How to open a gym

Sinister said:
In Europe? Yes. When you go to a "gymnasium" for fitness, boxing is just one of a dozen or so things you can take. But it's difficult to tell because it's done fairly well. So when you see videos from places like that, it just looks like a boxing gym:

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LOL its like a YMCA. Do these euro gymnasiums have pools, and spas too?
 
MadSquabbles500 said:
LOL its like a YMCA. Do these euro gymnasiums have pools, and spas too?
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Not spas. Pools, most-likely. Spas are separate things and are huge, like gyms. But not dissimilar from a YMCA. They just like all options included, and it kinda makes sense. "Why would I want to go pay to box at one place, then pay to lift weights at a completely different place?"

If I had a ton of money I'd have 3 facilities. I'd buy Tocco's and keep it as-is for hardcore fighters and people who want to train among them. A different more all-inclusive general Sports facility geared more towards kids which would serve like the YMCA idea, however it'd be geared more towards Combat Sports specifically. The ball sports have enough of that shit. And of course the gym I dream of having at the top of Mt. Charleston here. But anyhow, the facility is only part of the equation. The biggest thing shincheckin needs to have in order is an organized system by which people learn, that is effective and fun:

 
All the gyms where I live that offer boxercise are up front about it in the website and labels it cardio/excercise group. "No puching to the head or body". So they basically don't spar, at least not contact. Some fighting gyms include those groups, while some are only cardio gyms
 
Sinister said:
Not spas. Pools, most-likely. Spas are separate things and are huge, like gyms. But not dissimilar from a YMCA. They just like all options included, and it kinda makes sense. "Why would I want to go pay to box at one place, then pay to lift weights at a completely different place?"

If I had a ton of money I'd have 3 facilities. I'd buy Tocco's and keep it as-is for hardcore fighters and people who want to train among them. A different more all-inclusive general Sports facility geared more towards kids which would serve like the YMCA idea, however it'd be geared more towards Combat Sports specifically. The ball sports have enough of that shit. And of course the gym I dream of having at the top of Mt. Charleston here. But anyhow, the facility is only part of the equation. The biggest thing shincheckin needs to have in order is an organized system by which people learn, that is effective and fun:

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Awesome drills. Looks like a great class.
 
shincheckin said:
Can anyone on here that currently runs a gym explain to me how to do it?

I have looked into it and I really dont see how its possible without getting a large business loan or having a ton of money in the bank. The majority of places want around $2500 a month. I would think that you might not even break even for several months, let alone make any profit. How do you open a gym, pay gym rent, pay your house rent, etc?

I have been training my entire life, from the moment i first started boxing at the age of 12 i thought to myself way back then, i would like to run a gym one day. I feel I would make a good coach, however I dont know what to do or how to get started as far as running an actual gym.

Everything I can find online only provides stupid common sense answers like, you will need a ring, choose a good location, you will need bags and pads, you will need insurance. It doesnt give any info on what type of paperwork/permits are need, or how to obtain them. And it doesnt mention anything about startup costs, loans, or how to have money to get started.
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So I wrote earlier then deleted because I thought you meant a mma/boxing gym after reading a second time. But...if you are going to be a standard gym too i'll break this into 2 categories. 1 convincing you not, and the other convincing you to open. I managed a gym for over 4 years (not owner).

I'd almost say you will have better success going into a different type of business. You're not going to be super rich by opening just 1 gym. Also, your first year be prepared to break even or not make a whole lot. It takes a few years to build a solid membership base. It may not be a bad idea to keep a second job that you can work whenever. But, If you are dedicated to it, you can make it work. First, Gyms are expensive to open (This is the main point). You will need lots of space. If you own essentially you will not be wasting away money. If you rent, less costs up front but more overtime. Purchasing equipment is expensive. You want to purchase long lasting machines and racks/weights. Nothing that's going to need to be replaced in 5 years. You want your gym equipment to last at least 5 years. The good thing, resistance equipment and weights don't really wear out too fast. You can get 10-15 yrs life out of good equipment. When you do replace, it may be that you just need to purchase the newest and trending machines. But....cardio equipment does wear out. Buy ellipticals and treadmills with good lifespan (purchase commercial grade mostly). You will need a min of 5 treadmills, 4 ellipticals, 5 recumbent bikes, 2 rowers, etc. Cardio equipment will be your most used equipment. I'd say you need that many for 300-400 members. So use that as a base. If you have 800, then you might want to double your amount of equipment. If you buy refurbished, be ready to spend some money because they will break down faster. Don't trash your old equipment, keep some for spare parts. Also, you must be wary of competition. Don't open a gym that's identical to the one down the street. If you can't provide and innovative place, I don't recommend opening. If you let the wrong crowd in, you can run people off fast too. No loud meatheads, cat-callers, or otherwise disruptive members to stay. If you do, people will drop out quick. You will run into plenty of ridiculous people and those that don't want to pay. Trust me. Also, be prepared for unwanted costs. Like member tracking software will cost you 1k-3k on average. You will also have to pay to broadcast your music or show any dvd's. Be sure to look into regulations and find more people that have experience with gyms in your state. Don't hire too many people until you know what your monthly revenue will be on average. Overtime, you can add instructors and trainers. Also, don't take the cheap route with hiring. In other words, don't hire just anybody. Also, there will be a 1-2yr turnover for most employees. Always have the next person in mind to hire. If anybody asks for employment...keep their contact info for later.

Ok now the fun part. Open your gym between oct-dec. Don't open in the months of jan-aug. People will have already committed to a contract or year membership somewhere else. If you open late fall, if gives you time to attract prospective members. So advertise here. Run specials in Jan to capitalize on peoples intent to join for a year. Jan and Feb will make up 25-40% of annual revenue most likely. Also, things get slow in the summer due to vacations, parents spending money on daycare due to kids being out of school, and/or them having to stay home to watch Kids. So in the summer, run a special to kick-start interest to give people a deal. The reason to run specials is because if you don't, the majority of members will not stay year round. So you have to take their money when their interest is high. As far as services, classes make a lot of money and offering a variety of stuff is a good marketing tool for your facility. You want a flyer with lots of stuff to attract people. Find your niche. Maybe it's you are 24/7, offer tons of classes, over silver sneakers, or whatever. Every successful gym has something that makes them unique. Not like gold's gym down the street. Find your target audience. From my experience, senior citizens are good members. A) they have money B) they are long-lasting members C) they don't wear and tear your equipment. So be sure to be elder-friendly. Know your demographics. There are certain groups of people who are long-lasting members, pay on time, and don't cause disruptions. Find those people. One thing to really capitalize on is marketing towards larger companies with 60+ employees and provide a discount for them to join. Also, hold annual events like a 5k. This will bring more interest to your facility, and also provide some additional income. If you do a 5k, you may want to partner with a local cause and work out some kind of deal with them. Maybe it's all going to charity...that's your decision. Don't hire people with bad customer service, but also don't hire people with no backbone. You want a customer friendly employee with the ability to hold the integrity of your facility. Use the heck out of social media. Get help from somebody who knows what they are doing if you have to. Lastly, treat your members right. Give them discounts over time. Member retention is just as important as member acquisition.

I'm by no means perfect, and I'm sure I've left off some stuff but the main thing is you have to be committed to it to make it work. Some of the best advice is somebody who can tell you what not to do. So depending on your area and demographics..things may be quite different. So consider that and don't take my suggestions word for word.

EDIT/Addition. Make members pay up front. Don't bill them an invoice after their month is up. Also look into having your members pay automatically via ach payments
 
spacetime said:
All the gyms where I live that offer boxercise are up front about it in the website and labels it cardio/excercise group. "No puching to the head or body". So they basically don't spar, at least not contact. Some fighting gyms include those groups, while some are only cardio gyms
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yea I would have people show up wanting to learn how to fight.....and it's like umm no this is just a fun way to exercise.
 
Judoka1532 said:
Yes I forgot to include classes in my essay that I wrote. They are very good to have, even if it's just a marketing tool to make you more comprehensive with more services.
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You see a lot of places that have great technique, fighting and sparring classes but don’t have cardio/fitness classes and they struggle to stay afloat. You see a TON of boxercise places where no one working has ever taken a proper punch to the face. It’s the places that have both that end up doing well financially.
shincheckin said:
I live in one of the poorest cities in the US, however the neighboring cities are more affluent. Finding a cheap location shouldnt be too hard, but Ill give you an idea of how ghetto it is around here, my local barber keeps his door locked during open business hours because too many crackheads cause problems. You want in, you gotta knock first!
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patrick Rivera runs valor training center in Stockton and has 400+ kids in his program. He just got back from competing in Thailand with his youth team and doing pretty well. He had a ton of stories about parents bringing their kids in to toughen them up for their neighborhood and critiquing him for not being hard enough on these kids. Another guy who’s doing it right
 
DoctorTaco said:
You see a lot of places that have great technique, fighting and sparring classes but don’t have cardio/fitness classes and they struggle to stay afloat. You see a TON of boxercise places where no one working has ever taken a proper punch to the face. It’s the places that have both that end up doing well financially.
patrick Rivera runs valor training center in Stockton and has 400+ kids in his program. He just got back from competing in Thailand with his youth team and doing pretty well. He had a ton of stories about parents bringing their kids in to toughen them up for their neighborhood and critiquing him for not being hard enough on these kids. Another guy who’s doing it right
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I agree. It comes down to whether you can provide a fun class or not. It appears regular citizens don't want to get punched in the face. True combat classes will result in lower turnout especially for women. A good substitute is to open a judo class or bjj class.
 
long story short, there was a "kicks" location that is now closed. I was thinking of taking that place over. It closed for reasons not related to business. The idea i have is that if I open at that location, I can get the customers to return.

http://kickskarate.com/
 
I have always taught Muay Thai at Jiu Jitsu gyms. I contract my services out for a fee that reflects my experience. While I have not owned a gym, I have seen what works and what doesn't in the last 15 years.

Firstly, get an automatic billing system in place. It sucks having to chase people around for their monthly dues. Do 6th month or 1 year memberships.

Don't be afraid to turn away douchebags or people that think too highly of themselves. You might think you need to take anyone who will pay. A jerk who thinks they can do what they want in your gym will be a cancer. It will drive away the students you want. I had a student who was very gifted in Muay Thai, but he acted like a dick and scared many students away. I finally kicked him out and my program doubled in a few months.

Have a beginners class where you teach the core curriculum. I spend a week on each thing, in a 8 or 9 week cycle.

Only give one free trail class. People can make a choice whether they want to join or not based off one class.
 
shincheckin said:
long story short, there was a "kicks" location that is now closed. I was thinking of taking that place over. It closed for reasons not related to business. The idea i have is that if I open at that location, I can get the customers to return.

http://kickskarate.com/
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Make sure there's no bullshit attached. Seen cases where a client sues the business and it was the previous owner that originally fucked them, only to end up problematic for the new owner
 
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