The Independent Gym Owners Conference - Doing Things Differently

The biggest and best gathering of independent club owners and operators took place on 1st December 2022. While there were some excellent speakers, and it’s important to have supporting suppliers who help the event to happen, the real value was within the delegates in the room. 

It’s a chance for independent clubs to get together, share their ideas and learn from each other. A lot of sharing happens in the group online, but people connect properly in real life at the event or after-party, forging partnerships, alliances, and friendships.  

The panel debate at the start of the conference encouraged delegates to make the most of the value in the room, talk to each other, be curious, find out about each other’s clubs, and get new ideas or momentum for old ones.

Gym Membership Sales Ideas - Nov 22

September member sales weren’t as good as many clubs hoped. If you’re holding out for redemption in January, you need to think again. 
2023 is the year to focus more on retention (we would say that!), but if you want to talk sales for a minute, here’s a tip.
January is (traditionally) a busy time in the fitness industry. Many clubs will have a new member joining offer, when you could actually double your joining fees, and still have a good sales month. 

Using Digital & Tech to Augment Reduced Staffing Levels

Staffing is one of the big issues in the fitness industry. It has always been difficult to recruit and retain staff, but it has become harder post-pandemic. 

We’ve discussed this in previous articles, but lately, there is more focus and debate on operating with reduced staff, or even no-staff gyms. 

The best member retention rates are created through staff interaction, but if you’re having to work with a smaller team, there are still ways to maintain good member retention.

Staff leaving

The furlough scheme in the UK helped keep some staff during lockdowns, but many top fitness instructors and PTs took the opportunity to set up their own businesses, sometimes taking members with them. Some realised that they could make more money with less effort by delivering parcels or fast food. Others re-trained for careers outside fitness. 

Don't Let Leavers leave without a chase

Leavers are outnumbering joiners at many clubs this autumn. Clearly the rising cost of living and economic uncertainty is having an effect, but you need to find out more about why your members are leaving. There are two parts to this article, the first talks about the reasons to contact leavers, and then a real-life anecdote about cancelling a corporate gym membership.

Attrition on the rise

Lots of clubs have seen reasonable membership sales in September 2022, traditionally the second-best sales month of the year. Few had record sales numbers though, and membership attrition is on the rise across the whole industry.

One step forwards, two steps back - Retention ideas for Autumn 2022

For the last few years, many clubs have been running to standstill. As retention consultants, we often get called in to help shift this balance, reducing attrition to enable clubs to really grow their membership.

One-in, one-out

It’s been an incredibly tough few years for the fitness industry, and while there have been pockets of positivity as clubs have re-opened following COVID-19 lockdowns, operators and owners are still talking about new member numbers matching leavers each month. Members and prospects have more concerns, more alternatives, less time, and less money. And as clubs focus more on sales, the retention battle gets harder to fight, let alone win.

Unfortunately, it’s about to get tougher.

Your Dream Gym - The story behind the Podcast

Your Dream Gym is a podcast for the fitness industry that talks one-to-one about people’s exercise, motivation, favourite workouts, and helps to raise profiles and boost networking opportunities. It’s available on all popular players including Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, etc. 

Katie Lewis talked to Guy Griffiths about the inception and growth of the podcast from The Collective.

How long have you been into podcasts?

I’ve been a huge fan of podcasts since 2014, when I listened to the first episode of Scroobius Pip’s Distraction Pieces. I typically listen to music while working or on the train or a plane, but podcasts accompany me on long drives, runs, and in the gym. I love listening to conversations, learning about new things, but for me, it’s mainly about being entertained.

What are your current favourites?

Gym membership pricing and coffee comparisons

As we approach September, the second busiest month for fitness memberships in the UK, thoughts turn to membership sales, strategies, and price models. 

It’s clear that lots of leisure pricing is stuck in the past. Whether we’re talking about joining fees, memberships, or selling the monthly payment as “less than a cup of coffee per visit”, revolution is needed in many organisations.

Why are Dogs twice as popular as Gyms?

7 in 10 people in the UK want to be healthier post-pandemic

[PHE Survey Jan 21]

Many people working in the fitness industry expect all these people to come into a gym and workout.
Surely all those people want to join a class, lift some kettlebells, and run on a treadmill?

• Only 15% of UK adults have a gym membership [Leisure Database Company]
• Whereas 34% of UK households own a dog [Statista]

How are dogs twice as popular as gyms?

Owning a dog is really good for your health. Time magazine has lots on this here.

WFH, Health, and Health Clubs

This article talks about how health clubs can help improve corporate wellbeing, without selling classic gym memberships.

The effects of the COVID pandemic will be felt for many years after the last positive test result. One of the big business and cultural shifts has been the fast-track evolution of working from home (WFH). While many have been doing this for years, not everyone is benefitting. There are some serious repercussions on health, both physical and mental, as described by this report in HR Magazine, which claims remote working is “as dangerous as smoking”

Clubs losing members who are WFH 

Health clubs and gyms have been hit hard by the changes in working practices, with fewer people in towns and cities for a 5-day working week. On the flip side, some independent clubs have benefitted slightly from people wanting to train closer to home, twinned with the general trend of supporting local, smaller businesses. But the big city gyms are feeling it the hardest at the moment.

STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IN RETROGRADE

This article examines how staff retention is becoming tougher, whether money is the answer, and how creating more purposeful staff can help.

Retaining staff has always been difficult in the fitness industry and has a knock-on effect contributing to poor member retention. Low pay is often cited as a factor, but teachers and nurses face similar challenges. Their sense of purpose and vocational work are things that are channelled by good fitness professionals. You have the ability to significantly improve people’s health and lifestyle, extending or even saving lives.

PT in the Pandemic

Of course, the pandemic has exacerbated the issue. Some PTs and group exercise instructors have gone it alone, running sessions online, in the park, and building an online or remote following. They blame a lack of support from the industry during lockdowns, which forced them to go direct to members and clients to maintain some level of income.