Kory Angelin shares four mistakes to avoid when running a fitness business.
We often talk about best practices and what to do in regard to finding success in the fitness business. However, we often fall short of our goals both from a financial and personal standpoint. Even the most experienced entrepreneurs fall short of expectations in this industry. It is important to recognize some mistakes could be avoided early on in the process.
Let’s take a look at four mistakes to avoid when running a fitness business:
Location
We’ve all heard location can make or break the success of a business. That said, many studios and gyms make poor decisions when it comes to the location of their business. There needs to be a vast amount of analysis and research when it comes to where your location will reside. One way to do this is an extensive competitive analysis. Researching how your competitors are doing, what they are charging and what the average demographic income is are all key indicators for a location choice. The bottom line is you need to understand your target market for a specific location to succeed.
Lack of Education
Far too many managers lack the understanding and knowledge of what their monthly operating cost is. Owners and managers should all be aware of what the operating expense is and if there is ability to trim down that cost. Understanding the key components of your operating cost like payroll, rent and any fees can help you drive your strategy moving forward. It is also vital knowledge to understand when setting your monthly goals with staff. Having the insights of what you need to hit from a financial standpoint will help to drive what you need to get in terms of leads, trials and new members.
Marketing Budget
How much to spend, as well as what results should be expected from a marketing standpoint can often lead to an underperforming fitness business. First, what should your marketing budget be? This is different for everyone but what you should take away from this is you certainly need to spend dollars on digital marketing. Digital will never go away but there is also an expectation problem. On the flip side, many believe most leads should come from digital, which is never accurate. Your expectation should be roughly half of your leads come from digital while the other half come from good old fashion grassroots and business-to-business marketing. Staying proactive versus reactive when it comes to marketing can make or break the success of your fitness business.
People Investment
There is something to be said for a rock star staff. Very often, however, there is a lack of true investment from a people and staffing standpoint. Investing in the right people to run your fitness business will easily be one of the reasons you either succeed or fail moving forward. Although it might cost you upfront, the reward will be much greater in the future. Two reasons why a member leaves a gym is because a lack of motivation and a lack of results. Your staff has a direct role in both so be very mindful when putting together your strategic staffing plan.
