Tom

Hello and welcome to the Gym Owners Forum Podcast. My name’s Tom. This is the first episode of a new series where I interview different gym owners from across the UK and Ireland to hear their stories and impart that knowledge to you. To give you a bit of background on myself, I work for a gym membership management company based in the UK. We support gyms in various ways, from payment collection and software, to access control, marketing, branding, and business growth. Today, I’m joined by my friend Drew Newton, a manager at The Fit Club in Redditch. I thought this would be a great place to start as The Fit Club’s story is really interesting. So yeah, Drew, nice to meet you.

Drew

Nice to meet you too, Tom. Thanks for having me on the show.

Tom

Let’s dive right in. Can you tell us a bit about how The Fit Club started and what makes it unique?

Drew

Sure. The Fit Club started about five years ago. We began as a small community gym focused on personal training and small group classes. Over the years, we’ve expanded our offerings and now have a full range of fitness programs. What makes us unique is our emphasis on community and personalized attention. We know all our members by name and strive to create a supportive and motivating environment.

Tom

That sounds fantastic. How did you manage to grow the gym so successfully?

Drew

It wasn’t easy, but we focused on providing high-quality service and building strong relationships with our members. We also invested in good marketing and continuously improved our facilities and programs based on feedback. Word of mouth played a huge role in our growth too.

Tom

Community and member feedback seem to be key components of your success. Can you share an example of how member feedback influenced a significant change at The Fit Club?

Drew

Absolutely. A couple of years ago, we received feedback that our members wanted more variety in our classes. We took that to heart and introduced new classes like yoga, pilates, and HIIT. This not only satisfied our existing members but also attracted new ones who were interested in these additional offerings.

Tom

That’s a great example of listening to your customers. Now, operating a gym next to a big chain like Pure Gym must have its challenges. How do you differentiate yourself from them?

Drew

The biggest difference is our personalized approach. While Pure Gym offers a wide range of equipment and classes, they can’t match the level of individual attention we provide. We focus on creating a welcoming community where members feel valued and supported. Our staff is highly trained and genuinely cares about helping members achieve their fitness goals.

Tom

It’s clear that your focus on community and personal attention sets you apart. What advice would you give to other small gym owners who are competing with larger chains?

Drew

My advice would be to focus on your strengths and what makes your gym unique. Don’t try to compete with the big chains on everything. Instead, emphasize the areas where you excel, like personalized service or a strong community feel. Also, listen to your members and continuously adapt to meet their needs. Building strong relationships and providing exceptional service will help you stand out.

Tom

That’s excellent advice, Drew. Finally, what’s next for The Fit Club? Any exciting plans for the future?

Drew

We’re always looking to improve and expand. We’re planning to open a second location in the next year and introduce some new programs that cater to different fitness levels and interests. We’re also working on partnerships with local businesses to offer exclusive discounts and benefits to our members.

Tom

Sounds like exciting times ahead! Thank you so much for sharing your story and insights with us, Drew. It’s been a pleasure having you on the show.

Drew

Thanks, Tom. It’s been great talking to you.

Tom

And that wraps up our first episode of the Gym Owners Forum Podcast. Thank you for tuning in. Stay tuned for more interviews and insights from gym owners across the UK and Ireland. Until next time, take care and keep pushing towards your fitness goals.