Lots of good advice here, and I agree you will have to walk a fine line betw 2 vastly diff’t demographics UNLESS you can have 2 well equipped areas, 1 hardcore and 1 more mainstream.
My advice is, space permitting, a basketball court is a great idea. Only top notch gyms have one, and it can definitely bring in a clientele if you operate a league. Forget the rope climbing stuff.
And, sell as many drinks as possible with as little effort as possible. Profit margins on drinks are huge, esp fountain sodas.
I would forget about offering any kind of fresh food, way too much hassle and oversight.
Will your rules exclude awesome lifts like Deadlifts? Hope not.
Most gyms in Cali (I used to live in LA) don’t allow deadlifts because the sounds “annoy” all the whack people there. you know, the Tae Bo/Cardio Kickboxing crowd…not to mention the high rep/low weight crowd.
Have the staff check to make sure that plates are back on trees and DBs are back on racks where people can find them.
Don’t treat your clients like criminals. At my gym, corner rows have done some damage to the plastic baseboard and dug into the sheetrock a litle. Instead of slapping on a metal plate to fix/reinforce it, a sign went up in three places declaring corner rows illegal, threatening to cancel membership of anyone caught doing them, and proclaiming that anyone caught “damaging the facility would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” There was a much simpler and better way to resolve this problem, with a few dollars worth of metal and some screws.
It is amazing how some establishments go out of their way to irratate the customer. I’m from the Henry Ford school of thinking: “The customer is always right.”
Naturally, there must be rules governing the operation, however they can be stated in a friendly manner, without seeming to be so confrontational.
[quote]Sonny S wrote:
Lots of good advice here, and I agree you will have to walk a fine line betw 2 vastly diff’t demographics UNLESS you can have 2 well equipped areas, 1 hardcore and 1 more mainstream.
My advice is, space permitting, a basketball court is a great idea. Only top notch gyms have one, and it can definitely bring in a clientele if you operate a league. Forget the rope climbing stuff.
And, sell as many drinks as possible with as little effort as possible. Profit margins on drinks are huge, esp fountain sodas.
I would forget about offering any kind of fresh food, way too much hassle and oversight.
All the best,[/quote]
Sonny S:
You bring up a good point: what sorts of drinks will add to the profit margin yet still be something that I would be proud to sell? Protein shakes etc?
[quote]mindeffer01 wrote:
Consideration of space allotment will be a large determinant of the type of people you cater to.The cardio/toning crowd will want all the bells and whistles,(tanning,ego masuese),and the hard core will want power racks,reverse hyper mach. and plenty of 45lb. plates.A harmonious existence between the two will be difficult.
One bad gear dealer can bring down the whole place.
Keep in mind that you will not be able to please all the people all the time.Have fun.Be accessable by the clientelle.Foster a good relationship with them. It has worked smashingly for T-Nation. [/quote]
mindeffer:
If the place is large enough I will be able to accomodate both types. If not, then I have to make a decision.
Yes, I think protein shakes definitely fall in that category. Nowhere near as good as pepsi, where 1 large glass will cost you maybe 1/2 a cent in carbonation and syrup, but still good.
How much does a 5-6 lb. tub of protein cost? 25 bucks maybe? And you’ll pay a lot less since you’ll be buying wholesale. That’s about 60 scoops per tub, so about 40 cents a scoop. 2 scoops plus ice and water and cup is say, 90 cents on the high end. THrow in a piece of fruit, how much is a banana? 30 cents? Or a scoop of PB? Or some frozen strawberries? Charge 3-4 bucks for it, and there’s your profit.
Zeb,
I dont know first hand about a gym but I do own my own business and Ive always said that I want to sell steak, not sizzle. I know that the gym environment is alot of sizzle, but sizzles fizzles and steak stands. Make money with quality, it will stand the test of time and people will pay for it. I would also say that a little “sizzle” doesn’t hurt. But with good trainers and quality products (ie. equipment and sellable items) combined with need and marketing you’ll be fine. I’m probably getting away from myself here, but location is important also. Anyhow, the bare truth is that if you sell steak in the right way you will have a winning combination, if the need is there. People who keep going to the gym are ones who get results, but most quit. So sell 95% steak wrapped in 5% sizzle. I’m done rambling. Good luck.
Seems like it depends on what you want from this. The most profitable gyms are the ones that manage to get people to sign up but never go. I could think up my ideal gym(squat cages, GHR, area for olympic lifting etc.) but it would only attract those members who are the most likely to work out and thus might not turn a profit.
Call me a dreamer, but I hope to actually sign people up and motivate them to stay with it. I know many will fall away, but many will stay with the right approach. Satisfied customers help to attract others.
If you intend on having a staff make sure that they are courtious and knowledgable, not only trainers but that includes your front desk. One smartass or incompetent can drive away alot of business.
Atmosphere, the average member likes nice surroundings ie. plants, decorations, pictures, beleive me this goes a long way in making your members comfortable.
[quote]ZEB wrote:
RoadWarrior wrote:
One thing that would be really rad and worth flying in for: Once a month schedule a evening/day with a Coach Staley, Dr. John B. or any of the multitude of talent around here. You could make money and provide a unique service that would definately differentiate your club from the meat rack down the street.
RoadWarrior:
Now this is a great idea! As long as it is promoted properly. It helps the credibility of the Gym and also may make a few bucks. (Uni-sex locker rooms?..come on now).
[/quote]
You could take this idea one step further. Make these seminars available to non-members @ a fee, then allow club members in for free or for a discounted rate.
I’m willing to shell out $85.00 a month for my wife and I to go to a club thats open 24 hours a day. Yes it’s a franchise gym (Lifetime Fitness) but it does not matter how “hardcore” a gym is if its closed when I want to work out. You see, I work night/day shifts in a hospital. Depending on my sched. I may be at the gym at the crack of dawn or not until 10pm which is when most gyms are kicking people out.
Also, If you make people bring their own locks be prepared to buy a good set of bolt cutters, as you will surely be having members trying to keep their shit at the gym all the time. Not to memtion people just forgetting their stuff, say after they do not renew their memberships and the locker sit there for a good while before someone notices. At my gym, the lockers are free, in order to use them you have to put your membership card in slot on the inside of a locker. This is the only way the key will be able to turn and be removed. When you're working out, put in the key, open the locker and take out your card. Good Luck.