With Halloween firmly behind us and the shops rapidly filling up with every imaginable type of festive item, it is safe to say it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And for independent gym owners and the fitness industry at large, that represents a variety of different challenges and opportunities.
As anyone who has worked a few seasons in the fitness industry can tell you, members’ attendance can start to drop at certain parts of the year. Unsurprisingly November and December represent one of two fairly defined periods (the other being Summer) where a certain ebb can be expected.
This, along with many other factors across this period, can make this time of year an excellent opportunity for those that prepare and a surprising challenge for those that do not.
So as the temperatures finally start to plummet we will be taking a look at all the best tips and tricks to prepare for this Christmas season and how independent clubs can make the most out of their December to start the New Year strong
What will we cover in this article?
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Prepare for some slowing down and make the most of it
The biggest thing we are always encouraging independent gym and fitness club owners to prepare for, especially if it is their first Christmas or Winter season is to prepare for some quieter times.
Obviously we don’t mean to embrace or accept or welcome them, but merely that they most likely will happen, especially depending on the area a given gym or fitness club is located.
But preparing for the slowdown and understanding how to make the most of it can make the difference between a period of ‘dead time’ and inactivity, to one where new opportunities are being identified.
It is a time to acknowledge that this slowdown might occur and recognise the opportunities that may follow.
One trick that has become a go-to for many independent gym and fitness club owners over the festive period is to schedule in a broad-sweep audit for their equipment. When staff are at a loose end over the December period this is a natural fit. Obviously we aren’t talking about leaving any major equipment breaks unrepaired throughout November just to fix it up in December but it is a fantastic opportunity for independent gyms to give their usually busy equipment a thorough audit.
That way when the inevitable January rush emerges, it means that new and old members alike will return to well-maintained, reliable equipment.
While we recommend staff receive formalised training on auditing equipment, there are many things that can be checked casually and identified for repair. This can include any workout machines with worn or buckling seats, warped or unstable floors, worn or degraded cables and pulley systems, as well as unglued or eroded grip mats.
Meanwhile on the digital side of things, any staff member can check for visual indications of broken touchscreens, as well as their responsiveness. The functionality of buttons and of earphone sockets can also be easily tested across an entire batch of equipment within an hour or so.
We would recommend coming up with a system for employees to record what has been audited, both casually and then more rigorously. This not only helps reduce repeat work but it leaves a record of what has been audited and when.
These audits can be a precursor to a large, more professional and health and safety compliment repair effort. Once all of these casual audit tests and observations have been recorded, gym management or gym owners can contact the necessary specialists and point them in the exact directions required.
Alternatively, if an independent gym doesn’t want to use their staff to identify these matters, December can be a great time to employ a professional gym equipment maintenance specialist to do the audit. While this will be more expensive, it will not disrupt any Business-as-usual operations that the independent gym may be engaged with over the period.
Pricing
The Christmas period is a great time to look into the pricing structure and perhaps knock-off any discount programmes an independent gym has running before the New Year. After all, January means that the services offered by gyms and clubs are about to be in high demand, why discount them ahead of time unless it is part of a broader strategy?
The festive lull can be a good time to take stock of the price offerings ahead of the New Year rush.
Deep Clean
While most independent gyms are rigorously cleaned regularly, whether by employed cleaners or third-party cleaners, there will always be more to do. The Christmas period is a good time to tend to those areas that get slightly left behind in the Business-As-Usual cleaning process.
Once again, this can be very important when it comes to preparing for January and the New Year, often very busy periods in the fitness industry where it really benefits to be putting your best foot forward for the influx of new and returning members to an independent gym.
Layout Adjustment
Another thing that can be achieved either in the downtime or closed time that comes over the festive season is a refresh or readjustment of the layout of equipment and areas on the gym floor. Many independent gym owners and management take the time to implement any changes that have been discussed.
Often new equipment tends to land in one place and then not move. With the rise of many independent gyms as 24 hour businesses and with ever-extending business hours for the rest, it can be hard to find time to change the layout. This is why many independent gyms and fitness clubs use the rare periods of either closure or relaxed footfall to get some of those important layout adjustments down and ready for the New Year crowd. There is also every chance that returning members will try out new and different equipment if it is in a different place upon their January return.
Independent Gyms and Christmas Charitable Work: A Time For Giving
Christmas is famously a time for giving. A time where people give generously even if their own funds are being stretched. It is a time that many charities successfully collect a lot of money and many independent gyms and fitness clubs have enjoyed a lot of success and positive engagement by supporting those efforts.
Whether it is collecting presents for a local hospital, collecting food for local food banks or supporting local youth or elderly support. There are a lot of positive community projects that can help endear an independent gym to the local community while giving something back to the area that they are based in. Here at the Gym Owner’s Forum we are also encouraging Gym Owners and Management to engage positively with the community and utilise the unique position that corporate franchises cannot. Charitable Christmas efforts represent exactly the sort of initiative that can set an independent gym out from their competitors in a community.
Events and Community Events
And on that topic, Christmas Events can be a big way to get footfall through the door in a period where it is famously more sparse.
Whether it is the focus on family, the cold weather or the general atmosphere, people are more likely to go to community and social events around Christmas, especially indoors!
This is an area where Independent Gyms and Fitness Clubs have a good advantage, they are large indoor spaces. A big Christmas event or an open day can be the perfect incentive to draw people in where otherwise they might not.
Not only that, if an independent gym can encourage people to visit in December, it will increase the likelihood that the gym will come quickly to mind in January when people start to consider their New Year return to working out.
Christmas is supposed to be a period of contentment but it is also a great period for Content. Whether it is a social media advent calendar, promotional deals or posting pictures of members in (safe!) fancy dress, it is a great time to post positive, unique and relevant social media messaging.
Some independent gyms have enjoyed great success with a sort of ‘deal’ Advent Calendar, where they focus on specific offers, classes or discounts through the month of December.
Conclusion
And if all of that has you in the mood for festive preparation, why not drop us a message. We and our community of dedicated Gym owners and managers would love to hear how you utilise the festive period and get ready for the January rush.
Here at the Gym Owner’s Forum, we have helped hundreds of Gym Owners, Managers and Staff navigate tricky periods of the calendar, including that all important New Year period. If you are interested in seeing what you can do differently this year, or if it is your first Christmas in the fitness industry, message us and book a free consultation and we will see what can be done to make sure you make the most of the festive period.
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