Starting a Fitness Business

The fitness industry suffered a lot during the pandemic. However, many companies innovated and started offering fitness classes online. When the authorities allowed gyms and spas to reopen, the business had to deal with the anxiety that some people felt about working out in an enclosed space.

Despite this, the fitness industry survived. But there may be changes in the business model as many companies continued offering online classes to connect with a good part of their market. The industry might also see new trends emerging, and new players might come out to meet the needs of the market. With this, people still have the opportunity to enter the fitness industry and open a fitness center.

Starting a Fitness Business

Starting a fitness business take more than just looking for space and buying the equipment needed to allow the business to attract customers. The entrepreneur should decide on the type of fitness business he wants to set up. He can opt to start a powerlifting gym, big box gym, or a boutique fitness studio.

If the entrepreneur wants to connect with the customers and create a community within the fitness center, he can open a boutique fitness studio. This type of fitness business offers limited slots to its customers but emphasizes building a community of fitness enthusiasts who help each other while training.

The cost of starting a boutique fitness studio is normally around $10,000 to $50,000. The actual cost depends on the location, type of business, insurance, staff, and gym equipment. The cost will increase if space is bigger and the business uses modern equipment to attract more customers.

The amount of space the business uses depends on the availability in a certain location. Since boutique fitness studios have limited membership, it does not need a lot of space. So, entrepreneurs can look for a place that’s suitable for their needs.

For the equipment, the entrepreneur can look for reliable suppliers that can give them the best price for the things he needs for the business. For instance, the entrepreneur can check out the local listing of Bullfrog spa dealers and ask them for the best deal they can give for the business.

Establish Health Protocols

Before opening the business, the entrepreneur should establish health protocols to safeguard the health of its customers. The guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are a good place to start when working on health protocols for the fitness studio. Even though the health protocols can be restrictive at times, its main goal is to prevent the spread of the virus, which currently has several variants worldwide.

The protocols that the fitness studio should implement are physical distancing, mask-wearing, and good ventilation. The physical distance between each fitness studio member should be at least six feet. The place should also implement the mask-wearing rule. Additionally, open doors and windows, along with portable air cleaners, are good signs of a fitness studio that has good ventilation.

Train the Staff

The fitness industry went through an evolution during the pandemic. It caused gyms and fitness studios to change their business model and the roles of the staff members. Due to this, the entrepreneur should make sure to train the staff well so that they will know what to do. This is particularly true among staff who already have experience in the fitness industry.

In the past, if the staff focused mainly on the operations side of the fitness studio, the entrepreneur should train them in sales. With the hesitancy of many people to sign up for gyms and fitness studios, the staff should know how to reach out to these people and encourage them to join the studio. This is important since the fitness studio is still starting and it needs more members to allow it to operate.

Adapt to the Situation

Starting a fitness studio is challenging. People may be hesitant to sign up for a membership. But the availability of the vaccine may encourage them to start going to the gym even as the pandemic has yet to end.

When this happens, the entrepreneur should prepare for more people signing up for memberships. Since space may be limited, the entrepreneur should try to accommodate people who want to join the fitness studio. He can extend the operating hours of the studio or set up a different location for the new members. The important thing here is that the entrepreneur should be prepared to make the necessary adjustments based on the situation.

Starting a fitness studio during a pandemic can be challenging. But if the entrepreneur knows what to do, he can enter the industry and grow the business until everything goes back to normal.