As a gym owner, you’re passionate about fitness and exercise, and love making sure your members feel the same. Of course, with the common New Year’s resolution often focused around health, it’s not uncommon that gyms and fitness centers alike see an increase in new faces during the new year.
However, membership retention can taper off after the year goes on. So, if you want to take advantage of the rush, here’s how to make your gym successful during the new year.
Offer flexible classes.
Fitness classes are a great way to get your members committed to exercise more. Classes offer members a way to connect with personal trainers and other members, not to mention provide motivation for newcomers who may be a bit timid about working out independently.
Additionally, offering a variety of fitness classes can help keep membership retention high. Yoga, spinning, cardio, and core focused classes are quite popular and can offer members of different levels an enjoyable activity they want to commit to.
Just make sure the classes you offer are flexible and aren’t overcrowded during peak times. Customers may become frustrated if they cannot attend certain classes around their schedule.
Of course, not everyone works the typical 9-5 job, however, you’ll need to make classes available to accommodate the majority of your members- this way if they want to, they can freely attend and enjoy what your gym has to offer.
Provide a knowledgeable staff.
Another major way to make your gym successful is through your staff. If your staff doesn’t understand how certain machines work, or can’t provide the correct answers to your customers- it may be time to help shape your current staff into knowledgeable fitness gurus.
Remember, the customer’s buying journey finalizes when they feel confident in a product or service, and if your staff doesn’t feel confident in providing service, your future and current customers won’t feel confident going to your fitness club.
Therefore, make it a priority that all of your staff understand the equipment, amenities offered, and how to handle certain situations (ie. rowdy members, injury, or threatening emergencies). This way everyone receives optimal customer service and your gym runs smoothly.
Maintenance needs to happen often.
If you’re expecting an influx of memberships, (like most fitness centers are this time of year) it’s important you have something to show for it. Now is the time make sure everything in your gym is running properly and looks tidy.
Of course, your gym should always be well maintained, however, when a larger peak of people are using equipment and facilities- it’s prone to wear and tear more often.
Therefore, it’s important to:
- Have fitness equipment inspected regularly- not only does this prevent further damage, but prevents your members from becoming injured too.
- Check for structural damage in and outside of the building- structural damage can become worse and is very expensive to fix if not caught soon enough.
- Make sure your heating system is working efficiently- while members may work up a sweat indoors, that doesn’t mean your gym won’t feel uncomfortable when the temperatures are extreme outside.
- Make sure plumbing facilities are working correctly- leaks can cause damage and showers or toilets that are out of order can inconvenience members.
- Check for internal damage- floor or wall damage can happen when heavy weights are being moved around.
- Provide any promised amenities- if you promise something like free wi-fi, a sauna, and a protein shake bar at your gym, but fail to provide just that, customers will feel frustrated and may go elsewhere. Make sure any amenities you offer are available and in working order.
- Clean regularly- if you don’t have a cleaning crew on staff, make sure to take the initiative to clean. This includes dusting/ wiping down equipment, vacuuming, mopping, and cleaning bathroom areas. The winter months can be extremely treacherous because members can track in salt, dirt, and snow on their shoes causing your gym to get dirtier quicker.
Moreover, wear and tear does happen, but with proper maintenance you can prevent it from happening often- saving you money and making your gym successful all year long.
Be proactive about communication.
One of the most frustrating things for any customer is lack of communication. Therefore, make sure your gym’s hours of operation, services, and amenities are communicated clearly in person and online.
Additionally, consider having members opt-in or sign up for an alert system that can text or call their phones in the event of an emergency, inclement weather, or holiday in which your fitness center closes. Do not disservice your members by having them commute to your location- only to find out it is closed.
Help to make your gym successful this year by utilizing social media consistently. Social media is also great way to get the word out about changes to your gym, upcoming events, or deals going on. Plus, with the millions of users utilizing social networks like Facebook and Twitter daily– it’s a wise investment to put time and effort into.
Make sure you have coverage.
The biggest mistake you can make as a gym owner is to not have enough coverage on your insurance policy. Gyms are a great way for people to obtain a healthy lifestyle, but they can come at a cost. Machines and equipment will have to be replaced overtime, water from showering areas can cause damage, and more than not, members can hurt themselves during an intense workout.
Additionally, if you don’t have proper coverage you could be at a major loss if someone is seriously injured or you need to replace expensive equipment.
Plus, if you have any personal trainers or yoga instructors on your staff, you need to make sure they’re properly insured too. In the event someone is injured during one of their classes, and they aren’t insured, you’ll both be facing serious liabilities. Proper insurance can help keep your gym operating effectively, even in tough times. So, leave it to the professionals at Paradiso Insurance to help you.
How do you plan to make your gym successful this year? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
