Gage Bowra opened 24/7 Fitness in Coolidge, Arizona, after running a steady pre-sale campaign that resulted in signing up hundreds of early members. Yet, the cash he pulled in just barely covered new paint and carpets.
So why did he bother with it?
Because there’s no price on hope. And Bowra needed a lot of it.
When he closed on the 5,500-square-foot gym in the tiny town of barely 20,000, he had one choice: success. Failure … was not an option.
Why gym pre-sales were the only answer
Bowra is a construction guy and a father. More than five years ago, he started managing a local gym in the same town to get away from construction. He needed to be able to drop his daughter off at school and pick her up. Flexibility and choice were his guidelines now.
It worked for a few years. His skills kept the facility in tip-top shape. Shortly after being hired, he took on the task of managing their second gym, which was 60 miles away. After 2 ½ years of Bowra commuting between two gyms, the owner sold the second location.
It’s an old story. The new owner blustered in with promises and plans. Yet, soon the promises fell apart, members became cranky, and Bowra found himself earning less than when he’d started in the industry five years earlier.
A return to working construction loomed – a choice that would mean giving up time with his daughter. It was then he decided to open his own space.
He formed an LLC in June of 2023 and launched a two-page website in September. Using his skills as a craftsman and a loan from his father, the 31-year-old single dad began to build out his gym.
Bootstrapping gym success
Bowra chose to install Gym Insight six months prior to opening 24/7 Fitness AZ. He chose our Insight gym management software because it had proven reliable and cost effective at his previous company.
We encouraged him to sell memberships prior to opening. By launching his software early, he could start signing up clients immediately. He quickly found the advertised discounted rate created a sense of urgency and gave locals a reason to visit. First payment would be due February 1, 2024.
If 24/7 Fitness’ sign-ups were a plumbing snafu, it would be a leak, then a torrent of new members.
His sign-up pace is insane.
As the owner and sole employee, Bowra now averages six to ten sign-ups a day, which he agrees is crazy.
What’s his secret?
The pre-sales. They created the mojo to stimulate walk-in traffic and evaluate promotions. After launching Gym Insight to start the pre-sales, he jumped on Facebook community chat pages, responding to social media comments immediately. “Every message is a personal thing,” he explains.
He changed advertising designs based on how well they drove pre-sales. He led group tours, giving everyone the option to sign up either online through his website, or in-person with him, old-school style.
When opening day arrived, members exercised despite disconnected televisions, downed mirrors and incomplete paintwork.
“The pre-sales brought people in. They got to know me. I’m very transparent. Most companies want to hide their flaws; I try to expose mine,” he admits.
It’s that self-effacing attitude that drew clients to him at the previous gyms and still works for him now.
Pre-sales showed him the path to success.
This month he’s still the only employee. Hard work and eight cameras running 24 hours a day give him peace of mind and keep members in line.
Pre-sales gave him hope. Now he’s already scouting out a new location that would double his space and bring in partnership opportunities.
Then, it’s on to his next gym – six times his current size.
Dreaming big. Working hard. It’s the Gym Insight way of doing business.
Take it from Bowra, there’s only one way to ensure victory: Choose no other path.
Gym Insight
Gym management software should not be a long-term fractious relationship. The best gym software is your partner in business, giving you the latitude to run your business as you want, from wherever you prefer. It should help you succeed through good reporting, easy access to critical numbers, and full control over sales. Gym Insight does all that and more. Our software is fully designed in-house, written and managed by former gym owners. Your success is our only business. Call us today for a free demo and let’s talk about how we can make your dream a success: 855-FOR-GYMS and ask for Anthony or Natalia.
