Want to start a business that will help you make money while also ?
Open up a gym. Studies have shown that there are more than 60 million Americans who belong to a gym right now. They’ve also shown that about half of all Americans are trying to lose weight at any given moment.
These stats suggest you shouldn’t have too tough of a time getting a gym up and going in your city or town. As long as you learn how to open a gym before starting, you can enjoy a lot of success.
Keep reading to get a complete guide on how to open a gym without breaking a sweat.
Look at Gyms in Your Area
There are almost 40,000 gyms in the U.S. today. That means you more than likely have at least a few in your general area.
Prior to opening your own gym, take a trip to each gym in your city or town to see what they have to offer. Look at everything from their equipment to the classes that they provide for members.
What do you like about each gym? Where do you think each gym could improve? How is your gym going to be different?
You might find that your area has a dozen gyms but that none of them offer, say, the HIIT workouts that have become so popular in recent years. You can use your gym to fill a niche and set yourself apart from the pack.
Come Up With a Great Gym Name
Once you have a general idea of what you want your gym to be like, brainstorm some names for it. You could technically wait until later to come up with a name. But your gym won’t feel real until you have a name in place.
By picking out a name early on in the process, you’ll be able to put the wheels in motion for your gym. You can trademark your name, register it with your city, and buy the domain name for your website.
Create a Business Plan for Your Gym
Regardless of whether you’re opening a gym, a restaurant, a pharmacy, a coffee shop, or a gas station, you need to before you get too far down the line.
Your business plan should include:
- The name of your company
- A description of the company
- The products and services your company will provide
- Market research on other companies in your area that provide similar products and services
- Information on your financial situation and predictions on how much money your company could potentially make
Part of the reason why you need a business plan is to keep your company on track. But part of it is also because a lender is going to want to check out your business plan if you apply for funding.
And there’s a good chance you will need funding for your gym. It can cost anywhere from $10,000 all the way up to $50,000 to open a gym.
Pick Out the Perfect Gym Location
Where is your gym going to be located? This could very well be the most important decision you make when trying to figure out how to open a gym.
If your gym is too difficult to get to for most people, it doesn’t matter how amazing your HIIT classes are. People will go to a different gym in a better location.
Pick a place that’s easily accessible for a sizable chunk of your city’s population. Keep your eyes peeled for the right commercial space, too. You want something that’s large enough for your gym but not so large that it’ll cost you a fortune to buy or lease it.
Crunch the numbers to see how much you’ll need to charge your gym members to put your gym in different places. You want to keep your costs affordable without sacrificing on location.
Fill Your Gym With the Best Equipment
After you find the right place to position your gym, it’ll almost be time to think about opening it. But before you do, you’ll obviously need to fill your gym with all types of equipment.
The equipment you buy or lease for your gym will depend on what kind of gym you’re opening. But generally speaking, most gyms need:
- Weightlifting benches
- Dumbbell sets
- Barbell sets
- Pull-up frames
- Kettlebell sets
Your gym will also need plenty of treadmills, stationary bicycles, rowing machines, and elliptical machines. Read more here about which elliptical machines would work best for your specific gym.
Outside of filling your gym with equipment, you should also start hiring an experienced staff to work with your future gym members. Make sure you have a dedicated team that’s ready to roll once you open your front doors.
Market Your Gym to Your Community
At this point, your gym should be just about ready to go! The only thing that’ll be left to do is market your gym to those in your community.
There are many ways to go about doing this. Here are a few options:
- Mail out invitations to your gym to those who live in your area
- Offer special membership deals to customers who sign up for your gym before it opens
- Join Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites and connect with those in your community on them
- Encourage people to visit your website to see what you’re all about
- Sponsor local community events to spread the word about your gym
If you’re able to market your gym effectively, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting people to come and sign up for it.
Know How to Open a Gym Before You Begin
Opening a gym might seem simple enough. But if you make the wrong moves at the beginning, it could put your gym at a disadvantage within just a month or two.
Follow the steps for how to open a gym listed here. They’ll get your gym off to a great start and give you a good chance of standing out from other gyms in your area.
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