When it comes to signup time most gym membership prospects want easy choices. Then, of course, there are the more knowledgeable new clients, who know what they want and love to think they got a little something extra in the deal. As the gym owner or manager, you can play your cards close to your chest and make them all happy. This strategy sells more memberships and everybody wins. I'm a huge advocate of making things simple for gym members. When people apply for a fitness club membership they're often looking to you to guide them to the right membership [...]
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As the Southern hemisphere experienced a change in season - from winter to spring - on September 22nd, the Northern parts of the world entered autumn. The transition, known as the autumnal equinox, from summer to fall in the North marks the beginning of a season filled with festivals and celebrations in the United States. With important holidays like Thanksgiving and Halloween around the corner, it's time to draw up plans for promoting your brand and bringing in more members to your gym. Here are a few ideas to help you with your fall promotion: Halloween Although fitness and Halloween [...]
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From the moment that a potential client first lands on your website they will statistically make up their mind in mere seconds. Those people who decide that your website doesn't offer what they're looking for will leave your website without viewing another page - this is referred to as a bounce. That said there are a few basic things that you can do right now to improve the effectiveness of your website. 1) The first thing that you must do doesn't require that you do any work at all; rather, you simply have to decide what you want the visitors [...]
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Meme communication has a longer history than you might think. This form of communication was first coined back in 1976 by Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene. Although the concept is not new, its effects have been consistent throughout generations. Memes always had a tendency to "spread like wildfire" or in this day and age, "go viral." If you are just totally lost and wondering what on earth do I mean by meme, I will use trusty ol' Wikipedia to define it for you! "A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices that can be [...]
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A lot of jargon is thrown around in the world of fitness. Walk into any gym at any given moment in any part of the world and you will hear a conversation about too much muscle one day going through some magical, Narnia-like metamorphic journey to fat. Well, if muscle cells can somehow break the laws of everything humankind has discovered about biology, then be careful because your fingers could just as likely turn into a pack of hungry wolverines at some point. Many popular fitness terms are riddled in conversations like the one mentioned above. Probably the most popular [...]
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Most people have some sort of mobile device connected to an SMS text-messaging network these days. That creates an opportunity for the enterprising fitness center owner to use text messages as another medium in their marketing strategy, with which to engage with gym members. The question is how does that fit into your marketing and how do you get the most out of it? Is Texting The New Email Marketing? As I've stated before, email marketing is a really powerful tool to increase your fitness center's profitability. Health and fitness are such an important marketing demographic that, as an owner, [...]
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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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As an independent gym owner, I have learned a lot over the years. The growth in knowledge that I have now compared to back then when I opened the doors to my first club is staggering. I constantly have ideas and thoughts running through my head wishing that I could type as fast as they pass by. If I had to time write a book on opening a real gym (step-by-step) from the first day you begin to gather plans in your head to the day it became profitable, I would do so in a heartbeat. However, I do not [...]
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Everyone desires to be fit and healthy. But unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise can make staying fit a few pounds away. Children, too, need to be made aware of the importance of staying fit. Excessive consumption of processed food, sodas loaded with sugar, fast food, fried food, and so on is not only making them unhealthy. The Z Generation faces even greater likelihood of stagnation. Children are more likely to experience less physical activity from a much younger age because of the accessibility of technology. There is no doubt that the Z Generation is at a higher risk [...]
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We can all agree that in today's world, marketing with pictures and video makes a greater statement than with words alone. However, marketing in these realms has become competitive and tricky. Graphic design work for pictures and professional videographers can also be out of the budget for the smaller independent fitness businesses that are just opening their doors. Thus, many business owners in the fitness industry have taken advantage of social media outlets to market, because they are practically free (other than "boosting" your posts on Facebook) and can reach a countless range of people. Although the amount and variety [...]
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Guest Post By Cory Damm Opening a gym in today's market may feel like a daunting task. You've got the competition of national fitness club powerhouses, and the cost associated with finding a space, equipment, staff, and insurance. Hundreds of veteran gym owners wish they knew then what they know now. You don't have to find out the hard way. Here are 10 easy ways to save you money, and your sanity, when opening your first gym. 1) Know your options when leasing equipment Leasing fitness equipment allows gym owners pay over extended periods of time instead of all at [...]
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We all know that fitness plays a very important role in our daily lives. It helps to maintain our health and keeps our bodies immune to fight off diseases and illness. Physical fitness is important for those who are suffering from obesity and other weight related problems. Joining a health club is great way of losing weight and improving your health because health clubs specialize in providing the necessary training and weight reduction activities that will help you stay healthy and fit. One recent trend that has started to build up a lot of buzz within the health club industry [...]
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As an owner or operator of a fitness center you're probably going to find in the near future that your clientele will include more members of special populations. By this I mean groups such as seniors and people with fitness and diet related health issues. These are growing segments of the population and there is a market to be found by catering to their needs. Start With Special Population Certified Trainers The reason special populations are distinct categories; separate from your average gym member is that they start from such a delicate level of health. They need to work with [...]
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If you are planning on opening a health club, gym, or fitness studio, location is going to be vital for your new business. This is because people primarily choose health clubs that are nearest to their homes or those locations that are the most convenient and accommodates their daily routines. Additionally, you will need to consider whether you will be buying or renting the commercial space. If you are opening a health club for the first time, here are some factors to consider on choosing a place that will set up your fitness business for success. Which Part of the [...]
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