The rooms of sports and fitness experiencing significant development for several years and have a bright future, it is a sector source of opportunities for entrepreneurs. You can get started in several ways: by creating your own gym, by taking over an existing gym or by joining a gym franchise network.

The Entrepreneur’s Corner offers you a practical guide to opening and resuming a gym or fitness center .

The Essential Points Related To The Opening Of A Gym

The conduct of a project to create or take over a sports hall requires reflection on the following points: entrepreneur / project consistency, location, layout, equipment, health and safety, cleanliness and communication.

Consistency Between The Profile Of The Entrepreneur And The Project

Opening and managing a best franchise gym is not a project made for everyone, you have to love the sport, be available and be a good manager.

First of all, you have to love sports and gyms to lead such a project. It is preferable to have attended several gyms before embarking on this activity, to be able to identify what is found there in general, the equipment that is essential to satisfy customers, the layout of the rooms …

Then you have to be a good manager. Taking care of a gym is not an easy task: management of class schedules, personnel management, equipment management, customer account management …

Finally, you have to be motivated, dynamic and available . Motivation is an essential quality in any business project, the challenge to be met involves a lot of personal investment and availability because the scope for openness is important.

The Location Of The Gym

The location of the business space you choose to operate your gym is an important parameter to being successful.

Preferably, the room should be located near major roads, in a heavily populated area or near an activity area. You should also avoid setting up in sectors where competition is already strong, unless you offer attractive offers.

The Layout And Layout Of The Sports Hall

The desired commercial space must be spacious enough to accommodate the planned workstations. It is essential to design a room plan with the exact location of the workstations to ensure that there is sufficient space. The expected customer flow must be consistent with the size of the room and the equipment offered.

The room must also contain at least two changing rooms and with showers (one for men and one for women), toilets and a reception area at the entrance to the building.

Sports Equipment

The equipment offered in your fitness franchise is essential for the development of your activity. It is essential :

• To offer the workstations sought by customers and to have them in sufficient quantity. There are generally more endurance machines compared to weight machines, which are more diverse.
• And to have quality material. The room must be equipped with professional equipment, which implies a significant investment. Customers of a gym are looking for quality equipment that is difficult to purchase for an individual.

The Cleanliness of the Gym

The cleanliness of your gym is essential for the development and retention of your customers. Cleaning your room and appliances can take a considerable amount of time, this should be taken into account and, if so, remember to budget for the use of a cleaning company.

Compulsory Liability Insurance

You must take out civil liability insurance to cover your operation, teaching staff and practitioners. The certificate of the insurance contract must be displayed in a visible place in the room.

Communication

A website is almost essential to recruit new customers, especially to present your offers and your gym (including several photos of the room). Without a presence on the internet, part of your potential clientele risks going to competitors who have a showcase on the web. Today, the public systematically obtains information on the internet before becoming a customer.

The use of social networks is also recommended to communicate on your introductory offers, to try to create buzz around your project and interesting offers.

Finally, it may be interesting to communicate with businesses and other organizations located nearby. We must not overlook the strength of word of mouth in this sector of activity.