by Joy Keller
How did your club fare during the spring of 2004? If a recent survey of 13 U.S. health and sports clubs is indicative of overall industry growth, not badly. The survey, conducted for the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association by Industry Insights Inc., found that commercial financial performance improved for the quarter ending June 30, 2004, relative to the same peri...
by Valerie Applebaum, MPH, CHES
Retention, retention, retention. The fitness industry breathes and sleeps retention, continually pondering bigger and better strategies for holding on to members. Yet many facilities still focus on getting new members in the door, providing a basic orientation and setting them free—free to slowly lose interest in attaining their fitness goals and coming to the gym. This pattern occu...
by K. Cross
Handle 21st century business challenges and run your company in a way that honors you and your clients.
Reap What You Sow
With so much to learn at IDEA conventions, how am I supposed to retain all that information?
BY KAY L. CROSS, MEd
I
I think of being with my grandfather more than 30 years ago. My brother and I are peering out over our chainlink fence at 50 acres or so of farmland. We are w...
by Kelly Bliss, MEd
instructor language dos and don’ts
Do talk about the body’s function, strength and flexibility.
Don’t focus on the body’s appearance.
Do choose action-oriented goals in class. Applaud...
by A. Boone
5 Steps for Buying the Best Equipment
THIS SIMPLE APPROACH WILL SAVE YOU TIME, MONEY AND HEADACHES LATER ON. By Amy Boone
S
electing the equipment that will best suit your club can be a daunting and complex process, regardless of whether you work in a small, private facility or a multiclub chain. Few fitness managers receive the training they need to determine which models to choose, how to succ...
by M. Scudder
T
mid-1970s.
he third year of this column commences in the midst of the most perplexing economic market in three
"baby boomlet" is occurring, this influx of youngsters will not seriously affect the domestic economy for another 15 years. According to the Salomon Smith Barney Institutional Research Department, three-quarters of the accumulated net wealth of the country lies in the 50-plus sector. ...
by K. Popowych
SPECIAL REPORT
By Krista Popowych
KEEPING YOUR
SATISFIED
Veteran fitness leaders share their practical strategies for retaining quality group fitness instructors and other key staff.
While many Americans dislike their careers, the majority of fitness professionals tend to be happy in the workplace and like what they do. I am one of them: I love my job. Advancing along my own career path, I have ...
by C. Kennedy
careers
How to Design an Effective Membership Survey
Most people are familiar with surveys and have answered some type of questionnaire, whether it was about a product, a political issue or even customer service. Almost always, the purpose of a survey is to discover what people think, feel or plan on doing about a particular topic or issue. As an example, to better understand what is important to...
by J. Dysart
How to Design a Killer Web Site
By Joe Dysart WHAT SEPARATES A DYNAMIC, INTERACTIVE WEB SITE FROM A BORING, S T A T I C S I T E ? Lots of cool features, an interesting design and interactive elements play a large part in developing a Web site that users seek out. Your Web site is much more than "a flag on the Net" or a "billboard in cyberspace." It is an extension of your personal training company...