Outdoor boot camp in a local park

Adults who want structure, motivation and a community, often people who find gyms boring or hard to stick with.

Monthly memberships or multi-week programs, plus drop-in sessions and 4 to 6 week challenges with a fixed price.

• Designing safe, scalable group workouts
• Motivating and coaching a group
• Marketing through local social media and word of mouth

• Many parks departments require a permit or fee for commercial group fitness, check before you start
• General liability insurance, and ask whether the park requires you to be named on the policy
• Participants should sign a liability waiver; consider having a local attorney review it
• Weather, heat and air quality can cancel sessions, so plan a refund or make-up policy
• Check whether your state has any rules about fitness instructors or business licenses

Startup costs are typically around $500 to $3,000, depending on the equipment you buy, insurance and how much you spend on marketing. Treat these as estimates and start with simple gear like bands and kettlebells.

Monthly revenue is typically around $500 to $4,000, depending on how many members join and how often you run sessions. Weather, heat and air quality can cancel sessions, so plan a refund or make-up policy.

Check first. Many parks departments require a permit or fee for commercial group fitness. Also check whether the park wants you named on your general liability policy, whether your state has rules for fitness instructors or business licenses, and have an attorney review your waiver.