Sports and fitness business ideas with your own premises
80 ideas
These 80 ideas suit people who want a physical home base for their sports or fitness business, whether that is a leased studio, a shopfront or a bit of land. You might look at a boutique group fitness studio, a golf coaching studio with a simulator, or an archery shop with in-store tuning.
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
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
Aerobics classes in a hired hall
Run regular group aerobics classes in a community hall or studio and charge per class or by term.
- A$800-3.5k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
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
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
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
Aero dance classes in a hired hall
Run weekly dance-fitness classes in a community hall and build a regular group of paying members.
- A$800-3k
- Side hustle
- 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
Paddock hire for riders with their own horses
Hire out a fenced paddock on land you already have by the hour or day to local riders.
- A$1k-5k
- Side hustle
- 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
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
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
Weekend pay-to-fish farm dam
Open an existing dam or pond on your land to anglers and families on weekends, with simple gear hire.
- A$3k-15k
- Side hustle
- Own premises
Fish-out park with cafe and tackle shop
Run a stocked fishing park open most days, with a small cafe and tackle sales to turn visitors into regulars.
- A$30k-150k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Indoor boot camp in a small studio or hired hall
Run weatherproof group boot camp classes from a rented unit or hired hall, with set timetables and memberships.
- A$8k-40k
- Part-time
- Own premises
Rafting operation with a river base
Run daily guided rafting trips from a small base near the river, with a few guides, a fleet of rafts and online bookings.
- A$60k-150k
- Full-time
- Own premises
About these ideas
Having your own space gives you control over the customer experience and lets you build a loyal local community, but it also means rent, fit-out and insurance before you earn much. Start by checking what the site costs, whether zoning and council rules allow your use, and whether enough people live or travel nearby. Then work out how many members or sales you need each week to cover your fixed costs.
More ideas
- 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
- Guided trail rides from your own property
- Freestyle wrestling academy with its own mats
- Your own yoga studio
- Small fitness studio with class timetable
- Self-defence classes in a hired hall
- Self-defence school with its own studio
- Waterside kayak and canoe hire base
- Guided trail rides and horse hire
- Martial arts club with its own training space
- Aikido club in a hired hall
- Full-time aikido dojo
- Boxing gym with its own premises
- Independent running shop with gait advice
- Weekly salsa classes in a hired hall
- Airsoft supply shop with a local player base
- Fencing club with its own salle
- Capoeira school with its own studio
- Ski hire shop in a snow gateway town
- Ski repair and binding workshop near the snow
- Neighbourhood gym in a small leased unit
- 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
- Small bouldering gym
- 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
- Small horse agistment property
- Sports coaching academy in a hired or leased venue
- Indoor sports club with its own venue
- Kickboxing gym with its own premises
- Sambo classes in a hired hall or shared gym
- Dedicated sambo and grappling gym
- Learn-to-skate classes and holiday programs
- Samba dance classes in a hired hall
- Full-time karate dojo
- Full-time Wing Chun school with its own space
Questions
What should I check before leasing premises for a fitness business?
Check that the zoning and any council approvals allow your type of use, including noise, parking and opening hours. Read the lease terms carefully, including rent reviews, fit-out obligations and exit clauses, and consider getting a solicitor to review it.
How much space do I need for a gym, studio or club?
It depends on the activity and class sizes. A martial arts or grappling gym needs clear mat space, while a gymnastics club needs ceiling height and storage. Visit similar venues, sketch a layout, and confirm the space suits your plans before committing.
What insurance and qualifications might I need?
Check which public liability, professional indemnity and equipment cover suits your activity, and whether your instructors need coaching accreditations, first aid or working with children checks. Requirements vary by state and sport, so confirm with your state regulator, sporting body and insurer.