Of all the businesses an entrepreneur can choose to open up, a gym is one of the trickiest of them all. Gyms can prove to be a massive payoff if you go about things right, but if you open a gym and there is either too much competition around, or other factors make it so that people don’t want to pay the fee to be part of your gym, specifically, the investment you made can be a very bad business move.
Besides securing the proper permits, finding or building a building that is compatible with all the services you want to offer, and filling your space with equipment that is up to date and in working order there is a lot to be done. Here is a gym owner’s guide to keeping your gym member friendly so that your doors will stay open and people will continue to use your facility as their destination of choice to meet their fitness goals:
Have Good Security
Gyms are a hot spot for theft. People come to the gym with few possessions in their hands, but that doesn’t mean that valuable things aren’t getting stolen. People often choose to leave things in their cars while they’re working out. If you want people to choose your gym over others, you’ll want to market the fact that you have top of the line security.
People need to know that their belongings will be secure when they’re at your gym. Besides monitoring the parking lot, have lockers available for members to store things in and post signs around the gym that teach proper gym etiquette when it comes to security measures.
Make Cleanliness Your Mission
Above anything, cleanliness in a gym should be the goal. Things tend to get pretty gross when people are pumping iron, sweating, swimming, showering, and touching everything in site. Even if you don’t have a ton of equipment, a clean gym will speak measures to membership than a gym that is filthy but has the works.
Don’t cut corners when it comes to cleaning each day in the gym. Properly sanitize and make it known to members that it’s expected that they clean their machines after use. If they put up a fight, tell them that they can either do their part, or find another gym. You’re offering a service and if they aren’t doing their part, you don’t have to host them. One member leaving is not worth the host of members that won’t sign up because machines are always disgusting.
If you make your gym a safe, clean place, the membership will come. Of course, you must market and do your share of work to keep clients coming in the door, but start here, and move onto the next step when you’ve got these things handled.