Do you want to work in an office cubicle? I didn't think so. I don't either, but if you do, you certainly don't want to be working in a cubicle in the back of a gym. You want to be in a big office somewhere with glass walls, photocopiers, fluorescent lighting and a different necktie for every day of the week. On the other hand, if you want to work at a gym you really don't want to be stuck in a cubicle in the back office. Most people who take up a career running a gym do so with [...]
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The Typical Turnover Rate for Personal Trainers One of the biggest problems facing a gym owner or manager is that of finding and keeping a team of top notch personal trainers on board. Gym members expect to have access to personal trainers as part of the membership package and in most cases are willing to spend a fair amount of money to pay for training. The hard part is that while thousands of men and women attend school and become certified personal trainers each year, the turnover rate for this career field runs between 80 and 90% on average. Why [...]
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With Valentine's Day around the corner, literally, I felt compelled to at least throw out one post regarding gym promotional ideas geared to those who recognize this day. Let's face it, the gym is not exactly a hot commodity on Valentine's Day. That said, a lot of men may secretly resent having to disrupt their regular fitness routine in favor of movies or other romantic holiday activities. There may be a way to cure both parties desires. Lure in the fitness buff and their special someone into your fitness center this Valentine's Day by offering special couples classes that they [...]
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Recap! I want to do a short recap to this series...so please bear with me. In this continuation of the series, "Which is better...", Part I explores the most basic differences between a personal trainer who is hired as an independent contractor and one who is hired as an employee. Part II explores compensation with both the independent contractor and the employee. Part III explores whether or not gym members have a preference in the hiring status of their personal trainers and whether or not they can even tell the difference. If you have not explored Part III, please do [...]
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I can't think of one personal trainer, group fitness instructor, or even hardcore recreational gym goer that has not thought about, at one point or another, opening their own training facility. One of the best problems to run into when opening your own gym is the growing pains associated with selling a great product. Obviously, in a situation like this, organization is key to the long term success of the facility. From personal experience, I was on board with a small new private training facility that started experiencing these exact problems. Early on, everything was handled via pen, paper, and [...]
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Although this article is a little more dry and technical than the previous ones, it gives a little bit more background as to why Insight into your fitness business, is so important to compete in this day and age. I hope you enjoy the guest post by Jhilmil P. A little bit of history: It appears as though the gym management system was first coined in the 1980's by chief executive officer Mark Mastrov of 24- Hour Fitness. Mastrov's movement incorporated a gym software system with payment processing into a 24 hour member accessable gym. (Success, 2012). Thereafter, gym management [...]
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Do Gym Members Have a Preference When It Comes to Personal Trainers? Most gyms today offer some form of personal trainer. What some members may not realize is that gym owners have a choice as to whether they hire their personal trainers or use independent contractors to provide this service to their clients. In order to make the right decision, most gym owners want to at least acknowledge their members' feelings with regard to which type of personal trainer they would prefer to use. The question is not only one that must cover the preference of the gym owner, but [...]
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I know maintenance isn't exactly the most exciting topic to discuss in the world of fitness gyms; in fact it can be straight up DULL. Cleaning is the same boring subject and definitely not sexy, but as previously discussed in the "Keeping Your Business Clean," blog post, I feel that it is equally as important as maintaining your gym equipment. So to spice it up a little, let's think about it this way... every person involved with the fitness center industry is affected by maintenance! How? Members want gym equipment that works. Gym managers always have to keep an eye [...]
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There are many different reasons people join a gym. Mostly, members are looking to improve markers of health, wellness, and are just looking to better themselves overall through physical exercise. This post is not about the majority. This post is about those personalities you run into that take their own fitness on with a psychopathic intensity that would make most serial killers stop and say: "Hey, are you ok?" So, this is actually a public service message to get you to look at yourself in the mirror and, via deep self-introspective reflection, ask yourself: "Am I that guy?" 1. The [...]
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No matter which show I watch: Bar Rescue, Restaurant Impossible, Tabitha's Salon Takeover, and even the long gone but much loved We Mean Business (hosted by Apprentice winner Bill Rancic), there is one common element: every single business that the hosts enter is FILTHY! The aforementioned shows are my soap operas; I simply can't get enough of them. I love peering into other people's businesses and seeing how they're run and what sets them apart. There's one thing that consistently horrifies and bemuses me: the cleanliness of the business. Every entrepreneur knows what it's like to have to scrimp and [...]
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Everything I read on fitness blogs and in trade magazines lately keeps following the same B.S. mantra of "differentiate your gym through customer service." While I agree that excellent customer service should always be a cornerstone of any business, all of these bloggers and writers are ignoring the sea change that's happing in the industry. If they follow their own advice, they're going to end up with a small handful of extremely happy members - unfortunately for them, a small group of very happy members won't pay the bills. If I had to predict how to properly position your gym [...]
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I've been on the hunt for fitness gym business resources but I'm having trouble! For anyone out there interested in starting a gym or buying a gym, there just doesn't seem to be much in the way of information. In fact, some of the only information that I can find is related to the 24 hour gym franchise boom. Although I'm sure that each franchisor provides information to their franchisees, where do the rest of us meet to collaborate? When you search for fitness marketing and related promotional types of information, all you seem to find are various programs for [...]
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