Sports and fitness business ideas costing over $20,000
95 ideas
These 99 sports and fitness ideas need more than $20,000 to get going, usually because of premises, specialised equipment, insurance or stock. They suit people who already have a skill, a coaching background or retail experience, and who want to build something with real presence in their community.
Kung fu school with its own studio
Open a dedicated kung fu training space with timetabled classes for all ages.
- A$10k-50k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Small riding school on your own property
Run lessons for kids and adults from your own or leased land, with a small herd of lesson horses and ponies.
- A$12k-60k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Weekend paintball site on leased land
Run a paintball field on leased bushland or farm land, with all gear supplied, for groups, parties and corporate days.
- A$25k-80k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Sports gear hire shop or beach hut
Rent equipment by the hour or day from a small shopfront or kiosk near a beach, park or trail.
- A$15k-70k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Cue sports school with its own tables
Run a small training room with tables for lessons, junior programs and group courses.
- A$10k-50k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Archery shop with in-store tuning
Sell bows, arrows and accessories from a small shop, with bow setup and tuning for local archers.
- A$25k-100k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Mobile kayak and paddleboard hire
Tow a trailer of kayaks and paddleboards to beaches, lakes and holiday parks and hire them out by the hour or day.
- A$6k-25k
- Side hustle
- Out and about
Beachside watersports hire kiosk
Run a small hire shed or kiosk near the water renting kayaks, boards and wetsuits to walk-up customers.
- A$15k-70k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Small-group guided rafting trips
Run guided river rafting trips for tourists, school groups and friends, with your own rafts and a small crew.
- A$15k-60k
- Part-time
- Out and about
Outdoor archery club with a permanent field
Set up a members' archery club on leased or shared land, with coaching, casual shoots and regular competitions.
- A$8k-30k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Indoor archery range and club
Open a small indoor archery range in a rented unit, with year-round coaching, casual sessions and memberships.
- A$40k-150k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Mobile saddle fitter and tack seller
Visit stables and riders with a van of saddles and tack to fit, sell and repair on the spot.
- A$25k-120k
- Part-time
- Out and about
Local saddlery shop
Open a small shop stocking saddles, tack and riding gear for horse owners in your area.
- A$40k-150k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Weekend hang gliding lessons at a local site
Teach beginners to fly at an approved training hill or flying site, running lessons on weekends and good-weather days.
- A$8k-35k
- Side hustle
- Out and about
Hang gliding training centre with a base at a flying site
Run a full-time school from a small base at a flying site, with instructors, gear hire and courses for beginners and experienced flyers.
- A$30k-150k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Dive shop with training and trips
Open a small dive shop that teaches courses, fills cylinders, sells and services gear, and runs regular dive trips.
- A$40k-150k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Riding arena hire with day passes and memberships
Build or upgrade a good-quality arena and rent it to riders who bring their own horses.
- A$40k-200k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Guided shore dives and learn-to-dive courses
Take visitors and locals on guided shore dives and teach beginner courses, with no boat to buy.
- A$6k-30k
- Side hustle
- Out and about
Dive boat day trips and courses
Run boat-based dive and snorkel trips for tourists from a local port, with your own small vessel and crew.
- A$60k-300k
- Full-time
- Out and about
Small indoor golf studio (2 to 3 bays)
Rent a small unit, install a few golf simulators and take bookings by the hour or through memberships.
- A$60k-200k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Indoor golf social venue with bar and café
Open a larger venue with four to six simulator bays, drinks and food for groups, parties and corporate events.
- A$250k-800k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Small personal training studio
Run a private studio for one-on-one and small group training with regular clients.
- A$10k-50k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Small independent dive school
Run your own small dive training business using hired pool time and local dive sites.
- A$10k-40k
- Part-time
- Out and about
Horse training from your own property
Take horses in for weeks of training at your own property, with yards, an arena and daily handling.
- A$5k-25k
- Full-time
- Own premises
About these ideas
You might open a full-time jiu-jitsu school in your own dojo, set up your own yoga studio, or run a ski hire shop in a snow gateway town. Before you commit, think about your lease terms, how many paying members or customers you need each week, and how seasonal the income could be. Check what qualifications, insurance and local council approvals your chosen idea needs, and work out how long your savings would last if the first year is slow.
More ideas
- Fish-out park with cafe and tackle shop
- Indoor boot camp in a small studio or hired hall
- Guided kayak tours on a local waterway
- Seasonal weekend rafting trips
- Rafting operation with a river base
- Full-time taekwondo school with its own dojang
- Small local gym with memberships
- Boutique group fitness studio
- Horse agistment and stabling property
- Small riding school with lessons and pony rides
- Indoor archery range
- Outdoor archery range on rural land
- Golf coaching studio with a simulator
- Pilates studio with memberships
- Gymnastics club with its own gym
- Full-time jiu-jitsu school in your own dojo
- Community gymnastics club in a leased space
- Gymnastics classes in hired community halls
- Mobile surf coach for schools and groups
- Guided trail rides from your own property
- Guided horse rides at a holiday park or farm stay
- Freestyle wrestling academy with its own mats
- Your own yoga studio
- Small fitness studio with class timetable
- Self-defence school with its own studio
- Small sailing school with your own dinghies
- Mobile kayak hire from a trailer
- Waterside kayak and canoe hire base
- Guided trail rides and horse hire
- Mobile pony rides for parties and events
- Martial arts club with its own training space
- Full-time aikido dojo
- Boxing gym with its own premises
- Independent running shop with gait advice
- Online running store with pop-up fittings
- Independent water ski lessons with your own boat
- Airsoft supply shop with a local player base
- Online airsoft gear and accessories store
- Fencing club with its own salle
- Capoeira school with its own studio
- Ski hire shop in a snow gateway town
- Ski hire delivered to the lodge
- Water ski club with your own tow boat
- Ski repair and binding workshop near the snow
- Snowboard hire delivered to your lodge
- Neighbourhood gym in a small leased unit
- Private garage gym for a few members
- Local sports shop with fitting and advice
- Standalone adventure golf course
- Compact adventure golf at a host venue
- Full-time judo club with its own dojo
- Wrestling school with its own training space
- Niche fitness gear wholesaler with stock
- Muay Thai gym with its own premises
- Indoor batting cage centre
- Portable batting cage pop-up
- Small bouldering gym
- Mobile laser tag for parties and events
- Indoor laser tag arena
- Indoor cycling studio
- Toddler play space with a small café
- Indoor play centre with parties and café
- Windsurfing shop with board hire
- Sports coaching academy in a hired or leased venue
- Indoor sports club with its own venue
- Kickboxing gym with its own premises
- Dedicated sambo and grappling gym
- Guided kayak and paddle tours
- Water ski lessons from your own boat
- Full-time karate dojo
- Full-time Wing Chun school with its own space
Questions
Why do some sports and fitness businesses cost more than $20,000 to start?
Costs usually come from fitting out premises, buying specialised equipment or stock, paying bonds and rent upfront, and arranging insurance. Seasonal businesses such as ski hire may also need a large inventory before the first customer arrives.
What should I check before signing a lease for a studio or gym?
Check the permitted use under zoning and council rules, lease length and renewal options, rent review terms, and who pays for fit-out and repairs. It is worth having a solicitor review the lease and confirming parking, noise and access requirements.
Do I need qualifications or insurance to run a fitness or sports business?
Often you will want recognised coaching or instructor qualifications, a current first aid certificate, and public liability and professional indemnity insurance. Requirements vary by activity, state and venue, so check with your industry body, council and insurer before opening.