Online Marketplace for NASM Trainers
Connect clients with certified fitness experts for specialized training services.
The Problem
NASM certified trainers often struggle to find clients seeking their specialized services. They spend countless hours on generic platforms competing with unqualified trainers, making it hard to showcase their expertise in specific areas like weight loss, strength training, or sports performance. Meanwhile, clients searching for trainers with particular qualifications have no easy way to filter by certification or specialty—they're left scrolling through endless profiles hoping to find the right fit. This mismatch leads to trainers with valuable expertise sitting idle while motivated clients give up on finding qualified help.
The Solution
Build a specialized marketplace that connects clients with specific fitness needs to NASM certified trainers. Trainers can create detailed profiles showcasing their certifications, specialties, and services—from personalized meal planning to sport-specific training. Clients can search and filter by specialty, read reviews, and book sessions directly. The platform verifies NASM credentials, ensuring quality and trust on both sides.
How it works:
Trainer Signs Up
Creates profile with NASM credentials, specialties, and services offered
Platform Verifies
NASM certification is verified to ensure quality and trust
Client Searches
Filters trainers by specialty, location, price, and availability
Book & Pay
Secure booking with integrated payments and scheduling
Market Research
The personal training market is growing rapidly, with over 400,000 NASM certified trainers in the US alone. Clients are increasingly searching for specialized fitness help, creating a clear opportunity for a niche marketplace.
- 3,600+ monthly searches for "NASM personal trainer" and related terms
- Personal training is a $40B+ market in the US with 5% annual growth
- Market is not saturated—trainers are actively seeking more clients
- Post-pandemic shift to online and hybrid training creates new opportunities
- Clients willing to pay premium for certified, specialized trainers
Competitive Landscape
Existing platforms are either too broad (generic fitness marketplaces) or too expensive for independent trainers. None focus specifically on connecting NASM-certified trainers with clients seeking verified expertise.
Thumbtack
General services marketplace with fitness category. No certification verification, high competition.
Pay-per-lead model, expensive for trainers
Trainerize
Client management platform for trainers. Not a marketplace—trainers must bring their own clients.
$5-$350/month subscription
FitnessTrainer.com
Trainer directory with basic profiles. Limited filtering, no certification verification.
Free listings, paid featured spots
Instagram/Social
Many trainers rely on social media. Time-intensive, no built-in booking or payments.
Free but requires constant content
Your Opportunity
No platform specifically targets NASM-certified trainers with verified credentials. By focusing on this niche, you can attract quality trainers who want to stand out and clients who value verified expertise.
Business Model
Revenue comes from transaction commissions on bookings, plus optional promotional features for trainers who want increased visibility. This aligns incentives—you only make money when trainers get clients.
Basic Listing
Free
20% commission on bookings, standard profile visibility
Featured
$29/mo
15% commission, priority placement, badge on profile
Premium
$79/mo
10% commission, top placement, featured in emails to clients
Revenue Projections
$3.5k
Target MRR by Month 6
20-30%
Commission Rate
~$75
Avg Session Price
3 mo
Time to First Revenue
Recommended Tech Stack
A marketplace needs robust user management, search, and payment processing. This stack balances speed-to-market with scalability.
Next.js
Full-stack React framework with built-in API routes, SSR for SEO, and easy deployment
Supabase
Postgres database with auth, real-time subscriptions, and row-level security
Stripe Connect
Marketplace payments with automatic splits, trainer payouts, and commission handling
Algolia
Fast search with filters for specialty, location, price, and availability
Cal.com
Open-source scheduling integration for trainer availability and bookings
Vercel
Zero-config deployment with edge functions and automatic scaling
AI Prompts to Build This
Copy and paste these into Claude, Cursor, or your favorite AI tool.
1. Project Setup
Create a new Next.js 14 project for a NASM trainer marketplace. Set up: Project structure with App Router and TypeScript. Supabase for database with tables for trainers (profile, certifications, specialties, services, availability), clients (profile, preferences), bookings (trainer_id, client_id, service, datetime, status, price), and reviews. Supabase Auth for both trainer and client signup flows. API routes for trainer search, profile CRUD, and booking management. Include environment variables setup, proper error handling, and a clean folder structure with /app, /components, /lib, and /types directories.
2. Core Feature
Build the trainer search and discovery feature for the NASM marketplace. Requirements: Search page with filters for specialty (weight loss, strength, sports performance, nutrition), location (city/zip with radius), price range, availability, and rating. Trainer cards showing photo, name, verified NASM badge, specialties, rating, price range, and availability preview. Detailed trainer profile page with full bio, certifications list, services offered with pricing, reviews, and booking calendar. Implement with Supabase full-text search or Algolia integration. The user flow: Client lands on search → applies filters → browses trainer cards → clicks to view profile → selects service and time → proceeds to booking.
3. Landing Page
Create a landing page for the NASM Trainer Marketplace using Next.js and Tailwind CSS. Include: Hero section with headline "Find Your Perfect NASM Certified Trainer" and subheadline about connecting with verified fitness experts. Split CTA for "Find a Trainer" and "Join as Trainer". How it works section with 4 steps (Search, Compare, Book, Train). Benefits section for both clients and trainers. Trust indicators showing "400k+ NASM Trainers", "Verified Credentials", "Secure Payments". Featured trainers carousel (placeholder). Email capture for early access. Clean, modern design with a fitness-inspired color scheme (energetic blue/green accents on white). Mobile responsive.
4. Branding Package
Create a branding package for TrainerMatch (or similar name), a marketplace connecting clients with NASM certified fitness trainers: Logo concept - Simple, modern mark combining fitness/movement with connection/matching theme. Works at small sizes for app icon. Color palette - Primary (energetic, trustworthy), Secondary (calming, professional), Accent (action/CTA). Typography - Heading font that conveys strength and professionalism, body font that's clean and readable. Provide hex codes, font names (Google Fonts preferred), and usage guidelines. Include variations for light and dark backgrounds.
5. Stripe Connect Integration
Implement Stripe Connect for the NASM trainer marketplace with Next.js. Requirements: Trainer onboarding flow to create Connected Accounts (Express type for simplicity). Booking checkout that creates PaymentIntents with automatic commission split (20% platform, 80% trainer). Webhook handling for payment confirmations and updating booking status. Trainer dashboard showing earnings, pending payouts, and payout history. Handle refunds for cancelled bookings. Include proper error handling, idempotency keys, and test mode setup.
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