Know Your Numbers - Gym Owner Monthly Article Nov 2020

An old saying goes “If you want to improve something, you have to measure it”. Yet very few fitness businesses really know their numbers. This is an industry-wide issue, not just related to independent gym owners. Systems and dashboards help some clubs, but you need to define your key performance indicators (KPIs) and use them to know your business better and drive it forwards. 

There is a wealth of data available to businesses today, which is why the ‘key’ in KPIs is important. These are 5-10 key metrics that allow you to understand the state of your business. Some will be a combination of other figures, and you may need to drill-down into the detail, but these key metrics give you a performance headline. 

These numbers are absolutely critical to running your club, showing what is working, and what, where, or who you need to pay more attention to. Without accurate numbers, you’re driving blind, basing decisions on guesswork and intuition.

Progression: Lessons from Grading during Lockdown, and how to boost member engagement

A couple of experiences through lockdown made me think about gym member journeys. Not inductions, messages or re-engagement calls, but progression.

I do taekwondo with my son, and during lockdown, we tried to keep up with weekly sessions over facebook and zoom. It was challenging keeping a 7-year-old engaged, to be honest. Personally, I thought it was great that we were training with the best instructor (the business owner), but as soon as we could return to outdoor sessions in the summer, it was clear that the kids enjoyed their regular ‘Sabum’ (teacher). 

However, colour belt gradings continued over zoom. Some of the black-belt assistant teachers were unhappy that the gradings were easier and thought students weren’t getting the same experience. But the most important thing for engagement and retention is that students are progressing through their grades, and not stagnating. They’ve got something to work towards, and a target date and motivation to do it.