The Best Gyms Have Perfected These 4 Things
A gym is so much more than a place where you go to complete an exercise program. It is a place that can help you develop lifelong friendships, achieve lofty goals and copper-fasten your choice to lead a healthy lifestyle. We are living in a world for better or worse that is illuminated by beautifully curated images on social media, with a huge proportion being at the gym.
A gym isn’t just a functional building, for many people who attend them it holds inspiration and the ability to live life on their own terms. In a world that craves community, in 2020, the gym is often the fusion point for us to congregate to share ideas and grow.
However, with the rising popularity of the gym, it has become an extremely competitive market for gym owners throughout the United States. You are dealing with a consumer that thinks far beyond functional gym equipment, they want their gym to reflect their lifestyle and goals.
Which begs the question, how can you get your gym to stand out from the crowd?
Smart Layout
Look at your gym layout and ask the question, have you fully maximized the space you have to its full potential? Simple changes can make a huge difference to your gym space, be it color or design. The days of spit and sawdust gyms popularized on the Rocky films are almost instinct, and gym goers crave strong natural light to ease their mood combined with ambient temperatures.
Be strategic with equipment placement to ensure that the gym is widely spaced, and cardio equipment is complemented by television screens while the weights area is served by a strong sound system.
Standout Equipment
Do you strategically know your customers? If not, the time to get to know them is now. Take the time to talk to them about their primary uses for your gym. Is it primarily a CrossFit audience? Perhaps it is more suited to cardio equipment or more stripped back with free weights. Through talking to your regular clients, you will get strong feedback on what equipment they utilize, and what equipment can be jettisoned.
Alongside the customer feedback, take the time to do your own research on emerging fitness trends that can keep your gym at the forefront of new customers’ minds. Additionally, be strategic about acquiring new equipment on a budget, can you partner with an equipment supplier in an exclusive deal? Can you negotiate favorable leasing costs? Can you engage with a broader network of local business owners to ensure that you can negotiate on suitable equipment when needed.
Excellent Surface
You have finally built the gym of your dreams, but have you considered the foundation that it is built on? A good gym surface can bring your gym to the next level with finish, cleanliness and safety. First impressions count in life, and your flooring is going to be the first thing that customers notice, as they enter your door. Ask yourself, does it look clean and professional? If not, why not?
For athletic training you should consider surfaces with optimum force reduction and coefficient of friction properties. Also consider a surface that provides good energy rebound and ultimate durability for many years to come.
Finally, an incorrect surface can exacerbate noise around the facility disturbing neighbors and customers. Your surface should absorb shocks to ensure that everyone is able to work out with the least amount of disturbance.
Great Atmosphere
In many businesses, the functional service they deliver is perfect, but they fall down on the back of their lack of service. Ensure that your gym doesn’t fall into this trap by training your staff regularly on the expectations in customer service and hold them accountable to your values.
Great customer service is noticed from the moment a customer walks into a gym door. Don’t forget that for many customers, the gym is their refuge from a stressful and demanding life, ensure that that your staff helps to ensure that it remains that way.
Ensure that you are bringing your staff in your gym’s mission, and work hard to inspire them to come into work every day. A motivated team is a powerful team, and this is never more evident in a gym where customers is extremely sensitive to energy levels and the mood of your staff.
Can you engage with your local community beyond the workout stations? Engage with local fitness groups and sports teams to engage and create a broader sense of community. Or perhaps start simple initiatives like social events outside the gym for customers.
Ensure that your gym is kept as spotlessly clean as possible, as the simplest tasks neglected can cause the greatest needless damage to your gym’s reputation.
The Final Word
The gym is more than a place to work out, it has become an extended community hub where we leave our stresses behind and look to achieve our goals. Owning a gym is a rare privilege, you have the capacity every day to help people to achieve their dreams. Each time a customer sets foot through the door it should be a positive experience.
Think long and hard are you doing enough to ensure that your gym is standing out from the crowd in a more competitive marketplace than ever, and if not, what simple things can you do to take your gym to the next level.
At Rubcorp, we take pride in providing the ultimate in standout flooring systems that will bring your gym to life! Not only aesthetically stunning, our Performance Line provides all of the key attributes for improved athletic performance, whilst making no compromise on durability. And more!… The quality of rubber in our product not only vastly reduces noise transfer, it is also highly anti-microbial by nature and is incredibly easy to maintain. Still not convinced? Contact me via email. I will be delighted to explain more!
