I am aware that I am listing 4 accessories and not a more normal "top" number of either 3 or 5 or even 10. I did that for a reason and not to be an overachiever if you think there should only be 3 listed or lazy if you believe that 5 listed accessories would have been a better well rounded number for this article. In a sense, I do agree that 5 sounds better, so I am going to ask you at the end of this article to add in the comment section what the 5th most important gym [...]
Read more...
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 [...]
Read more...
Contrary to what some believe, there is a certain way in which you should conduct yourself when you are working out around others in a gym environment. The reason behind this is pretty simple and obvious: there will be other people who might not be able to put up with the way you conduct yourself. This will go a long way in ensuring that you remain a classy member of the health club and people will appreciate you for that. Here are the top 5 rules. 1) Safety The general feeling is that the health club is a very safe [...]
Read more...
If you are a gym and fitness center owner you will most likely find that you have to compete in a crowded market, where everyone is trying to court the same clientele. Having a fitness club where the customers are drawn in by the mere fact that you unlocked your front door is a luxury that most owners will never have. To compete effectively in the modern fitness market you've got to be able to offer something extra to your clients. Well, all of that pretty much states the obvious. But did you know that being able to train and [...]
Read more...
Closing a deal when selling health club memberships is not easy nowadays. With the boom in the fitness industry, more and more health clubs are offering attractive deals and discounts to bring in more members. When making any sale, you need to have the knowledge and skills to handle any type of objections. You may not find it difficult to do this, but price objections are the most difficult to handle. Even if your prospective clients want the deal, the price may be holding them back. Here's what you have to do to close the sale: 1) Wait for the [...]
Read more...
There are really two kinds of people in America. Of course I'm speaking in terms of cliches here. But if you are going to reduce it to the lowest common denominator it can seem as though there are two types, one that is fit and healthy and one that is in bad shape. Americans are very lean and healthy, athletic and fitness conscious or they're not. The former is stereotyped as the "gym-rat" and the latter group as the couch potato. Now, these are very broad generalizations, but the line between healthy and unhealthy has been marked out in the [...]
Read more...
If you are a fitness freak, you will find that opening a health club is a good way of doing something that you love. People are getting more and more health conscious by the day, owing to the unhealthy corporate lifestyle that has become very common in the modern way of life. One of the mistakes that owners do with health clubs is that they don't treat it like a business. Since they feel that it is a place where people relate to, they tend to take it in a more personal way. A good business plan is vital for [...]
Read more...
Health insurance companies today are of the opinion that prevention of ailments results in considerable cost reduction in healthcare. This is the precise reason why they are promoting fitness through discounts and reimbursement to their members when they join gyms or fitness clubs. If you think this is just a passing fitness industry trend, think again. Insurance companies have already acknowledged that personal training is a form of preventive healthcare. It is believed that for ever dollar that insurance companies spend on prevention, they end up saving $10 for treatment. This is one of the reasons why insurance companies today [...]
Read more...
I just posted an article that dealt with how health clubs can sponsor a charity organization while promoting their health club business. Because Memorial Day is almost here, I wanted to give health clubs that are looking into sponsoring a charity some more ideas. One of the most unappreciated and selfless professions is that of a military man. When people enroll into the military, they leave behind everything even everyone they love and put their bodies on the line to protect their nations. To be fair, helping war wounded or veterans should be considered a duty of every citizen.. To [...]
Read more...
With our economy at its current state and the rise in competition, it can be difficult to stay competitive in the fitness industry. You have to keep with the current fitness industry trends and fitness industry statistics to get in touch with your members and patrons. Staying current in the trends can also help you attract new members and retain your loyal ones. Avoid replicating the marketing ideas used by your competitors and instead, go for fresh ideas that can guarantee you success. A primary focus that will always stay fresh and true in the minds of the majority are [...]
Read more...
Having a good ventilation system is important for the health club experience and environment. Fact: Most gyms are indoors and many people are sweating and breathing in recycled air. Problem: Risk of infection is high in gyms with poor ventilation systems. Factors contributing to the problem: 1) Viruses, germs and bacteria thrive; 2) Humid areas compound the problem; Result: 1) Foul smell; 2) Shortness of breath; 3) Infections; 4) Your members will experience incomplete workout sets and poor performances; 5) Ultimately resulting in member avoidance, cancellation, and bad reviews; 6) Waste of money. Real World Experience: I know of a [...]
Read more...
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 [...]
Read more...
Gyms and fitness clubs are areas that can get dirty pretty quick if not maintained properly. Since the main reason for many to hit the gym is to "sweat it out," they are bound to get dirty. Having said that, people prefer a clean area where they can workout. Keep in mind that the main reason for exercising is health and a dirty place defeats the purpose and will loose your clients quickly! Apart from cleaning, you also need to ensure that the gym is not smelly where people actually find it irritating to work out. Don't let uncleanliness be [...]
Read more...
As a business owner, you depend highly on reviews. Yelp is one of the top searched directory and review sites with more than 100 million unique visits since January 2013*. However, Yelp has been criticized for failing to show and tell all reviews posted to their site about your business. You could have more reviews than you are aware of, because reviews could be caught in a filter... Anthony, from Lifestyle Fitness 24/7 in Las Vegas, gives some tips and promotional strategies on how to get the most from your Yelp reviews! * (^ Wilhelm, Alex (2013-02-13). "Yelp surged past [...]
Read more...
Virtual Group Fitness is a Great Way to Increase Health Club Membership Gyms are usually full only during specific times such as early mornings and evenings. The rest of the time, the gyms see just a few people or none at all. For owners, it is a great disappointment to see people walking away from the gym just because they are full. There is also the issue of providing group training to just a couple of people during late mornings and afternoons as this is not economically viable. If you are a gym owner who is facing such problems, virtual [...]
Read more...
