Parallels In Gym Ownership And Software Services Companies I am fortunate to have had the privilege to see the inner workings of two different industries. My background and education is in computer science but my passions and enterprises have always been in fitness. That led me to having both a career in computer sciences through gyminsight.com and in gym management by owning a small but successful local gym business. Since the readers of the Gym Insight Blog tend to be fitness professionals I thought it would be useful, as a contrast, to talk about the computer industry and the differences [...]
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Giving The Value Might Just Return It At A Premium Obviously I have been writing copious amounts about marketing and premium business models. However, with the potential for value and return on investment (ROI) I think that it's important to cover it as thoroughly as possible. As the saying goes: When you aim for the stars you're not likely to end up with a face full of dirt. If Gym Insight can give you some true value in words you might see that our software is also worth looking at. There are a couple of ways to increase ROI and [...]
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What Is Lean Body Mass Of Your Gym? Marketing is a funny business, funny as in strange but not so much hilarious. You pursue what you think is the best market solution and then it turns out something works better. What do you do? Go after the new opportunity? Ignore it and stick to what you know? How does anyone know what the right answer is? Marketing strategies are changing rapidly for the modern small business. The entrepreneurial concept of the lean startup has taken hold and there are some awesome principles and lessons that can be learned from it. [...]
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Breaking Down Boundaries 2014 saw changes and much activity in the fitness industry and new some trends. The hope of new things brought us the excitement of things like getting down in the mud with Spartan Fitness. CrossFit stepped up to be the exemplar of the aggressive type of training that only truly fanatical fitness enthusiasts understand. New gyms popped up, studios rode the trends and some big names ebbed and flowed in their fortunes. The combinations of fitness and digital will continue to throw up unexpected and tantalizing opportunities. The importance of the digital component of any business is [...]
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When The Unboxing Experience Feels Like Your Birthday I recently set up a local service with a card reader. The company that sent the reader seems to have a real insight into the concept of experience, particularly the unboxing experience. The reader is well designed but so was the box that it came in. It contained three cleverly designed and satisfying layers of wrapping that had to be peeled away or opened and then a final layer of protective plastic that was strangely the best part to remove. These days, it's no surprise that people unbox their tech-toys and upload [...]
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All of the small business owners I know, be they gym owners or anything else, seem to have one trait in common: They're working all of the time. I can only speak for myself but this permanent work mode has often not felt like work at all. It's been a scramble to make a living out of doing what I love. My colleagues here at Gym Insight seem to feel the same way, judging by their commitment levels. AVOIDING BURNOUT 101: EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY Burning the candle at both ends is an apt metaphor for the kind of work ethic [...]
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When television production companies catch onto a formula that's cheap to produce and popular with viewers, they really work it for all it's worth. Having an expert, who rescues failing small businesses, is a simple and compelling formula within the genre of reality TV. The premise is usually that a business, in some specific industry, gets help and a makeover just as it's about to go under. The super-expert, no-holds-barred host comes in with a camera crew and they proceed, in a period of about three days, to whamp the tar out of the downtrodden business owner. They clear out [...]
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Maybe you've heard about how retail giant Target had a huge data breach in 2013. If you were exceptionally unfortunate, you know about it because of fraudulent activity somewhere in your personal credit profile. As a gym owner it may be hitting you particularly hard by interfering with your monthly membership revenue. In response you have to chase after payments and update card numbers on a scale that is putting a lot of pressure on you, your managers and your bottom line. The Target Scandal So, what happened to Target? The short answer is that they had something like 70 [...]
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Since I am writing this on tax day, I am reminded of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and what it means for your small business. I want to look at some of the features that will result from the impact on small gym owners, of health coverage and collecting the indoor tanning tax. But First A Disclaimer This is intended to be informational and not to take a stand politically, on one side or the other. Businesses that have employees are going to have to respond and deal with the ACA and some cases of non-compliance may result in penalties. [...]
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Do you have a back story to how your business started? Do your employees know the why and what-for of the enterprise they work for? Employees need a story that they can focus on and a reason to identify with your small gym business. If that story is something that new employees can buy into, they will become a more effective part of your team more quickly. Meaning is a higher human need that will override many failings. It help's people understand what you're trying to achieve and work harder to get you there. It frames the challenges and purpose [...]
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I last wrote about leasing one year ago and, as it's such an important issue, I decided that it's time once again. Leasing should be something that every gym owner is aware of as an ownership alternative. In fact I want to make the claim that gym equipment leasing is part of something that I think is much bigger, even a mindset. It's all part of creating your own options and being able to respond to changing situations with flexibility and agility. Your overhead and capital outlays can really be tough to meet in any business. Gym specific items such [...]
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This week I felt inspired to write about handling membership cancellations. There are several reasons that they come to mind right now. It's the season for peak sign-ups, which will be followed later by a wave of cancellations as the faint hearted drop by the wayside. Also, there have been some stories in the news about companies taking it very badly when customers cancel and complain. I think it's worth mentioning because you can't be too prepared when it comes to dealing with customer service crises. Mishandling complaints can lead to a vicious cycle that, in this age of Twitter, [...]
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Innovation is a key to survival in the modern business world and Gym Insight is always looking to develop new methods for gym owners to take advantage of technology to stay on the leading edge. We are developing a program for gym owners that will have the benefits of a marketing service without the cost of a full service business-to-business agency. I know from experience that small gyms and independent fitness center owners don't have a lot of resources to throw at marketing. Also, if you are like us, you want your business to be a lifestyle enterprise. We intend [...]
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I believe that one of the keys to a happy life, a life well lived is developing an attitude of gratitude for the things that make life worthwhile and rewarding. I think it was Tony Robbins, whom I first heard say that, it's stuck with me ever since. In celebration of the arrival of the holiday season I would like to share my list of things for which I am truly grateful, and that I am giving thanks for this year. My List of Gratitude 1. First, I am very thankful for a career that helps people and promotes health. [...]
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If you own a small gym, you probably know about taking on the heavy burden of capital investment and leasing your venue and equipment. It'll keep you awake at night when you're signing the checks, believe me! Like all small business owners, you really need to look at every possible way to bump up the value of foot traffic entering and leaving your gym. One effective way to do that is to sell retail items at the front desk or at a cash register in the foyer or lobby. What will people buy? It may take you some research and [...]
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