Thank you to Paul Christopher, the Founder of Gravity + Oxygen Fitness in Boca Raton, FL and Joe Drake, Co-owner for taking the time to answer some questions from AFS!
In this featured spot, Paul and Joe share additional information about how their studio has become a cornerstone in their community.
The health/fitness club business is a people-intensive industry. The average facility under 20,000 square feet (the majority of fitness studios) employs five full-time staff and six part-time staff with a payroll equivalent to 42% of revenue.
This points out the critical importance of staff to create and sustain the experiences that clients and members expect, and to highlight the fact that with this reliance on staff to deliver our offering comes a reasonably hefty price tag; a cost that typically consumes 40% to 50% of revenue.
You did it, you have scored your first corporate wellness meeting! You are pumped, Job Well Done! Now you have nervous jitters about what you should do to prepare, what you should present, and how you will “win the contract”. Allow me to offer a few important tips that will get you off to a great start!
It is important that you know and practice the "3 P's" to effectively represent your BRAND at a business meeting.
For 10 years I volunteered as a coach for my son’s youth sports teams. I coached his baseball and football teams from kindergarten until he went off to high school last year. It was a big commitment, but an invaluable use of my time!
Not only did I get to spend quality time with my son but I made many lifetime friends with the other dads in the program. A few of them were entrepreneurs like me and I think I was naturally more drawn to them. There is a group of us that gets together a couple times per week to play racquetball…at the one guy’s HOUSE!
We all prefer to be happy in our jobs. Nobody likes disgruntled or disruptive employees, including the employee themselves, since few people want to be “that guy.”
Obviously, the best way to avoid problems with employee conduct is to hire well by making cultural and behavioral expectations clear at the outset. Your culture and your vision represent your brand, and thus, your business.
Why calculate revenue per square foot? 2 reasons: Here are two stats from AFS' industry-leading research that might shock you:
1. Top-producing studios generate $193 per square foot, but the average studio only generates $68.
2. The average studio has a client retention rate of 75%, so a 5% increase in retention can boost profits by 25% - 100%.
Whether our members’ passion is tennis, fitness, mind body, or group exercise, they want to perform to their greatest potential. At Midtown Athletic Clubs we promise “to inspire you through movement, community, and personal attention.” Every decision we make serves this promise.
We strive to stay “cutting edge” to our members and continuously integrate their feedback as well as best-in-class industry solutions.
If you want to grow your business it’s no secret that you have to keep growing your skill set and that of your team. The skills that got you here will not get you there! It is imperative that we keep learning and progressing as businesses really have only 2 fates - they grow or they die.
When you think about your fitness business there are ample opportunities to keep learning.
Social media has made it easier than ever to build an active, engaged audience as a fitness professional. However, many fitness studio owners aren’t leveraging social media to get new clients and position themselves in their local market.
Don’t shy away from this powerful marketing tool!
For most of us, fitness is more than a process to a healthy body; it’s also a social experience.
What’s better than ‘commiserating’ with your fitness buddies after a gritty workout? As a studio owner, you can create social events that encourage camaraderie amongst clients and staff.
• Trainer, Manager or Owner • Beginner or Veteran • 500-10,000 sq.ft.