Why sell branded products at your gym Have you ever considered selling a branded product in your gym or online? They could be water bottles, hoodies, equipment or towels. Whatever. The point is your health club’s name would be on that item, wherever it travels. All the while, reflecting your gym's unique identity and generating a bit more cash for your company. What is the difference between a product and a brand? Products are what you sell but a brand is who you are. Brands are created through advertising, intent, and creativity. Your carefully crafted flagship image is your brand. The [...]
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If you have opened a new gym, you must know that it is, after all, a new business. So you should be prepared to run and develop that business as a business. To do so, you must acquire knowledge about the fitness business industry, and also be aware of the pitfalls of why new gyms fail so you can be sure to avoid them. In my opinion, here are the top 10 reasons why new gyms fail... #1 - No proper business plan No business plan can be fatal to your new gym. Before starting a gym know: Successful gyms watch finances, [...]
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Every health club owner knows they need to market their business. Advertising, seasonal promotions, social media postings, local signage, and more, all contribute to the intricate balance of maintaining your customer base. Many business owners, though, fail to plan long-term, allowing opportunities to slip as they run their day-to-day operations. These missed revenue generators are needlessly frustrating.Here’s why an annual marketing plan is so important. 1. Long-Term Marketing Strategies Prepare You for the Unexpected Vow this year to plan ahead. Building your marketing plan based on a full year’s calendar assures you are more likely to arrive prepared for a [...]
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Don’t lose out on selling a new customer! When a prospect first walks into your health club, they’ve thought about joining for six months. They’re scared and skittish, ready to leap at any chance to say “let me sleep on it,” or even just turn around and leave, while congratulating themselves on their bravery and effort. Don’t let that happen. Here are five secrets to a great gym tour that are sure to increase sales and create clients excited to join your club. 1. Introduce yourself and ask their name. Use it throughout the tour. Memorize it. 2. Slow down. [...]
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Everyone, it seems. From teens to octogenarians, we're all pumping iron and taking classes to stay in shape. Thanks to medicine and technology, we are both living longer and more aware of how habits impact our health. And because of that, gyms are no longer the realm of young, beautiful adults. Today, your gym can attract everyone from a 16-year-old high school athlete to an 76-year-old retiree, and chances are, it will.However, just because everyone's exercising, doesn't mean we are all the same. There are many key generational differences and understanding them will help you refine services without wasting time [...]
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Taking control of your gym's business during the ongoing economic crisis caused by COVID-19 is not simple. It's always been expensive to acquire new members-estimates suggest it costs 3x as much to lure a new client in the door as to keep the one you have. But in today's uncertain environment, retaining and expanding your client base is both critical and complex. So how can you maximize every gym member relationship? By understanding customers' concerns, clearing up misunderstandings quickly, and using real-time information to make informed updates to your business model. Nothing does this quicker than a survey. Surveys allow [...]
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There's not much that a little creative ingenuity can't overcome. The fitness industry is one where you can get a start with or without vast sums of capital to invest. While it might seem easier to do with truckloads of financial backing, there are plenty of things you can do to get started or at least boost your business to the next level. 1. Be The Expert Focus on what you do best. That thing that you're most confident about and for which you have the most experience, this is what management gurus call your core competence. The knowledge that [...]
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Turbocharge Your Income With Gym Guest Passes There are many different ways to increase your gym's revenue. Let's focus on how you can use gym guest passes to increase your income, in the way a turbocharger boosts the horsepower of a small car engine. Of course, your own particular approach to this strategy will be strongly influenced by the unique layout of your local racetrack. So, here are two different approaches to gym guest passes, for very different local markets. Gym Guest Passes To Bring In New Members The best and most consistent form of income to keep a gym [...]
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Pre-Sales Fill The Void In the lead up to the Christmas holiday, members and prospective gym members have their thoughts elsewhere. This always means less foot traffic into gyms and fewer inquiries for memberships. So, you need some sort of seasonal boost to your small gym's revenue stream. The bills still come in, of course, and your staff needs to have something to keep them motivated and sharp. You don't want your trainers looking elsewhere for income and making connections that may lead them away. You can't afford resignations, right as you need your trainers the most, when the members [...]
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I believe that one of the keys to a happy life, a life well lived is developing an attitude of gratitude for the things that make life worthwhile and rewarding. I think it was Tony Robbins, whom I first heard say that, it's stuck with me ever since. In celebration of the arrival of the holiday season I would like to share my list of things for which I am truly grateful, and that I am giving thanks for this year. My List of Gratitude 1. First, I am very thankful for a career that helps people and promotes health. [...]
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Like I've mentioned before, the fitness center market is highly competitive (as if you didn't know that already). To gain any leverage in the marketplace you have to be extremely creative in the way you attract new members. I've developed some enticements for members by experimenting, building on what works and letting all the rest go. Gym Membership Management With Self Service Marketing There's one promotion that's worked particularly well over the years. I let members work for discounts on their monthly rate by bringing in referrals, down to a certain amount. It works like this: my monthly membership amount [...]
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If you are a gym owner, then one of the things you may have noticed is that a large number of people who often sign up for memberships do so with great interest, motivation and good intentions. However, due to the unending demands of their professional or personal life, they slowly stop visiting the gym regularly and seemingly may even forget that they even have a gym membership altogether. This member oversight may, very well, have nothing to do with your health club facilities or services. So it is important to remind your members about your gym and why they [...]
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Fitness facilities generally involve a large amount of investment in the beginning and high maintenance costs throughout. On top of this, keeping up with the competition in terms of technology and training is another expense. Returns come much after this chunk of money is being fueled into the heart and soul of the business. What this implies is that you must have a great start to break-even as soon as possible. Your facility deserves a huge opening so that people know that a lot of effort and money has been put into a project for their benefit. Here are some [...]
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Customers today understand that it is very important to know as much as they can about a gym, health club, fitness facility, or studio before they decide to join. It is vital for you or your staff to be prepared to answer these queries in a manner which remains truthful during the sales process. How Much does it Cost? Any individual joining a gym will most likely first ask about the membership rates. Be sure to tell them the entire price, including taxes and extras, and then tell give them the breakdown of everything that is included in the total. [...]
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This is part 1 of a multiple part series. We have recently seen an immense increase in profitability of the fitness industry. This also means that there is an attractive prospect in terms of jobs and businesses in the industry. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that the number of jobs within this industry is expected to increase by more than 23% over the next 10 years. The bureau also said that the number of jobs available under "fitness and recreational sports centers" even went up to 484,200 in 2010. Economists justify this prediction by looking at how businesses [...]
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