There have never been so many resources available for people when it comes to staying fit and healthy. Whether it is blogs, YouTube videos by elite personal trainers and tutorials, or gyms, fitness clubs and personal trainers in real life, it can be hard for an independent gym to make their voice known as a bastion of fitness expertise.
When the competition has never been so numerous or in so many forms, how do we independents set ourselves apart?
Luckily, independent gyms have (and have always had) some innate advantages and today we will be looking at some of the ideas we have collected from our conversations around the industry.
Anyone can sit down and write out a list, but we think it is important to understand what has been working for independent gyms up and down the country.
So without further notice, here is a collection of ten proven ideas that have been helping Independent Gyms stand out across the nation.
If you have any you’d like to add, or if any of these ended up helping your gym please don’t hesitate to message and let us know. Your feedback helps make the Gym Owners Forum what it is!
A centre of expertise: How a gym can project as a trusted authority and archive of fitness resources / experience
We are going to start off with some of the easier to action strategies that gym owners have been using to set their gyms apart.
This one plays into a message we frequently try to convey to independent gym owners. That a gym is an institution and repository of knowledge, expertise and experience and should start acting like such.
Nearly every gym we have spoken to has the passion, the knowledge and the expertise to qualify but very few make it part of their identity. Very few gyms put this knowledge front and centre.
As we said in the introduction, fitness information has never been more widely available or easily accessible to the average person. But there are still issues regarding authenticity and authority. People want to receive information, especially regarding working out, from institutions and authorities that they trust.
This is where an independent gym can shine. Unlike all the YouTuber Personal Trainers and Bloggers, gyms have the benefit of having a physical presence in the world as well as an online one.
With this combination independent gyms have found great success by becoming a hub for workout techniques, articles, journals and videos of interest to members.
It doesn’t take either much in terms of time or resources to start building an area on the website and/or app of a gym where interesting content is gathered.
This is a great chance to utilise the experience and expertise of the staff and personal trainers, as well as increase the effectiveness of members working out. There is really no downside, as increasing the effectiveness of your members workout will inevitably lead to heightened retention.
This area can also be referenced by staff on the gym floor while talking to members.
An online library of resources is a great way to get members engaged, draw new members in and make sure everyone is making the most of the time inside your gym. Not only that, it will showcase your dedication to fitness even outside of the facility.
Accessibility: Equipment, labels, numbers, guides
Another topic we love to cover here is Gymtimidation, and with good reason. Convincing the people who already love going to the gym to come to the gym isn’t special.
There is a reason we say ‘preaching to the converted’. They might be an easy audience, but they aren’t where you are going to expand your profit margins.
No, many of the people that we want to target as independent gym owners aren’t familiar or comfortable with a gym or fitness environment. And it is our job to help them.
This won’t be the only time accessibility features in a tip, it is a broad subject.
But for this one we will be focusing on an area where gyms have had great success. Making sure equipment is numbered, labelled and well-explained.
Not everyone knows what the Rear Delt Fly Machine is (which is a shame because it is definitely the best machine mankind has ever invented (in my humble, understated opinion)).
But they are much more likely to know what Machine 5 is, as indicated by the large number 5 sticker you are going to put on it.
As a former novice Gym-goer myself (a long time ago) and someone who still helps people new to gyms get a hand on the fundamentals, a well-implemented system has saved me so much time and effort.
And why stop there, the inclusion of a small sign with the officially recognised name and perhaps even a guide on how to use the machine will have even your newest members sounding like hardened gym rats.
Harness Member Feedback: Turn it into Actionable Data
There is a sad truth in life. No gym is ever complete. No, not even yours. But that doesn’t need to be a bad thing.
And luckily the average gym member is more than willing to help you out. When we talk to gym owners we are always amazed that there is still a sizeable number with no feedback mechanisms in place.
If you don’t listen to your members, how will you know which areas are in need of improvement?
While some people are very keen to give their opinion on a gym even if it wasn’t asked for, not everyone is so…forthcoming. A lot of people will happily give their opinion when asked, but you have to ask!
Implementing a set of lockable feedback boxes that only the gym owner/management has access to and inviting your members to give their feedback will have your members posting anonymous suggestions in no time.
Not that they need to be anonymous, it should just be an option.
If possible, the boxes should be positioned in an area where people enter or exit your facility, though preferably not too visible as some people get shy about feedback forms.
If they do leave their contact information, make a note to thank them for their feedback and invite more feedback.
And finally, catalogue the feedback. All the feedback in the word isn’t useful if only remembered anecdotally. A simple spreadsheet can be used to keep track of feedback. Identify themes in what your members are saying and act upon those themes.
If several ideas crop up and you are unsure which to implement first, some owners have even taken the decision to the members. It is a good way to make them invested in the course and the future of the gym.
Dedicate a wall to the history and achievements of your gym or club
We all love a good story, whether it is about a person, a football club or a chip shop. We like to know where something came from, the struggles to make it work and the passionate idea that sparked the venture in the first place.
And like any business, your fitness club or gym has had a journey.
This is an area where independents can really shine above the corporate budget chains. What story does a PureGym have? Setup in 2017 because a series of well-paid market researchers worked out this area was optimal for profit. Doesn’t exactly make the heart swell. Honestly, I can’t see Hugh Grant starring as the market research guy honestly.
But jokes aside, no matter how big or small, many gyms have a great personal story that will endear your members and prospective members to it.
History can help make a fitness club or a gym feel less like a building and more like a living institution that they can contribute to. Include the triumphs of members and staff, the celebration of certain events. It may sound a little strange, but it is a surprisingly effective and inexpensive way to get members engaged with your gym.
Online Sign-ups are non-negotiable
If we could put this section once at the beginning and once at the end and still be satisfied, we would.
To many gym owners this probably feels obvious. But we continue to be amazed by the number of gyms that don’t do online sign-ups. It isn’t just one or two here or there. A couple of old-timer places or recently set up ventures. We have seen established, fairly sizeable gyms across the country with absolutely no way to sign-up ahead of time.
We dread to think how much money they are leaving on the table, and honestly so do they. The excuses are always the same.
‘I haven’t got around to it’
‘Don’t want to over-complicate things’
‘Not sure where to begin’
But unfortunately they are just that, excuses.
The age of the average gym member doesn’t remember the Berlin Wall and barely remembers life without some form of internet. The amount of money being left on the table is already seismic and is only going to get more pronounced.
Not only does a lack of online sign-up contribute towards gymtimidation, with some prospective members being turned off immediately, but many others will assume that the rest of the online service will be similarly lacking.
We are firmly into the 2020s, unfortunately online signup is only going to become more non-negotiable.
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