Opening a Fitness Center

Answer 1

Despite a terrible recession, the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) has reported that health club memberships in America will reach 50 million by 2010 – a huge 25% growth rate over today's numbers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the fitness industry as a whole has an excellent outlook as increasing numbers of baby boomers join fitness centers to maintain their health in an indoor environment.

Location, location, location – it's true in real estate and it's very true when you consider finding the right facility in the right location means that your customers will find you, park comfortably, or be able to walk to your facility. You want to find a location that is on the typical travel routes for people coming from and going to work.

Determine your target market – it's the first rule of Marketing and it's important here too. You may want to target a relatively broad group of people by offering a wide variety of exercise options from weight training, to cardiovascular workouts, to group classes. Or, you may want to target a specific market from women-only gyms to those that are focused on a particular type of fitness regimen, like yoga, or pilates.

Determine whether to rent or purchase fitness equipment. Fitness equipment is expensive to purchase, and requires maintenance, but it also grows obsolete relatively quickly. Remember the stair master? It's been replaced by elliptical machines that include a higher number of features – resistance and incline – in addition to reducing knee strain. Working within your budget, decide whether you can afford to keep buying the latest equipment, or whether buying it secondhand is an option. Understand the costs related to leasing the equipment as well.

Finding the right staff – after rent, this is your next highest expense and there are many ways to find and manage the costs of employees, including hiring instructors as independent contractors so they take care of their own payroll taxes and insurance.

Once you've opened, promote your business with flyers to local businesses, build and publish a website, and advertise locally to get new members. Keep your existing members by asking them individually how the fitness center is working for them. Don't wait for a mass exodus because the water in the showers is never hot – ask questions to see how members are doing and where you can improve.

For those whom fitness is a passion, the idea of opening and running your own studio is hard to ignore. If you do your homework, run a tight ship, and promote carefully, you should do well.