciated.

 

[KillahBee]

I think you both have valid points. Do you have a contract with the gym? How is it not possible to have any contracts in this situation? How do you decide on the percentage that the gym makes? The easy answer is that it should all be in the contract. If one does not exist, then it gets into tough territory. Do you really believe that the gym owners will flex their muscles (pun intended) over this and try to run you out of there if you don't give them a cut? It doesn't seem right that they should get a cut of any work you do outside of the gym. But if you really think they have the ability to mess with your other clients and potentially ruin some or most of your business, I would negotiate with them so that you pay them a lower percentage when training this guy at his house.

 

[ponyfitness]

There is no signed contract - only a verbal one. Basically when I started working there we agreed on the percentage they would get for people they recruited for me and the cut they would get if I brought my own people in. I also teach classes there but they have been screwing me there for about six months.

Whenever I have at home clients I have a contract with them but this place doesn't ask for them. It's a small mom and pop type studio not a big chain gym or anything like that.

 

[The Shadow]

anything outside of that gym is 100% your dough as long as the client doenst cancel his gym membership., and even then its debatable.

 

[Frisky]

You didn't even have to tell the gym what you were doing! This is YOUR time, you aren 't using their equipment, and the fact that the guy is leaving due to the owners..

I think its really assine that they expect you to travel to train this guy that is no longer affilated with their gym and they still get a cut.

 

[EnderJE]

You come to EF to get an opinion on something that matters?

CRAZY!