Opening Second Gym, Advice/Info ?

Off Topic
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[quote]MattyXL wrote:
I have come to realize that for the overwhelming majority of humans, complaining is second nature and fun. So many people are glass half empty folk, never mind your members have a facility that encompasses the gamut of members from fat ass to athlete, they have to find a fucking dust bunny to complain about and chalk. I wish I could train at your gym.
[/quote]
In regards to Matty’s comment and then Jakes’ response there has been a lot of research done on price and it’s relationship to complaints. If you want only the serious lifters/athletes you may need to raise your prices to find a sweet spot. Probably goes without explanation but the theory states that too low of a price leads customers to expect a bad service/product. To high of a price and the customers expectations are never met. Somewhere in the middle you will weed out the non-serious customers, charge enough to generate great expectations and then meet those expectations before reaching the ceiling of what people are willing to pay.

Since you are now going to run two gyms you could also think about charging more for better equipment and a “premium” experience. This would separate your clientele into the group that bitches about dust bunnies and the group that is there strictly for results.

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[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
The other group that bother me, are the same ones that bug me here[/quote]

20 somthings - check

That think they know it all - probably check lol

200$ lifting belts - only $150 plus tax and shipping (close enough)

chalk - check

knee wraps - check

lifting shoes - check

Pre and Post workout drinks - nah, I don’t mess with that

They shout and swear - check :confused:

drag equipment around - check

invent crazy exercises - definitely check

overload the equipment for 1/4 reps - never do that

help each other lift - hell no

They never unload anything - I always rerack my weights

use chalk on every single lift - check; on the hands and back and forearms and shoulders

when I try to talk to them they look at me like I’m crazy - people who run are crazy

Okay so I tested positive for 11/15 of your annoyance metrics. That means I would only 73.33% piss you off. Could be worse :slight_smile:

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csulli, it doesn’t bother me that much, because I was one of those guys myself not that long ago. The point is they pay their forty bucks a month, and they’ll figure it out sooner or latter, I was just putting a little hummor into my post. I’m learning to have a level of respect and understanding for BBing. To me weight lifting was what you did to get better at your sport, not a sport it self, but I’m learning the dedication that goes into it. Jlone, the point is that people complain, thats what they do, excuses are for the sheep, and the world is full of them.

I spent my life as a hard core 1%er, and 8yrs ago I turned my back on that lifestyle, but I still have a hard time with people that ploud through life, taking the path of least resistance, and giving excuses when ever things get difficult, or someone acomplishes somthing difficult, and their not willing to put the effort in. He owns the gym because he’s doing somthing crimminal, or he’s bigger than me because he does steroids. It`s pathitic. I got out of jail with 20bucks to my name 8yrs ago, I had a grade 8 education, and a desire to stop being an addict, and a crimminal.

Now I own two homes, a sucessfull gym, working on a second one, also a beautiful wife and a daughter. I came from an abbusive home, and was a crimminal and drug addict till I was 32. A dozen banks laughed in my face, but I wouldnt take no for an answer, and Ive busted my ass for the past eight years to get where I am. I don`t want to here about some study, people bitch and moan, and complain, because they hate their pathetic lifes, but their to stupid and lazy to do anything about it.

So they bitch and moan and complain, and when ever posible try to bring down anyone thats actually done somthing more than they have. I`ll gladly keep taking their money, and let them carry on whinning

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What an awesome thread. I look forward to hearing more about this. I work at one of these franchise gyms mentioned in your screen name. It’s crossed my mind once or twice to open my own but I’m not quite there yet. I can’t imagine how the place makes money but I guess it does since the owner (also a chiropractor which may explain some things) has a full time general manager and pays his personal trainers better wages than can be found at a large commercial place. I’m not at all business savvy, I have no clue.

I train a lot of old ladies. That’s the fact of the matter. But they pay the bills and don’t require anything fancy.

That second gym looks great. It’s the perfect way to hit all the clientele; the treadmill walkers, the classroom junkies, and the lifters.

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[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Now I own two homes, a sucessfull gym, working on a second one, also a beautiful wife and a daughter. I came from an abbusive home, and was a crimminal and drug addict till I was 32. A dozen banks laughed in my face, but I wouldnt take no for an answer, and Ive busted my ass for the past eight years to get where I am.[/quote]
That’s fuckin awesome.

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[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Jlone, the point is that people complain, thats what they do, excuses are for the sheep, and the world is full of them.
[/quote]
That’s almost the exact opposite of my point. I am trying to help you eliminate the complainers, decrease work load and generate more net income based on a correlation of price to satisfaction. This is real research not my personal point of view on the subject.

I am a huge believer in the Pareto principle and it has done nothing but help me in running my business. I was just trying to help.

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To the OP; sounds like you are living the dream. All the best.

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csulli, thanks alot, I really never had much love for BBer’s, but my manager is a national contender, and we’ve merged minds last couple years, there’s lots to learn on both sides, and the will power and diet, wow, pretty impressive. As far as my rant Jlone, I just see it everyday, for me it’s got nothing to do with price point, my goal is 1000 members at 40$ a month, and I’ll deal with complaints for that kinda doe. I read a study once where they tested 1RM squat in the morning with a group of lifters, than the next day they had them work out legs for an hour before testing 1Rm squat, the results of the study was that working out lowered strength levels.

There’s a study to back up any point of view. I’ve been on the street since I was 17, I trust my gut, and my expierance, but thats just me. LarryH it’s worked out for me bro, but it hasn’t been easy, some times you gotta just go for it. thats why I started this thread, we’ll be open Oct 1st, so follow along. Jim Wendler’s one of my heros, he says live your life like someone’s going to make a movie about you one day! Good advice

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Jlone, I’m going to look up Pareto principal, you sound convinced, so I’ll give it a look bro. it’s not like I’m over educated, thanks

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dead time in process, i’ll post more as it happens

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It has been over three months, any updates?

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Yeah i posted in my blog about this, sorry should have updated. It was a small town, and the ymca anounced it was closing, i saw that they had 600 members so i decided to open around the time they closed, and go from there. It turns out they had asked the town for a 50 thousand dollar a year subsity, and people are signing petitions asking the town to pay the money and keep the Y, so the mayor telling me it’s a good idea, and he’'s telling the town not to worry he’s got another gym lined up.

The whole time he’s still bartering with the Y, using me as a chip. Big dumb thug that I am, I don’t realize the whole play till it’s anounced in the paper, that the mayor has covinced the Y to stay for 20 trhousnad dollars a year. what ever i didn’t go to far out on a limb, didn’t sign a lease or anything. Life goes on. try again somewhere else. Latter

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I have nothing useful to say here, but let me say this:

What a nice thread.

Sorry to hear how the deal with the major went sideways.

Hope your business thrives.

-S.

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I wouldn’t doubt that you have some other ideas up your sleeve. Very inspiring.

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[quote]JLone wrote:

[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Jlone, the point is that people complain, thats what they do, excuses are for the sheep, and the world is full of them.
[/quote]
That’s almost the exact opposite of my point. I am trying to help you eliminate the complainers, decrease work load and generate more net income based on a correlation of price to satisfaction. This is real research not my personal point of view on the subject.

I am a huge believer in the Pareto principle and it has done nothing but help me in running my business. I was just trying to help. [/quote]

In some businesses this works. However the complaining in a gym are some of your most profitable customers. You can deal with the odd absurd complaint (as long as your franchise will lay off your back and not participate in the absurdity) for a customer who pays his dues and is not responsible for any of the depreciation costs on the equipment. He essentially is subsidizing the guys that lift heavy and wear equipment down. These people are your bread and butter as a gym owner.

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the problem is i’m a hard core lifter, so i’m the guy, or guys like me, that people complain about. Do i want to become that gym owner, that cater’s to the sheep, do I want to become the gym owner that says, no chaulk, no tank tops, no grunting, no overloading the machines, no swearing-talking about women, and fighting. start buying more cradio equipment, and less free weights. The point is this is where the money is, to institude all these changes would make all my yuppie members happy, and my place would fill up with more of them, people that join health clubs (hate that word) and never see any results, but spend they’re time complaining about the people that are actually getting results.

i try my best to cater to every one, this is a no win, can’t please every body, but i’m trying, and explaining to the yuppies, that free weights, sweat, and efforet are the way to results, but i don’t want big puffy muscles. ya it’s a conundrum, but i love it, it’s my life, owning a fitness center, and being a meat head PLer, thats why I lift at home :slight_smile: latter

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[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]JLone wrote:

[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Jlone, the point is that people complain, thats what they do, excuses are for the sheep, and the world is full of them.
[/quote]
That’s almost the exact opposite of my point. I am trying to help you eliminate the complainers, decrease work load and generate more net income based on a correlation of price to satisfaction. This is real research not my personal point of view on the subject.

I am a huge believer in the Pareto principle and it has done nothing but help me in running my business. I was just trying to help. [/quote]
In some businesses this works. However the complaining in a gym are some of your most profitable customers. You can deal with the odd absurd complaint (as long as your franchise will lay off your back and not participate in the absurdity) for a customer who pays his dues and is not responsible for any of the depreciation costs on the equipment. He essentially is subsidizing the guys that lift heavy and wear equipment down. These people are your bread and butter as a gym owner.[/quote]
Your lumping together the people that sign up for membership and never come with complainers. While some complainers are no-shows who do “subsidies” the gym, most I would argue, bring down the business.

First and foremost, since we are talking about money, complainers always want discounts and comps which kills profit margins. If you don’t make them happy the jump online and give your product/service bad reviews. If that doesn’t make them happy they continue to come to your business and spread their unhappiness to the staff and other customers. If you let it fester really bad complainers that have a vendetta against your company can wreak havoc on a business both through company morale and loss of current and future business.

Would you rather do 80% more work for 20% more money?

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Bump

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[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Everyone wants to tell me what Im doing wrong, how they could do it better, how Im running my gym wrong.
[/quote]

Outrageous right? These clowns act like this is a thread asking for advice and/or information that may be relevant to your business eh?!

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[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
This is whats wrong with the gym buisiness in general, liberal panty wastes, that like the sound of theyre own voice, talking about charts, studies, and economics, when they talk about the gym buisiness. Instead of weights, muscle, and sweat. [/quote]
I’m 30 and run a company that spans the contiguous 48. Stop romanticizing the gym industry and you will probably be much more successful.

I really don’t know what to say about the rest of your rant. I have read your life story several times on hear. Hey Jake, I don’t know a lot but from what I have read it’s not your fault. All that sh*t, it’s not your fault. Look at this Jake, it’s not your fault.