Once an athlete, always an athlete. The love of the thrill and challenge never really leaves you. If you’re an athlete and you want to start a business for whatever reason, you’ll be happy to know that you’re at a big advantage. Your expertise in sports gives you a wealth of knowledge and motivation that you can tap into as you start your entrepreneurial journey. Here are four business ideas that are perfect for athletes and sports lovers:
1. Start a sports blog.
No matter what your mom says, blogging can be a lucrative source of income if done right. The Huffington Post, the highest-earning blog in 2017, was earning an outlandish $14,000,000 per month.
Bloggers usually focus on one niche in their blogs. If you’re an expert in specific sports like football, share what you know to your readers. To avoid being like the rest of the thousands of football bloggers, think of something that will help you stand out. Maybe use humor in your blog posts. You can also start a YouTube channel alongside your blog.
You might be wondering how bloggers earn money. There are many ways, but some are affiliate marketing, pay-per-click display ads, sponsored posts, and even selling your products on your blog.
2. Open a fitness club
If you know what gym equipment to use when trying to build your biceps or what workout regimen will work best for enhancing stamina, you might be a future fitness club owner. You’ll also have the advantage of an existing network of potential customers from fellow athletes to coaches.
Starting a gym on your own can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000. That’s a big gap because costs will vary depending on the size of the gym, the pieces of equipment you’ll purchase, and more factors. There’s also the challenge of building your brand to get consistent clients. If you want a lower startup cost and an existing brand, consider taking advantage of fitness club franchise opportunities. Franchising a fitness club will make the entire process faster.
3. Be a sports photographer
If you’re into photography and have the capital for the equipment like a digital camera and good lens, sports photography might be for you. As a sports photographer, you can take different kinds of shots, including team photos, action photos, individual portraits, sporting event photos, and even fitness modeling.
One of your possible clients is sports parents who couldn’t be happier if you can give them stills of their kid hitting a big shot or stealing the ball. You can also partner with a local team as their official photographer. To give you an idea of how much a sports photographer can earn, some sports photographer charge $450 for four hours and $800 for eight hours.
When you became an athlete, you might never have thought about using it for a business venture. As an athlete, you have the competitive advantage of expertise, insider knowledge, and disciplined character. All of these will help you to become a successful entrepreneur.
