Ethan, Personal Trainer, Glasgow.

• Sector: Personal Trainer

• Business Size: Sole trader

• Location: Glasgow

• Experience: 2 years in fitness

• Impact: Late payments from gym management have left Ethan unable to pay rent for his training space. He’s had to rely on overdrafts, increasing his financial stress.

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“I’ve been working as a personal trainer for two years now. It’s a small operation—just me renting space in a gym and working with clients one-on-one. Most of my clients pay on time, but I’ve had issues with the gym management itself. They delayed paying me for group sessions I ran on their behalf. It wasn’t a huge amount—maybe £1,000 total—but for someone like me, that’s significant.

I use that income to pay rent for my training space, so when it didn’t come through, I had to dip into my personal savings. It’s stressful knowing that your income isn’t reliable, especially when you’re already juggling the uncertainties of self-employment.

The worst part was the lack of communication. I’d send emails and get no response, or they’d promise payment ‘next week’ and not follow through. It made me feel like I wasn’t valued, even though I’d gone above and beyond to help their business.

I’ve since started focusing more on private clients and reducing my reliance on the gym’s group sessions. It’s frustrating because I enjoy working with groups, but I can’t afford to keep chasing payments. Late payments don’t just affect your wallet—they affect your confidence in the work you do.”