Tuesday, March 13, 2018

One of the things I love most about the AFS Community is that our members aren't shy about sharing the ideas and programs that have worked so well for them, with others. 

I also love taking part in several of our member Roundtable Discussions because it allows me the ability to learn from our members, exactly what's working, what's not, what's new and exciting, and where they're looking to improve. 

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

In Simon Sinek’s famous TED TALK he simply stated that people don’t buy WHAT we sell, they buy WHY we sell it. In other words, if your purpose aligns with that of your customer then you are likely to form a long-term bond.

What is your purpose as a trainer or fitness facility? I’m not asking WHAT you do or WHAT you offer but WHY do you do it?

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

It is tax season, every fitness studio owners favorite time of the year, right? Eh, probably not.  If you are like most small business owners out there, you absolutely dread the following items:

  • Thinking about taxes
  • Handling the various personal and business tax forms
  • Worrying about if you are doing everything correctly
  • Sending in hard earned cash to the IRS
  • And so much more…
Tuesday, February 20, 2018

The cost associated with the design and construction of a fitness studio is highly variable and depends on many factors, the most important of which include: (i) the size of the studio, (ii) the scope of the work (e.g., number of rooms and level of finish), (iii) the condition of the space (shell or partially finished space), (iv) whether an architect was retained, and (v) the timeframe for completing the work.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

You got away with social media deals, giveaways online, and New Year’s resolutions to drive traffic into your fitness business this past month, but now, as you enter into February, March, and April - how do you keep your momentum moving forward in regards to driving traffic into your studio?

Below are a few ideas to make these months just as great as January.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

I’m a proud Chicagoan, born and raised. I love the city, the lake, the people (well, most of them), the restaurants, the cultural opportunities, the whole thing.  And I’m not shy about touting Chicago’s attributes in general conversation.

However, the one thing I can’t ever remember saying about Chicago is how awesome the city is for maintaining an active lifestyle.  I mean, winter alone should throw cold water – or rock-hard ice with a heavy dose of wind – on that idea.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Recently I was speaking to a family friend about the explosion of fitness studios in the San Francisco area.  He mentioned that he was amazed to see so many popping up all over the place and even recounted his recent experience with one. Here's what happened...

While out grocery shopping he noticed some clever advertising in the window of a local fitness studio. 

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

In this day and age it's critical to stay in touch with clients and members.  It's also incredibly important to build your list of prospects so you always have a segmented list to market to. Newsletters are a great way to keep your audience engaged while promoting the benefits of what you do. 

Here are my top tips for creating a successful newsletter.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Ask our partners at Sports and Fitness Insurance and they’ll tell you, every single day something happens to a fitness studio/gym or fitness professional that seriously damages their future.

Whether it’s similar to the news stories above or elsewhere, one occurrence where you and/or your business isn’t covered could put you out of business for good. What’s that old saying? "Bad things can happen to good people." 

Thursday, January 4, 2018

(OAKLAND, CA, January 2, 2018) – The Association of Fitness Studios (AFS) announced today the release of the “Top 12 Fitness Studio Trends for 2018.” 

To ensure a variety of perspectives, AFS canvassed it’s Advisory Council, vendor partners, and leading studio operators on trends they see growing or continuing in 2018.  Their responses were compiled and are presented in a 3-page document, attached.