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Business of Group Fitness

10 Questions to Ask Before Opening a Studio

Many fitness professionals dream of designing a studio that reflects their unique perspective and approach to health and fitness—a place where they can grow their business, their brand and their client base (and, of course, their paycheck!) on their own terms.

There’s a huge appeal to running your own space, especially if you’ve been working long enough to imagine how you might design a space specifically suited to your clients’ needs and your vision.

Coping With Instructor Burnout

The new year likely brought with it a crush of new class participants. But then along came spring, and the inevitable happened: As the snow melted, so did resolutions; visits became less frequent as members began suffering from a classic case of burnout. In fact, many fitness professionals also experience burnout. What can you do to stay inspired??
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GROOMing Habits, Part One

Unless you’re extremely fortunate, quality instructors are not knocking down your door begging for work. Instead, you likely find yourself cycling through recently certified fitness pros who have little or no experience. They come, they go and you start over. The amount of time and attention you invest in staffing can take your eyes off the bigger picture, which is to help people get fit and healthy.

Nine Traits That Top Trainers Look For in Managers

As an owner or a manager, could you be putting off talented trainers without knowing it? We asked some top fitness pros what they look for when seeking employment. What they have to say may help you become the type of manager that the best-quality trainers yearn to work for.

Inspired Business, Part Five: Staff Buy-In

At an inspired fitness facility, people are encouraged and motivated to generate a “positive vibration.” This business model makes members feel special, and it motivates people not only to join your facility but also to thrive in your fitness community. What happens when your employees are treated as well as your members?

How to Cope With Change

Change is inevitable. Organizations restructure, fitness facility ownership turns over and managers come and go. Although change can be positive, for many people the mere thought of it breeds anxiety and fear. During times of job stress, productivity declines; in addition, the rumor mill ramps up, morale may deteriorate and valued employees may look for other opportunities. As a manager, you are responsible for guiding employees through these potentially difficult times.

Creative Ideas That Inspire

At Danser Studio in Tucson, Arizona, members get into the groove with the POUND Rockout. Workout.™; a full-body cardio-jam session that combines simulated drumming with Pilates, isometric movements and plyometric and yoga-based poses.

Investing in Fitness Technology

In 2014, we saw numerous mobile health and telehealth acquisitions as larger companies ramped up their digital health strategies (Comstock 2014). These moves are more than business news headlines—they represent broad trends that are increasingly relevant to fitness and wellness professionals.

Transparency: The New Standard for Business Success

Many top business executives have shucked common practice and opened their books and boardroom doors to create greater company transparency. Can this emerging business standard really lead to greater financial success?

Creative Ideas That Inspire

At Hot Feet Fitness in Burien, Washington, members break a sweat with Hot Feet Fitness. ThThis 21-minute, high-intensity class takes place in a 100° Fahrenheit room with 40% humidity.

Located in West Hollywood, California, Best U Studio offers a unique circuit class that blends Pilates, barre, dance and a weighted U bar. Best U focuses on strength, breathing, control and centering. The weighted bar also helps attendees improve their balance and coordination.

Tribal Fitness

We all want to belong to something. We all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. A group. A club. An association.

To reach our highest potential, we need to go beyond thinking of our “customer base” and our “employees” and start thinking of our tribe. You may have a group of clients or a number of employees, but that is not a tribe. In a tribe, people feel a deep affiliation with— and take pride in—your fitness business.

The Professional Development Conundrum

Experts agree that employers need to invest more in staff training and development to create stability, boost retention and improve the consumer experience. This is a particular challenge for many large-chain, membership-based fitness facilities. Rather than nurturing and training a newly hired personal trainer for exercise life- style programming and customer service skills, some fitness facilities orient trainers to be salespeople whose wages depend on commissions.

“What special promotions do you use to draw new training clients?”

I use flash sales, which consistently help me attract new clients. Offering a deep discount through a flash sale for customers who sign up within 48 hours always encourages even the most intimidated client. I normally hold a sale whenever I have space for a new person. The dis- counted price lasts for varying lengths of time (1 month, 3 months, 6 months, etc.). I advertise on my website, Craigslist and Facebook and even in “old-fashioned” fliers. This promotion hasn’t failed me yet; if anything, I have too many new clients. You definitely have to know when your caseload is full.

Inspired Service, Part One: A High Vibration

You want your fitness facility to be successful and to impact people’s lives positively. Plus, you want to grow, which means you need to sell. That means you must offer the programs, products, professionals and operations that customers want, and you must have a powerful website and marketing plan.

Insights On European Fitness Facilities

Are you curious about how the european fitness market is prospering? Here are some insights from The IHRSA European Health Club Report: Size & Scope of the Fitness Industry, which includes data from 32 “health club” markets.

Recruit Staff Like the NCAA

When college football recruiters started taking an interest in my son’s skills on the gridiron, I came to a useful realization: When it comes to attracting talent and developing winning teams, head coaches and group fitness directors have a lot of parallel priorities.