Fitness business owner Pete Dupuis originally published this blog July 8, 2015 on petedupuis.com. It is reprinted here with permission in its entirety. Commercial Real Estate Focus In my most recent blog, I discussed some important factors to take into consideration during your search for a new gym location. Once you’ve identified the dream location, the hard work is just beginning. It’s now time to talk lease terms. Since many of us are not fond of confrontation, it can be difficult to ask probing questions and know when to push back if it is in the best interest of your business. [...]
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Welcome back to our gym owner business profile. In each profile, we interview successful gym owners to learn what it takes to start, run, and own a health club. Everyone tells a new and interesting story. We hope you find their experiences as inspiring as we have! 300 Fitness Gym and Bar The idea of 300 Fitness Gym and Bar began like many other health clubs: Two guys who enjoyed exercising together saw an opportunity and jumped on it. In the small city of Pontotoc, Mississippi, there were plenty of other gyms. Four, in fact, serving a population of no [...]
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Seeing your gym’s company name on a product being worn or used by a member is just a great feeling. That stamp is like a walking billboard. As well, branded gym apparel is an easy and simple marketing technique. So, what's the smartest way to take on branded products ? First, read our top tips for selling branded gym apparel: Make friends with an apparel company. Find a firm that will allow you to order on an as-needed basis. Let them hold onto stock. Keep your stock limited — often an over-abundance of shirts, joggers, hats, etc. will just sit in [...]
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What motivates us to exercise regularly? Has your gym figured out the right hook to lure new members? Well, the answer to what truly inspires us to sweat it out might surprise you. Continue reading to discover how incorporating themes of mental health and wellness into your advertising campaign may boost membership sales. Reason #1: Exercise kicks the blues to the curb. As most long-term fitness buffs know, a little exercise goes a long way to reducing feelings of sadness. But for many individuals, exercise is worse than feeling bad. It’s doing something they’re bad at, while feeling lousy. Who [...]
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Five steps to sidestep a bad economy. It took 16 cameras and a digital key tag to inflation-proof Scotts Valley Gym in Scotts Valley Calf. After that, it was pure gumption. Today, when rising consumer prices are forcing all of us to make decisions as to how and where we spend our money, gym memberships are often first on the list. So how do you ensure your gym makes the cut? Or, if the economy really sinks, how can you be prepared? Should you raise rates to manage increased costs or decrease overhead? Scotts Valley Gym took the second choice. Originally one of four [...]
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So, let’s talk about January gym membership sales. Too early? No, not really. The January bump in sales is too often just a hangover remedy from a slow fall sign-up season. True, January is the month to become fit. After all, 12% of all new members join at year’s start. That’s easily 40% more than on an average month, when about 8% of your new members come on board. However, many of those new members might have said yes sooner -- if you had just asked them. November and December are traditionally tough months for the health club industry. In [...]
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Welcome to our gym owner business profile. These monthly profiles are created to build vision and share stories of what it takes to start, run, and own a gym. Each privately owned gym tells a new and interesting story. We hope you find their experiences as inspiring as we have! Gym profile: The Kage Gym, LLC — Mundelein, IL Don’t talk to The Kage Gym owners about luck. Although Gonzalo Sanchez and Omar Sanchez (no relation) may use the term to describe their jump into owning a gym at ages 25 and 20, it has nothing to do with what’s happening now. This [...]
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As your gym grows, so does your need for dependable staff. Although good gym management software and 24/7 access can streamline much of the day-to-day operations of smaller gyms, a smiling face behind the counter is always a good way to run a business. That’s a tough nut to find, though, in today’s environment. Since the evolution of what’s been called the “Great Resignation,” finding and keeping employees has become a job in itself. To give you an idea of what some experts recommend, we scoured multiple resources to uncover and share a few good tips to keep gym employees. [...]
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What are the issues facing gym owners in the near future? How is our world changing and what does that mean to boutique fitness gyms and their counterparts – general service fitness centers? Just as the pandemic upended fitness routines, changing demographics and shifts in how individuals perceive health and fitness are driving adaptation and innovation. Let’s look at a few of the concerns facing our industry. Gym truth One: We’re all getting older. One statistic we’ve seen asserts there will be more people over 50 years of age than under 50 by the year 2030. That year, as well, [...]
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Welcome to our newest gym owner business profile. Offered up once a month, these profiles are created to share ideas and challenges between gym owners. Each privately owned gym fuels from a unique set of circumstances. Hopefully, you will find inspiration in their experiences. Gym owner profile: MorGainz Fitness, Pennsylvania It started as a retirement plan. After careers in nursing and police work, Kelly and David Morgan were ready to switch tracks. Always total gym people, they dusted off a business plan written for a college nursing course, and decided to fix a problem. Their small Richland, PA, community did [...]
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Sometimes the simple stuff is not so simple. Gym equipment is like that. Strength machines and treadmills – weights and rubber decking, right? What can go wrong? Well, in fact, a lot. As any veteran gym owner knows, cables snap and treadmills smoke. Never a good scene. Yet, avoiding such mini disasters is as simple as investing in a preventative maintenance service plan for your commercial gym equipment. To better understand this concept, we turned to Dave Pirri, owner of Fit Service, a New York-based gym equipment sales and service company established in 2004. We asked him to discuss preventative maintenance. Pirri [...]
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If you’re ready to own a gym, it’s time to think about the best location. You'll be wise to research this one carefully as it can have a big impact on your long-term success. Here are some key ideas to help in landing the perfect spot to launch your new business. 1. Start the search for commercial space on the Internet LoopNet.com is a commercial real estate marketplace that allows you to identify available space easily and effectively. Whether you’re interested in leasing or buying space, this national aggregate for available commercial space allows you to narrow your search by neighborhood, [...]
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You’ve got the energy, ideas, and passion for your sport. But what about some solid facts about how to open your own club? This June, we’re going to help you learn what it takes to start a gym. Each week, we will cover an important step to your successful new business launch and provide some common sense advice from established gym owners. First, do you have a business plan? Why do I need a business plan? Too many small business owners open their first fitness center without creating a strong plan of action. A business plan is a written guideline [...]
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Gym Management Have you considered raising your gym membership rates yet? It’s a scary thought but the truth is inflation is running hot with no signs of cooling off. As a gym owner, you get the big picture: higher fuel prices, limited labor market, and costly commodities. This all adds up to less cash in the bank. And, even though you didn’t start a gym to make a fortune, that buffer between income and expenses — aka your profit margin — is the foundation of a well-run business. Profit is where growth, reinvestment, and risk-taking occur. In order to keep [...]
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Growth This summer, drive gym membership for college students by offering them a great deal on your awesome club. Last year, we wrote a blog urging gym owners to reach out to cooped-up college students tired of learning online and alone. Your gym would become their oasis – a place to meet friends, expend some energy, and prepare for a new year on campus. A refuge from a rough, COVID-crazy year. This year, the kids are back home for the summer and ready to hit an exercise class or two. Let’s look at some reasons it’s the perfect time to target this [...]
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