Time to expand, I come for advice once again!

[Own3r]

Whats up everyone! As you might remember I have opened my personal training studio in December, well after a couple of months it came to my attention that I am lacking exposure and space. So I have decided to expand from a 2000 sq ft studio in the an 18000 sq ft fool service Gym.

I have based my business on exclusivity and luxury so within the large gym I would have a closed down 2000 sq ft area that would be used for private 1 on 1 training as I know that my clients would love to have that. The rest will be a large gym area.

I now need some great ideas from you guy on how to structure the gym.

So far these are the things I would be planing to have inside:
-large Juice bar
-Supp store
-Tanning salon
-Private Studio
-Esthetician

What else would you want to see in your DREAM gym? More machines? More free weights? What services? What cardio Machines?
Basically tell me anything that at one point you thought would be good to have in the gym that you go to....

[nsiegel5]

So now your govt will just hand over a million dollars to open this venture?
Im moving now!

[aikmanr]

Good luck with your gym! Where is it located?

[Own3r]

So now your govt will just hand over a million dollars to open this venture?
Im moving now!

I was approached by a group of investors who liked my idea in my studio and would like to see an expansion, plus the government to(hopefully nothing is a 100% sure until my final business plan is evaluated)

Good luck with your gym! Where is it located?

The location is not decided yet.

[bigw10921]

Look at the pictures at gettothegym.com...look at their design and features,,,really high end club (3 of them),,get some ideas....

[Nate R.]

Whats up everyone! As you might remember I have opened my personal training studio in December, well after a couple of months it came to my attention that I am lacking exposure and space. So I have decided to expand from a 2000 sq ft studio in the an 18000 sq ft fool service Gym.

I have based my business on exclusivity and luxury so within the large gym I would have a closed down 2000 sq ft area that would be used for private 1 on 1 training as I know that my clients would love to have that. The rest will be a large gym area.

I now need some great ideas from you guy on how to structure the gym.

So far these are the things I would be planing to have inside:
-large Juice bar
-Supp store
-Tanning salon
-Private Studio
-Esthetician

What else would you want to see in your DREAM gym? More machines? More free weights? What services? What cardio Machines?
Basically tell me anything that at one point you thought would be good to have in the gym that you go to....

Thats awesome man! An Esthetician is more for skin care correct? Like facials etc... maybe consider setting up a room with a massage table and hire a good masseuse. I think that would definitely be a good addition. Very jealous of what you have accomplished and hope to be there someday haha

[tylerpritchard_7]

MMA is one of the largest growing sports. Perhaps boxing rings, heavy bags and the like. Sparring mats and grappling areas. Maybe?

[Own3r]

Look at the pictures at gettothegym.com...look at their design and features,,,really high end club (3 of them),,get some ideas....

Thanks for the link bro, but design wise I have something in mind already, will see my designers next week to start the rough sketches

@ Nate: Thanks man always like to see your input, yes an esthetician is more for female clients as in nail, eyebrows, waxing. Good Idea on the massage, just don't know how popular it would be I mean I need it to be rolling 6-8 hours a day to be profitable.

[Rval86]

From a trainer's perspective, the most important thing to me would be some sort of a field/turf area. My "dream" gym would have a huge turf area complete with tractor tires, sledge hammers, ropes, power sleds, etc. I feel that is an area that a lot of gyms are lacking.

[WoofieNugget]

Besides the private studio (and that is even a maybe) all of the other things are useless and take up space in my opinion. If you want to open a spa, open a spa - if you want to open a gym, then open a gym. People can get their nails done somewhere else. Supplements can be done from behind the front desk. Tanning is now considered unhealthy (by most educated people), expensive up front and takes up a lot of space with small return on investment (read your own comment about massage).

If you have 18,000 square feet and take up 4,000 of it with useless crap then that means less equipment, and less space to fit in MORE MEMBERS which is what you will make money from.

Do people really want exclusivity and luxury where you are? Can they afford it? Have you scouted out real estate/location prices, etc? You have only been running a studio for three months. You may be getting ahead of yourself, no offense intended.

[Simmo0508]

Depends on the market you're trying to attract along with this expansion.

If you want regular gym users like you and me for the member's side of things, big boys and rec bodybuilders etc., then get tons of free weights and specific muscle group machines.

If it's the first time gym user market, then borrow what Planet ****gytime does, and incorporate mainly simply to use machines.

Ideally if i were you, i'd get a combo of both, and just separate certain areas so the big boys have their own area where they can do whatever, and the scared little noobs can have a more private area. Position that area close to your private PT zone, and that will help attract interest towards PT business.

In terms of other additions, i'm not gonna share my own ideas on a public forum for others to read, but i like how you've added the solarium and the supp store and the juice bar within the premises. Keep thinking along that track, and incorporate other in-demand services so you have a monopoly over a lot of people's weekly needs.

The only thing that drags those things back is staff wages and initial setup costs, but it sounds like you have the backing for that stuff anyway.

I'll be opening up my own studio at a beach side location here in Sydney in a few years with a bit of a twist on the Muscle Beach concept, and branching things into it like you have.

[Own3r]

Besides the private studio (and that is even a maybe) all of the other things are useless and take up space in my opinion. If you want to open a spa, open a spa - if you want to open a gym, then open a gym. People can get their nails done somewhere else. Supplements can be done from behind the front desk. Tanning is now considered unhealthy (by most educated people), expensive up front and takes up a lot of space with small return on investment (read your own comment about massage).

If you have 18,000 square feet and take up 4,000 of it with useless crap then that means less equipment, and less space to fit in MORE MEMBERS which is what you will make money from.

Do people really want exclusivity and luxury where you are? Can they afford it? Have you scouted out real estate/location prices, etc? You have only been running a studio for three months. You may be getting ahead of yourself, no offense intended.

The median family income of the areas that I am currently looking at is 100k+ a year. Considering that the majority of my current clients said that they would not want to be trained in a public area and use the same machines as people paying 40$ a month tells me that building a VIP zone inside is a must.

As far for the solarium goes it requires 0$ from me, I have to supply a room for the machine or machines and the company put them inside, the whole thing is automatic as in the clients puts the money directly in to the machine and thats it. At the end of the month a take a cut.

[Own3r]

Depends on the market you're trying to attract along with this expansion.

If you want regular gym users like you and me for the member's side of things, big boys and rec bodybuilders etc., then get tons of free weights and specific muscle group machines.

If it's the first time gym user market, then borrow what Planet ****gytime does, and incorporate mainly simply to use machines.

Ideally if i were you, i'd get a combo of both, and just separate certain areas so the big boys have their own area where they can do whatever, and the scared little noobs can have a more private area. Position that area close to your private PT zone, and that will help attract interest towards PT business.

In terms of other additions, i'm not gonna share my own ideas on a public forum for others to read, but i like how you've added the solarium and the supp store and the juice bar within the premises. Keep thinking along that track, and incorporate other in-demand services so you have a monopoly over a lot of people's weekly needs.

The only thing that drags those things back is staff wages and initial setup costs, but it sounds like you have the backing for that stuff anyway.

I'll be opening up my own studio at a beach side location here in Sydney in a few years with a bit of a twist on the Muscle Beach concept, and branching things into it like you have.

Some great ideas! If you ever got any questions or need help with your project feel free to shoot me a PM

[Nate R.]

Thanks for the link bro, but design wise I have something in mind already, will see my designers next week to start the rough sketches

@ Nate: Thanks man always like to see your input, yes an esthetician is more for female clients as in nail, eyebrows, waxing. Good Idea on the massage, just don't know how popular it would be I mean I need it to be rolling 6-8 hours a day to be profitable.

Oh okay gotcha, well I am sure if the females have the money to pamper themselves with all of that they would most likely go for a massage too. But yeah maybe wait and see how popular the esthetician gets and if you have request for massages and such, or bring up the idea and see how people respond to it. Definitely keep us all updated on the progress!

[ErikRok]

Lots of great ideas here. Quick question. Did you run out of space because you have a lot of clients or is it your expanding to try and reach more?

A few thing that might work that my be easier for you then trying to manage a juice bar, esthetician and so on are just creating different programs. If your in a market with a high disposable income there are a ton of mommy groups. Look into creating mom only boot camps/ programs. You get one mom in that group you will automatically have a more. Plus the word of your biz spreads like wildfire in the mom groups.

But the best thing to do is just survey your current clients. See what they want and what would be good. That will help you the most.

[3g2p1p]

IMO Make it all exclusive. Offer small group training (3people max per group) at $97 per month per person for 2x a week training and $127 for 3x and so on. Or if it's in your agenda, you now have room to start bootcamps. It would just be another gym if you let anyone join. Anyways

to answer the question, a trx corner; some people dnt know what it is and the opportunity could be used as a lead generation or list building chance

[kjbmbboss]

Well for one customer service is what's gonna make or break you. I think that have a very close relationship with your clients is key to success. Get to "know" your clients. They would really appreciate it!

[Own3r]

Lots of great ideas here. Quick question. Did you run out of space because you have a lot of clients or is it your expanding to try and reach more?

A few thing that might work that my be easier for you then trying to manage a juice bar, esthetician and so on are just creating different programs. If your in a market with a high disposable income there are a ton of mommy groups. Look into creating mom only boot camps/ programs. You get one mom in that group you will automatically have a more. Plus the word of your biz spreads like wildfire in the mom groups.

But the best thing to do is just survey your current clients. See what they want and what would be good. That will help you the most.

I am expanding because I would like to have a larger pool of potential clients for my PT business. My current studio is growing, but not as fast as I wish, as with any business profit is one of the top priorities, as I have to answer to my investors etc.

I make enough to break even and pay myself and my partner, but it is not enough to call this a very profitable operation.

I had way to many clients asking me to be able to train alone at the gym and I had to refuse due to lack of space.

IMO Make it all exclusive. Offer small group training (3people max per group) at $97 per month per person for 2x a week training and $127 for 3x and so on. Or if it's in your agenda, you now have room to start bootcamps. It would just be another gym if you let anyone join. Anyways

to answer the question, a trx corner; some people dnt know what it is and the opportunity could be used as a lead generation or list building chance

I am trying to make it in to Gym, but a gym that people did not see yet, I have access to some very interesting investments that would let me make it in to something truly new and unique in terms of looks.

Well for one customer service is what's gonna make or break you. I think that have a very close relationship with your clients is key to success. Get to "know" your clients. They would really appreciate it!

I fully agree , costumer service is the key to retention.

[WoofieNugget]

Wait a tick. You're not expanding fast enough or profitable enough to satisfy your investors or yourself, but you think the solution to that is to invest more and expand before you are probably ready to do so?

Why not hire another trainer to work with you in your current facility to take on these clients who want to train that you aren't able to take?

I can appreciate ambition, but if your demand suddenly goes into the toilet (as can happen with any PT business) and you have a few bad months, you're pooched. Maybe by waiting for a year and actually seeing if you can run a profitable business on a smaller scale you would be better off. Just my .02.

[Own3r]

Wait a tick. You're not expanding fast enough or profitable enough to satisfy your investors or yourself, but you think the solution to that is to invest more and expand before you are probably ready to do so?

Why not hire another trainer to work with you in your current facility to take on these clients who want to train that you aren't able to take?

I can appreciate ambition, but if your demand suddenly goes into the toilet (as can happen with any PT business) and you have a few bad months, you're pooched. Maybe by waiting for a year and actually seeing if you can run a profitable business on a smaller scale you would be better off. Just my .02.

I have enough trainers to train my clients, I have way to many people calling me and asking me if they can join my facility as a regular gym.

I am certain that a full Gym would work great as I would be the only one in a 15-20 minute driving distance, plus it would open my personal training market pool even more.
Problem that most studios run in to is that not everyone can afford to train 3 times a week with a trainer yet they still want to train in a gym more then once or twice a week. So When I get a client that works out with my or some other trainer at my studio 2 times a week, the other 2 times he or she trains at a different gym, where they have PT's. Not a very smart move from a business perspective to send your clients to the competition.

One thing that I learned in the past is that when someone offers you money you have to grab it that instant and not wait.

[Scotlad]

hey dude

ive not scanned over suggestions so far but if its cost effective and i had the resources id be inclined to travel to thailand/brazil and try and recruit a champion muay thai/bjj instructor that run gyms in said countries

i dont know if thats your area or if its just rich people interested in general fitness

but if you ran special courses with champions it may be a good venture

people pay lots for travel + living expenses to train in places like thailand

if you can pay some guy to come over plus a $ for living, i think it might make a profit esp if you market it right

either way, if you can break even, it might bring some great publicity/curiosity from the general public

[Own3r]

hey dude

ive not scanned over suggestions so far but if its cost effective and i had the resources id be inclined to travel to thailand/brazil and try and recruit a champion muay thai/bjj instructor that run gyms in said countries

i dont know if thats your area or if its just rich people interested in general fitness

but if you ran special courses with champions it may be a good venture

people pay lots for travel + living expenses to train in places like thailand

if you can pay some guy to come over plus a $ for living, i think it might make a profit esp if you market it right

either way, if you can break even, it might bring some great publicity/curiosity from the general public

I can see where your are coming from and it is a great idea. Both me and my partner are trying to achieve a similar hype but a bit more locally.
My partner is going for a Mr. Canada title in CBBF and I will attempt to go after the Mr. Quebec title this year and Canada the year after. All in hopes to enter IFBB in the next 5 years.

[Scotlad]

good luck, that would be great for the buisness

if your ever interested just let me know and ill try and get you a few numbers from the guys ive trained with to talk it over