Clients, Did You Know? 💡

Automated Messaging Through the Gym Insight App Boosts Member Retention and Engagement

If you have not started using Gym Insight’s automated messaging, now is the time to jump on board. It dramatically streamlines operations by boosting membership engagement, improving retention, and reducing the dreaded no-shows. Furthermore, it can be used to wish members a happy birthday, offer special deals, and even assist with billing and renewals.

With automated reminders in place for members, it regularly showed attendance jumps of almost 30 percent. Plus, the amount of no-shows decreased by up to 40 percent. It is a high Return on Investment (ROI) tool, especially when considering it is already added to the Gym Insight software. Think of the possibilities with all of the fitness classes your gym offers. Automated group messages are sent out the night before to everyone who has taken the class previously. The next day could be a packed house! These types of additions to what you are currently doing could be the difference between a mildly successful gym and a wildly successful gym.

Science Corner

Healthy Aging Means Adding More Protein

A new research paper from the United Kingdom, published in Frontiers in Nutrition by Dr. Chris Macdonald, emphasizes the need for higher protein levels than originally thought for an aging population. With the final goal being an independent, healthier, and longer lifespan, older adults could live many more years in unassisted settings if they double or even triple the amount of daily protein previously recommended. Higher protein combined with exercise not only preserves and increases strength and bone mass, but it greatly reduces the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

The UK Department of Health previously recommended in 1991 that a person should have a protein intake of about .34 grams per pound of body weight. However, that has now been deemed the very minimal amount a person should be consuming. In best-case scenarios, a gram of protein per pound of body weight should be the goal. (Plus, the math is so much simpler. If you weigh 160 pounds, then consume 160 grams of protein a day.)

As more older adults are hitting the gyms in greater frequency than ever before, stressing the need for improved nutrition through the latest data could be a great workshop for all places of fitness.

Gym Life 🏋️

Big Profits in Small Spaces: Why Gym Size Doesn’t Matter

You won’t often hear the phrase “size doesn’t matter” while working out at the gym. (At least for men. We all want to be one of the biggest.) But in regard to profit, the square footage of your gym often does not matter to overall revenue. Some of the tiniest gyms create the most profit.

Small gyms or studios have low overhead, increased intimacy and connection, and some of the highest revenue per square foot. Something very important to remember as a gym owner is that square footage is secondary to strategy.

Boutique studios have been the quickest-growing section of the fitness industry over the last several years. There is a semi-private studio in Brooklyn, 700 square feet in size, that is raking in six figures every month. They are an independent studio that has listened to its clients’ needs for coaching and training. Understand that Brooklyn is expensive and their clients are willing to pay extra, but consider what you can do with where you are currently.

A friend of mine has converted a two-car garage into a training facility. It is a side hustle, and he chooses carefully which members he allows to use his facilities, but he brings in a thousand a month in profit. I used to have a 1,000 square foot commercial gym in my walkout basement where I would train select clients a few times a week. I did pretty well.

If you aren’t happy with how your current large gym is performing, maybe it is time to consider changing it up and starting a micro-gym that tailors to a specific clientele. As gym owners, we often have to pivot to make sure we are successful. Don’t be afraid to trade square footage for freedom. Many owners have discovered their most profitable chapter began in a much smaller space.

Pro Tips 📋

Hybrid and Online Training Could Be the Next Big Step For Your Gym!

What started as a way for gyms to survive during the COVID shutdowns has emerged as one of the highest return-on-investment (ROI) strategies in the last few years. Gym memberships that provide the options of hybrid and online training are currently adding additional revenue, boosting retention, and providing members flexibility without fully compromising the in-person experience.

Members who like to travel or prefer the option of getting in workouts at home now and then are excited about the possibilities of being able to access online workouts from their favorite gym. And gym owners are thrilled because it is providing them, on average, a 20 to 25 percent boost in revenue with these alternative memberships. With an on-demand library of workouts available for a slight increase in their membership fee, more people are taking advantage of the hybrid model.

Whether instructors are doing live streaming, on-demand, or virtual one-on-one training, adding a Hybrid Tier option for an additional amount a month could increase a gym’s revenue substantially over time.