New_Management.png

Under New Ownership

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

For a few years, my son and I loved going to Bucca, a pizza place in our neighborhood. The food, first of all, was excellent and affordable, but what we liked most were the friendly staff that greeted us by name when we walked in and the cool décor: Bucca’s manager had a photography hobby and covered the walls in photos that were always interesting to look at and discuss. We were crushed when we walked by one day and found the name changed to Bucolino’s. The menu was similar, but when we entered no one recognized us and, worst of all, the photos were gone. In their place were bright, graffiti-style murals that might have been welcome in some other context, but that felt so jarring and ugly in our beloved space.

We ate at Bucolino’s only once. When I asked the waitstaff what had happened, all I got in response was a curt “new owner.” This new owner was too busy to speak with us. It’s a shame, because the food was still pretty great, but no one had made any effort to sell us on the new identity. I kept thinking that if the new venue had tried to reach out to Bucca’s customer base, maybe we would have felt differently; maybe we would have given it a chance. So I was interested to read a recent blog on IHRSA’S website that takes up the issue of new ownership. The blog asks: “How can we market a club that’s under new ownership to let consumers know we’re making major changes to what had been a mismanaged facility?” Bucca had never been mismanaged, but the question stood: How do you let your customers know things are going to change?

Paul Brown, CEO of Face2Face Retention Systems in Queensland, Australia, told IHRSA, “When you take over the reins of an existing business, be excited, be bold, and be loud.” Joe Cirulli, Founder and CEO of Gainsville Health & Fitness Center, suggests making it a priority to ensure the facility is in tip-top shape, connect with existing staff and make efforts to meet their needs, and use word-of-mouth advertising to let the public know. All of these pieces of advice are good ones. I wish Bucolino’s had followed them. If you’re taking over a new facility, spread the word, and — whether there were problems that need fixing or you’re taking an already great business to new heights — advertise widely and positively about the change. A few specific steps to consider taking:

• Hold town-hall-style meetings with members, seeking useful feedback. This could be done in real life or virtually. Using social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to elicit members’ ideas about what to keep for the facility’s new incarnation and what to alter would be a great way both to let your customers know about the change and to include them in your process.

• As Brown suggests, “Solicit editorial coverage in local and regional newspapers and websites. Invite interviews and offer to submit prewritten pieces.” The goal in taking these steps would be to inform the public and give yourself some degree of control in the way news of the new ownership is announced and received.

• Plan a grand relaunch celebration. Go out of your way to make the new incarnation a big deal. Rather than doing it without a word, like Bucolino’s did, almost even pretending it didn’t happen, blow horns and send up flares. Invite local dignitaries and offer incentives to get both members and prospectives in the door. During relaunch events, make yourself available and accessible to anyone who might have questions about the facility’s new direction.

• Save yourself time and money by investing in an all-in-one gym management software to streamline your business practices. Do your research to find a software solution to address all of your needs. For example, more health and fitness management software include features such as trainer scheduling, membership management, a point of sale system, and a sophisticated member check-in system compatible with most mobile devices.

It doesn’t take much to make a facility under new ownership as great — or much better — than whatever existed before. But you do have to make some efforts.

Determine Your Goals With Outside-In Perspective

Helping Your Members Find Their Own Way

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

I have a confession to make: Exercise bores me. Don’t get me wrong — I love staying fit, and I love the way I feel after a great workout, but no matter what exercise routine I try, after a while I get bored and want something new. For a while I was into spin classes. Then it was Zumba. Then aquatic aerobics, HIIT-style repetitions, and just plain jogging. Now I’m all about indoor climbing. I was starting to think there’s something wrong with me, but then I stumbled across a post on the “Be Active Your Way” blog, a publication of the Department of Health and Human Services. Written by Alexandra Black, a dietician and IHRSA’s Health Promotion Manager, the article is not about keeping exercise interesting — but it nevertheless put my mind at ease and inspired me to continue trying new routines.

What the article is about is this: using trial and error to determine the best workouts for individuals. “Each person,” Black writes, “has a unique genetic makeup, different life experiences, and varied medical histories that make it nearly impossible to prescribe one great diet or one great fitness plan for all.” Because of this, she says, the best way for individuals to figure out what works for them is through trial and error. The health and medical industries are beginning to recognize this, and the result of moving away from a one-size-fits-all mindset is better care and better long-term health for people. Black puts it this way: “As the trend towards individualized healthcare continues, we’re recognizing that every person is different, and that treating them as such — both in healthcare and in wellness — is often where the real magic happens.”

Which brings me back to my boredom issue. Reading Black’s thoughts on trial and error made me realize that the only way for me to find a routine that doesn’t eventually bore me is to keep trying new ones — and that it’s okay to do so. Maybe I just haven’t found the right one yet, and I need to keep searching until I do. Or maybe it’s the case that my genetic makeup, life experiences, and medical history make me a person who needs constant changes in her workout routine in order to most benefit from working out. Whatever the case, thinking about fitness as something that requires an individualized approach completely changes the way I think about working out. It gives me a feeling that I have permission to keep trying whatever I want to try.

Why am I sharing all this? Because chances are that an individualized fitness approach is something that would appeal to your members too. Of course, if you have personal trainers or some kind of personalized workout program, you already promote individualized fitness — but doing so explicitly could put your members at ease (enough so that they renew their memberships and talk your facility up to all their friends and social network connections). Defining individualized fitness and explaining its benefits — through posters, emails, social media, and one-on-one sales and promotion pitches — can help your members feel freer to engage in their own trial and error, giving new workouts and exercises a try, experimenting until they know what works best for them. And helping them in that way greatly increases the chances that they’re going to keep coming back to you.

710.jpg

Cryotherapy: What's All The Fuss About?

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

When you hear the words whole-body cryostimulation, an image of Han Solo slowly and dramatically freezing in carbonite while princess Leia watches along in horror may spring to mind. The act of “freezing” is involved in this process; however, (thankfully) it’s not as dramatic as it sounds. While the chemical reactions within the body may seem straight-up science fiction, many elite athletes swear by it. According to recent studies published by Pubmed.org, Cryotherapy has proven to be extremely successful for treating not only inflammation in muscles after excessive exercise, but a variety of other ailments including chronic pain, arthritis, and even mental ailments such as stress and anxiety. However, the question remains: How safe is this method and should you offer it at your facility?

What is Cryotherapy and how does it work?

It’s not new. In fact, Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) was first used in clinical settings, to treat patients with medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Over the years, it has been adopted by many professional athletes–most recently the Green Bay Packers American football team—as well as both elite and recreational athletic training facilities. Health and wellness spas have also expanded their offerings to include Cryotherapy.

The idea is similar to that of ice and heat therapy used by most athletes–and anyone who’s experienced sore muscles–to reduce swelling (think ice baths and the ol’ go-to “icy-hot” packs). However, a Cryotherapy chamber can reach temperatures as low as -264 degrees. Clients strip down and don a protective bathing suit as well as socks, gloves, and mouth and ear guards to protect them from the subzero temperatures. Only a few clients can go through a session at a time as they are guided through a series of chambers filled with nitrogen. After a few seconds–or a few minutes if you’re a real daredevil–you move to the next chamber with each being colder than the last. The cold temperature shocks your body into “survivor mode” as capillaries expand to hastily push more blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout your system and to your vital organs. Essentially, this process removes toxins and inflammatory components from your blood and then, once the body reaches normal temperatures, the new nutrient-rich blood flows back throughout your body.

Okay, so it still sounds a little like science fiction.

While there has been a significant spike in Cryotherapy users and advocates, it remains a very controversial method as the Food and Drug Administration does NOT recognize the benefits of Cryotherapy chambers and does not regulate the devises. The safety of this treatment is still under scrutiny, and many agree that more testing should be done to find hard scientific proof that this method provides quantifiable health benefits for treating pain. Among the many new fitness trends for 2016, injury prevention and recovery will be just as important as how we train. So, if a facility is looking to cash in on this growing trend, it would be wise to learn all it can about the Cryotherapy process and all safety procedures involved. Do your research and know your facts. Before incorporating this method into your facility, look up professional, scientific journals on the subject. You can also talk to facilities that already offer this method and find out how to properly maintain and operate Cryotherapy chambers. Make sure your staff is fully trained to operate the machines properly and safely. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to require a pre-training class with your clients before they begin use to ensure all safety measures have been taken. And lastly, stay up-to-date on news and testimonials about Cryotherapy. If you see a rise in accidents or injuries, make sure you have an emergency plan prepared. Your clients’ safety is of the utmost importance so be sure to keep that in mind when you are doing your research and deciding whether or not offering Cryotherapy is right for your facility.

iStock_000039288852Small.jpg

How Do You Green the Green?

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

I’ve written in this space before about greening sports — using sustainable energy sources, choosing healthier and more efficient building materials, recycling, avoiding cleaners with harmful chemicals. But if you run an athletic center with fields, how do you green those fields? It’s ironic, of course — nothing should be greener. However, in order to stay in perfect shape for game day, natural turf fields require a regimen of chemical applications, mowing, and irrigation that consumes valuable resources, creates waste, and potentially damages the environment.

The good news is, there are a few steps you can take to reduce harmful practices. Consider the following:

1) Choose chemicals that are more environmentally friendly. In an ideal world, we’d eliminate the use of pesticides and fertilizers altogether. Unfortunately, the world isn’t ideal. To maintain budgets and properly oversee highly-trafficked fields, facilities have few alternatives but to treat fields heavily. And, while Environmental Protection Agency regulations have banned most hazardous chemicals from products used for field maintenance, there is still a wide range of products available, some of which are more harmful than others. Whenever possible, choose organic materials for fertilizing and pesticide treatment, not synthetic ones. Coffee grounds, chicken manure, and turkey manure are good alternatives.

2) Reduce water consumption. You need water to keep those fields bright and healthy, but keep in mind that water is a precious commodity: The State of California recently announced it is suffering its worst drought in 1,000 years. How do you use less water and make the most of the water there is? Install systems for reclaiming stormwater and runoff. And then make sure you manage irrigation properly. If it rains one day and there’s plenty of moisture in the soil the next, don’t keep the irrigation system running. Also, consider irrigating only when wind is low, in order to keep evaporation rates down.

3) Re-evaluate your machinery. If you’re using straight-up fuel to power your mowers, look into the possibility of obtaining equipment that runs on biofuels or other clean alternatives. If that equipment does not fit in your budget, cut back on mowing frequency.

4) Think long-term. Whatever you’re doing with your fields today, ask how those practices will affect the immediate and larger environment in the future. If you renovate your fields, can you pulverize material and stockpile it for use elsewhere — on a golf course, for example? Can you create a pond or holding tank to capture water when you irrigate, and then find ways to re-use that water? Can you use material from old fields to fertilize new ones?

5) Ask the experts. Entire university departments exist to research sports turf maintenance. If you want to take a stab at greenifying your fields, reach out to people in the know. They’ll be able to tell you the best type of grass for your locale and particular uses, how often different grass varieties need mowing, what kinds of computerized weather and irrigation systems you might consider installing, and a host of other details that will get on the road to ever greater sustainability.

iStock_000032281830Medium.jpg

PAC Report

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

I was surfing around on the Internet the other day when a jarring Club Industry headline caught my attention: “American Physical Inactivity Reaches Six-Year High, Club Memberships Increase.” It doesn’t seem to make any sense, but according to a recent report from the Physical Activity Council (PAC), a group made up of IHRSA and five other sports and manufacturer associations, it is the case that 82.7 million Americans (28.3 percent) were physically inactive in 2014, an increase of 0.7 percent from 2013. It is also the case that health club memberships have grown by 18.6 percent since 2008, with the total number of health club visits in 2014 surpassing five billion for the second year in a row. Health club members checked in an average of 103 times in 2014, an all-time high.

What does it all mean? The data, based on nearly 11,000 online interviews carried out with a nationwide sample of individuals and households, suggest that the country’s fitness-related crises — obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and the like — are here to stay, and perhaps only getting worse. But at the same time, more and more people are joining health clubs and they’re visiting their clubs more often.

It can be hard, with statistics, to make meaningful interpretations and arrive at some kind of truth. But it seems safe to say, at the very least, that the news from the Physical Activity Council is both good and bad. As Tom Cove, PAC chairman and president and CEO of the Sports and Fitness Industry Association put it, “While we can look at [the physical inactivity] number in a negative light, I would like to use it as a wakeup call to not only our industry but the rest of society. It’s time we put our time and resources into industry initiatives and national campaigns to increase physical activity.”

In other words, the number may be alarming, but we can use it to start instigating change. And there’s no group better positioned to do so than the fitness industry — especially given that other statistic, the steadily growing popularity of fitness centers and health clubs. Joe Moore, IHRSA President and CEO, explained it this way: “These numbers demonstrate the important role health clubs play in helping more and more Americans improve their overall health and wellbeing.”

Thus, while the two statistical figures seem contradictory, they’re really sending the same message: Venues that enable and promote fitness and opportunities for exercise are a vital part of the equation when it comes to keeping the country healthy, and we, as an industry, need to step up our efforts to reverse the trend toward greater physical inactivity.

In practical terms, maybe this means it’s time for your club to become more involved in your community and to actively seek out members of the community who lack physical activity. Programs that create incentive for such people to try out your facility and that then support their efforts to sustain a more active lifestyle could work wonders—and could lead to benefits for both them and your club. We spend so much time focusing on physical activity, but maybe what we need to do now is shift our attention to physical inactivity.

iStock_000030501524_XXXLarge.jpg

Jumping on the Machine-Based Workout Trend

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

Machines in group workout classes: It’s a trend that started slowly and quietly picked up speed, until all of the sudden it’s everywhere. What began with stationary bikes in the exercise room has exploded into treadmills, rowing machines, stairmasters, and ellipticals in the exercise room, and health clubs around the country are benefitting in terms of both retention and secondary revenue. If you haven’t yet begun offering machine-based group classes, or you haven’t yet expanded your offerings beyond daily spin classes, it’s time to consider the possibilities.

First, understand what kind of machine-based group workouts your community would be interested in. Take an online poll or ask members to fill out a survey when they walk in. Ask questions carefully: You want answers not only from members already familiar with exercise machines but also from members who do not regularly use them. Ask survey-takers what machines they have used in the past, what machines they might be willing to try, whether they’ve ever taken a machine-based group class before, and what might incentivize them to try one. Once you’ve gathered enough responses, assess the results.

Weigh the intelligence you gathered from members against your capacities as a club. If the majority of respondents said they’d like to try, say, a rowing class, consider whether you already own enough rowing machines to begin offering such a class. If you don’t, do a cost-benefits analysis to determine whether it makes sense to purchase additional rowing machines. If your members’ responses to survey questions leave you with no clear direction — that is, equal numbers want rowing classes and treadmill classes — you’ll need to decide whether you have the space, machinery, and resources to offer both. If not, you may need to make an educated guess about which one seems more likely to attract members (and new clients).

Next, plan out the logistics. Machine-based class programming is necessarily more involved than other kinds of class programming; you have to know what space in your facility can serve as a dedicated rowing classroom or stairmaster classroom — or, consider whether it’s possible to hold the class right in your current cardio center. Perhaps the machines you need can be isolated to one side of your cardio room and reserved for forty-five-minute stretches at a few points during the day or week when you offer the class. While this kind of planning is under way, consider what new equipment you might need to purchase, and how you’ll go about doing so. Will you take out bank loans to cover the cost? Will you lease machines? If the latter, what type of lease will you seek? It’s best to start a few direct conversations with both banks and leasing companies so you can decide which option will work best for your facility.

Once you have those details plotted out, try offering mini trial classes. You can consider these market research. If you pitch them to members as focus groups that will allow them to have a hand in shaping the class experience, you’ll likely find enthusiastic participants. After the trial classes, survey participants to find out what they liked and didn’t like. Ask specific questions: Did they appreciate whatever music and lighting effects accompanied the class? Do they have suggestions for improving the instruction? Did they like the warm-up segment of the class? The cool-down? What would they change if they could change anything?

Finally, when you have the form of the class fully figured out, advertise it like crazy. Post videos, photos, and testimonials on social media sites; paper your facility with informative flyers; give trial participants incentives to spread news of the class by word-of-mouth. Soon you’ll find yourself wondering why it took you so long to set one up, and you’ll be considering what new machine-based class to develop next.

iStock_000001351376Medium.jpg

ACE Urges Congress to Focus on Prevention

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

Recently, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) submitted a letter to Congress, urging the governmental body to redefine the U.S.’s approach to healthcare. Rather than focus on treating people who are ill, our healthcare system should emphasize illness prevention, ACE argued, while also empowering sufferers of chronic disease to manage their discomfort. As the letter put it: “[O]ur healthcare system needs to shift from one almost solely focused on responding to people who are ill to investing in preventing people from getting sick in the first place and empowering those with chronic conditions to helping themselves when they can.”

Among the intriguing policies that ACE enjoined Congress to adopt is this one: “Allow for financial incentives through tax policies to encourage increased participation through physical activity to reduce the chances of incurring preventable chronic diseases.” What this amounts to in plain English: “Reimburse people who pay to work out!”

In addition to benefitting large swathes of the population, ACE’s proposed financial-incentives plan could, of course, have beneficial effects for the fitness industry. The plan is ingenious. If individuals are reimbursed through tax policies for payments they make to gyms, sports centers, and other fitness facilities, then those individuals will have the opportunity to work toward better health at a lower cost. The facilities they sign up with will enjoy the benefits of a growing membership along with, ideally, built-in incentives for members to stay on-board. And, as citizens become healthier, managing their chronic illnesses and preventing the onset of new disease, the government, over the long term, will begin to see the overall cost of healthcare fall. Everybody wins.

Other proposals in ACE’s letter are equally hopeful. “Make science-based, interdisciplinary coaching, counseling, and support for sustainable behavioral change a functional, integral component of the nation’s healthcare system.” Elsewhere in the letter, ACE describes its members as “advocates for extending the clinic into the community with science-based preventative services delivered by well-qualified professionals not necessarily thought of as healthcare providers.” Put these two together, and you have a movement to enable greater health and healthier decision-making through the involvement of a population of workers not as overburdened as doctors and other medical professionals but qualified to provide health-related guidance — that is, personal trainers, nutritionists, physical therapists, masseuses, and others who make the fitness industry their home.

Another policy ACE pitched to Congress articulates this even more directly: “Extend the healthcare team into the community by tapping well-qualified health and fitness professionals to deliver preventative services and programs focused on behavior change directly in the community, reimbursable by health insurance.” A side benefit of a policy like this one is that health and fitness professionals could be held in greater esteem by the population at large, their knowledge and their services valued for the truly life-transforming elements they are.

All in all, ACE’s letter to Congress is one to read, promote, and actively support. As one of those health and fitness professionals who stands to benefit so much, call your local Congressperson and make your feelings about the letter known. Echo ACE’s words: “The single most effective path to manage rising healthcare costs is to reduce the cost of managing choric disease.” Then explain how your work has proven to you over and over again the truth of this statement.

iStock_000021232510Small.jpg

Competing with the Home Gym

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

As winter is a time for hunkering down, it seems appropriate that I haven’t been able to get myself to the gym for several weeks now; all I want to do is curl up under a blanket. I have, however, managed to find a few exercise podcasts and videos and start working up a sweat in my home office. I know I’m not getting quite the level of exercise I need: no equipment, no trainer, no instructor, no fellow sufferers. But it’s hard to kick my own rear in a gym-ward direction when I know I can get at least some sort of workout at home.

I’m not the only one. I have a couple of friends who swear by the stationary bikes in their living rooms; one guy I know has an entire weight room in his basement. And recently the Wall Street Journal reported that, while sales of traditional home fitness equipment have declined in the past few years, and while the percentage of Americans with gym memberships has pretty much held steady, sales of lower-priced fitness items, like yoga mats and workout DVDs, have increased. The fact is that sometimes fitness centers are competing for customers not only with other fitness centers, but also with those customers’ personal spaces. What can be done to pull people — yes, people like me — away from the yoga blocks in their closet or the medicine balls in their bedroom and into the gym?

The key is to offer benefits that outweigh the benefits of working out at home. The way I see it, working out at home has three major benefits: It saves money, it saves time, and it’s oh-so-convenient. But I know that going to the gym instead of exercising at home would get me to my fitness goals faster. There, I can use equipment that much more efficiently burns fat and increases muscle than anything I can do at home. More importantly, I can call upon the expertise of trainers and instructors who can show me how to position my body just right or explain why I’m at risk of injuring myself if I’m performing reps incorrectly.

But the best thing, the thing I most lack at home? External sources of motivation. No matter how great the podcast I’m streaming might be, it’s nothing compared to the rush I get when I’m trying to run faster than the guy on the treadmill next to me, or the comfort I feel when I mess up a Zumba move and a sympathetic classmate tells me not to worry about it, or the simple satisfaction that comes from not being the only one, all alone, trying to keep myself healthy and live right.

So your task as a health club owner or manager is to remind me why I’m better off at the gym. Have your fitness concierge (you have one, right?) send out emails to folks like me to tell us what the gym can offer us that we can’t get at home. Post videos on social media that show me other people who managed to get themselves to the gym that day. Even ask one of your trainers to call and check in on me — you can bet that being held accountable by someone I’m eager to please is going to finally get my butt out the door. I know I’m saying the onus is on you, but that’s really how it is. You got the gym up and running; it’s your job to get me coming to it.

Keep in mind, too, that you actually can compete directly with some of the home-based workout benefits. Given that convenience is a big factor, you can offer special deals to people who live close to your facility — within a few blocks, say, or within a mile or two. You’re convenient for at least some people. Make it your business to make sure those people know it. And given that saving time and money is a big factor, you can consider offering winter discounts and designing (and widely advertising) super fast classes, ones that get members in and out of the gym in under thirty minutes.

It might be hard to lure people like me out of our houses before the crocuses start blooming and the birds start singing, but it’s not impossible. Make it worth our while.

gym community

How To Choose Staff Scheduling Software

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

There are certain tasks any employer has to manage: hiring dependable workers, handling employee benefits, organizing HR paperwork. Then there is one particular task that presents unique challenges to employers in the fitness industry: staff scheduling. If you run a health club or other kind of fitness facility, chances are you know what I’m talking about. You employ many different types of employees, and your facility is open from early morning till late night (or perhaps even 24 hours a day). With a number of part-time jobs that need to be filled, maybe you hire students who have complicated schedules you have to work around. Perhaps you need after-hours cleaners to get your facility ready for morning exercisers. And then there are your personal trainers and class instructors, whose hours vary from day to day and who may or may not take individual appointments with customers.

Whatever the particulars at your facility, no doubt juggling employee schedules presents complications. These days, most fitness facilities find that juggling next to impossible without a software solution. Or, at the very least, attempting to schedule the old-fashioned way proves to be an enormously time-consuming and endlessly shifting task. Makes sense: With front desk personnel, sales staff, class instructors, cleaners, life guards, personal trainers, child care attendants, laundry room managers, and many other types of workers, a fitness facility manager has to piece together employee schedules like a puzzle. Computers, of course, are great puzzle-solvers.

However, you can’t settle on just any software solution for the important work of scheduling. Look for products that will allow you to create an unlimited number of job classifications, first of all. Make sure the software you choose offers the option to define specific pay rates for each employee. You also will need a solution that lets you run and export detailed payroll reports in a range of formats, including xml files, csv, pdf, MHTML, excel, tiff files, and Word formats. Also key is a program that allows designated employees administrator privileges to override staff clock in/out hours (because in and out hours aren’t necessary clear-cut). And it’s important to consider a program that lets you restrict clock in/out functions to specific terminals.

What’s more, you want an employee scheduling system that will help your facility optimize trainer and instructor productivity by scheduling recurring sessions and eliminating double-bookings. Such solutions should allow you to create daily, weekly, or monthly schedules for trainers and instructors; meet individual client needs by offering pre-paid and post-billed packages; create unique trainer logins to track individual schedules and earnings; define customized commission and pay rates for each trainer; run reports detailing payroll and commission totals and other elements; and automate email and text reminders to clients and trainers about upcoming sessions.

The bottom line: Do your research before you choose a software solution that offers staff scheduling capabilities. Generic solutions might not have the capacity to handle the particular needs of businesses in the fitness industry; a better choice probably is one geared toward the industry. You spend significant resources on finding and hiring the best staff you can; be sure you piece together their work schedules in a way that will most benefit your facility.

front desk help

Easing Rush Hour

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

No one likes rush hour. The crowds, the slowness, the general irritation of having other people block your way — given the choice, most people would go far out of their way to avoid it. In fact, in a recent study by The Retention People, researchers found that the one complaint members of top-performing clubs have most often is that the clubs are too busy at peak times. This, of course, is good news for clubs: Too busy equals successful. But you have to balance that kind of success with retention. If your members become fed-up with crowded spaces and inadequate facilities, they might choose to leave and you’ll be stuck watching your retention rates sink.

Unfortunately for members, many of them do not have a choice about avoiding rush hour. They work regular business hours and tend to families, and that leaves few options for hitting the gym: before work, during lunch, or after work. In other words, rush hour. So what can you do to improve the rush hour experience for your members?

Interestingly, The Retention People study asked members a single question: On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend your health club to a friend or colleague? Respondents were categorized according to their ratings: “Promotors” gave their clubs a rating of 9 or 10, “Passives” a rating of 7 or 8, and “Detractors” a rating of 0 through 6. Respondents also were given the option of explaining their answer. Researchers then used scores and common phrases to identify issues. As far as the rush hour problem goes, some of the words detractors most commonly used were “crowded,” “changing rooms,” and “equipment,” in explaining their reasons for responding negatively. If you’re looking to improve rush hour, these are the areas you should focus on.

• Crowded: Assess the space in your facility. In particular, watch the flow of traffic into and out of the facility during peak times. Do customers wait in line to reach the front desk? If so, increase your front desk staff or consider whether you need to make staff changes. If employees are not the issue, is there another way to increase efficiency up front? Can you install automatic card readers (if you don’t have them already), so members can flash their IDs and go? What about other spaces in the facility? Where are the crowds? How can you even them out?

• Changing rooms: Assess your changing room areas. First of all, do you have the resources to expand them? If not, can you do a redesign? Ideally, of course, you want changing rooms to offer plenty of locker space, wide aisles for a free flow of traffic, and enough showers, bathroom stalls, and dressing-room spaces that customers never feel like they’re being made to wait. If your changing rooms are cramped or inadequate and reconstruction isn’t an option, can you designate secondary changing rooms (such as family rooms) for specific groups during rush hour only? Can you hire more attendants to ensure smoother operation?

• Equipment: Again, you need to assess your situation: Do you have enough desirable equipment — and enough space for it — that members never feel like they’re waiting for the treadmill, medicine ball, stationary bike, or whatever other item it might be that they want to use? If not, can you acquire more of the most sought-after pieces of equipment? Can you impose a rush-hour only time limit on those pieces?

It’s going to be impossible to give everyone everything they want during rush hour. Some members will have to wait sometimes. Some will have to grudgingly deal with time limits. Some will get fed up and leave. But if you can reduce the chances of losing members, it’s worth trying to do so. One other interesting thing to note about The Retention People study: Promotors at top-performing clubs — that is, members who rated the likelihood of their recommending the club to others very high — said that what they like about their club is the “fantastic staff”, “great service”, and “friendly team.” If reducing the rush hour crunch is too challenging, then you can always compensate with supreme customer service. That goes a long way toward solving every problem.

sauna and spas

Getting Green While Getting Clean

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

We’ve talked before in this space about going green: making small changes to everyday practices in order to create more eco-friendly athletic and fitness facilities. We’ve talked about making big changes too: about using sustainable building materials and developing lighting, heating, and cooling strategies that leave smaller environmental footprints. One thing we haven’t talked about, though, is laundry. That’s why I was glad to see a great article about athletic laundry facilities on Athletic Business’s website.

The article points out the complications of working at an athletic laundry facility: the use of multiple fabric types in sports uniforms (today’s uniforms typically comprise five different types); the need to have a constant supply of towels available on demand; the expectation that workout clothes and other gear will be clean and ready whenever needed. Given the high-pressure environment, it’s not surprising that ecological efficiency is not the first thing on a laundry room’s agenda. But the laundry room is a place where a huge footprint can be left. From massive amounts of water, to massive amounts of energy used to power the water, to the chemicals required for those complicated cleaning jobs, athletic laundry rooms present big challenges to the “go green” effort.

So, if you run an athletic facility — or a fitness center with a laundry room for processing copious towels — what can you do to strive for greater eco-efficiency?

Start with the water. As the Athletic Business article notes, using programmable-control machines that automatically choose appropriate water levels for different wash jobs reduces human error in water consumption. Also, filling machines with appropriately sized loads makes a big difference. Most people underload, Gary Gauthier, a regional sales manager with the Pellerin Milnor Corporation, told Athletic Business. “This practice,” he said, “wastes water, chemicals, energy, and time.” What’s an appropriate load size? “I encourage that frontloading washer-extractors be filled until there’s a football-sized opening at the top of the basket,” Gauthier said. Other possibilities to consider: washers that have shower-rinse features along with bath-rinse features, washers that use polymer beads or other new technologies in place of most water, and washers that allow you to reclaim the water used for rinsing.

Next, think about chemicals. Taking steps to conserve water is just the beginning. Choosing the right chemicals also goes a long way toward reducing environmental impact. Cold-water chemicals that clean fabrics effectively save on costs associated with heating water. Ozone, a chemical less harsh than chlorine and equally effective in smaller amounts, disappears as it cleans and loosens fibers for softer, cleaner items; it also has the added benefit of conserving water because it requires less to get the job done. Whatever chemicals you choose for your facility, laundry experts recommend building up a good working relationship with your chemical representatives. “A knowledgeable chemical rep who can visit the laundry locally and solve cleaning issues is an ideal resource for any athletic facility,” Gauthier told Athletic Business.

Finally, review your laundry facility’s operational efficiency regularly. With continually updated uniforms, new styles of towels, changes in practice gear and equipment, and other frequently changing variables in the laundry room, it’s essential to keep your laundering practices up-to-date. Otherwise, it’s easy to keep cycling through routines established in past years (or even decades) without pausing to consider whether those routines are still relevant. Reviewing your operational efficiency allows you to analyze data related to towel loads, water usage, chemical optimization, and much more, and to make decisions related to your analysis. In other words, don’t let the laundry room operate on autopilot. Take charge of the controls, and you’ll find yourself with a more sustainable facility — and maybe even cleaner clothes.

personal trainers

Small Group Training Is Here to Stay

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

Nearly every day, on my walks, jogs, or bike rides through Central Park, I see them: handfuls of people using benches for leg dips or tricep drills, doing pushups in the pathways, or swinging kettlebells in unison. These are the small group training classes, growing in popularity across the industry seemingly day by day. With each group is an instructor, carefully watching and giving tips and critiques as the exercisers push themselves toward whatever goals they separately and collectively have. That “collectively” aspect is significant, I think, because I also see lone exercisers — joggers, yogis, stretchers — and, on the whole, the ones in groups look happier. They laugh with each other, they chat while they’re mid-squat, they exchange eye-rolls when their trainer asks for ten more burpees.

Consisting usually of three to five students, small group training sessions hold benefits for everyone. Trainers get to take on more clients and increase their incomes; members get individualized attention at lower costs plus a ready-made, intimate community working toward similar goals; and fitness facilities get a new revenue stream, possibly new members, and very likely increased retention. Ultimately, small group training combines the most attractive aspects of a gym workout: They’re fun, they’re social, and they produce results.

Is it any wonder, then, that the phenomenon is continuingly increasing in popularity? In 2007, it was 19 on the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual list of trends driving the fitness industry. By 2013, it was 10; last year, it was 9. Health and fitness expert Pete McCall, at the American Council on Exercise (ACE), wrote in a blog at the end of last year, “[2015] may be the year we see revenue from small-group programming surpass revenue generated by one-on-one personal training.” Everyone seems to agree: It’s a trend that’s here to stay, and it’s only going to grow.

What does its popularity mean for your facility? If you haven’t already incorporated small group training into your offerings, it’s time to consider doing so. Getting started requires little to no upfront investment. Everything you need is already there: equipment, trainers, members. It’s just a question of programming and getting the word out. For the programming aspect, focus on designing classes that last at least four to six weeks — that gives participants a chance to bond with one another and see some results. Sessions should take place during set times, and often it is useful to design them around specific topics: in one class lower back health, for example, in another, leg strength. Put groups together either by advertising the start of a small group class that will focus on a particular topic and inviting participants, or by asking members to coordinate their own groups; trainers can then tailor the topics to the group’s needs and wants.

As for getting the word out, one great way to do this is to hold sessions in a central, visible location in your club. This will drum up interest from other members and also create an energy and can infuse the whole facility. Also, of course, advertise heavily on social media, through email blasts, and via flyers and posters in your facility. And rely on word of mouth. One of the best aspects of small group training is that it naturally encourages members to pull their friends in for workouts; let them spread the word about your exciting new offerings. Some of those friends could turn into new members, and with the intense bonds that small group training encourages among participants, those members are likely to want to stay.

sauna and spa

How to Clean a Sauna & Commercial Steam Room

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (7) Comments

Soon after I first joined my gym, I was describing my experiences there to a friend of mine. “Wait,” she said. “Do you even work out?”

It was a valid question. Pretty much all I’d talked about were the sauna and steam room. I’m not ashamed to admit it: These were my absolute favorite features of the gym. Yeah, yeah, I’d get in a good workout — all well and good. But stepping into that steam room afterward? That was heaven. Cooling off with a cold shower after the steam room and then heating myself to dry perfection in the sauna? An even higher plane of heaven.

And then came the day when I finished my workout, went to the locker room, got myself all ready for the steam-filled wonderfulness — and found myself staring at a sign that said, “Out of Order Until Further Notice. Sorry for the Inconvenience.” I didn’t cry. I still had the sauna. Until soon after, when I found on the sauna door, you guessed it, a sign that read, “Out of Order Until Further Notice. Sorry for the Inconvenience.” I actually did feel almost on the verge of tears when I saw that one.

I don’t blame my gym. Saunas and steam rooms are hard to maintain. And eventually the facility got things up and running again, and in the long-run I wasn’t too terribly inconvenienced. But still. A sauna and/or steam room can be a huge draw for prospective members and a key to retaining current members. Figuring out how to keep them up — and keep them clean, welcoming, and well-maintained — is crucial for any fitness facility offering them as amenities. Here are a few sauna care tips to keep in mind:

1. Adopt a rigid cleaning regimen. It’s best to do this at the outset, so if you’ve got a brand new or recently renovated facility, you’re in a good position to make sure your sauna flor and steam room will look forever pristine. If you’re an established facility and your sauna maintenance cleaning regimen is only so-so, it’s time to step things up. At a minimum, require staff to thoroughly wipe and deep clean these rooms weekly; with some sauna cleaning products. Especially ensure that they scrub under benches with a damp cloth and mild detergent cleaner— that’s where all the sweat stains and dirt coming off of users’ bodies go.

2. Pay particular attention to surfaces touched frequently. Reino Tarkiainen, president of Portland, Oregon-based Finlandia Sauna, recently told Athletic Business magazine that new benches should be coated with a water-based sealant to allow for easier sponge cleaning and reduce perspiration stains from users. Wood, in general, is hard to wash, Tarkiainen cautioned, especially because a commercial cleaning agent can stain it — as can simply plain water. The best method, he said, is to ask patrons to use a towel. “It’s good protection for themselves, and that body moisture goes into the towel,” he told Athletic Business. He also said that facility owners should be prepared to replace wooden benches and backrests in a sauna frequently — even once a year. It’s a relatively inexpensive step that will extend the life of a sauna for years.

3. When it’s time to build or rebuild, choose materials carefully. It’s traditional for saunas to feature all wood and for steam rooms to feature all tile, but other, more durable options exist. Areas in a sauna that will be touched should be wood like red cedar, but other areas could be done in tile and stone, which last longer than wood. Doors can be aluminum, and special plastics designed to withstand high heat can be used in door handles and even floors. With steam rooms, tile can be replaced with specialized plastic that is resistant to bacteria and mold growth. Any materials prone to get moldy or rust — wood, metal — should be avoided in a steam room.

4. Keep saunas and steam rooms welcoming. Consider carefully the lighting used in your sauna and steam room. Typically, light fixtures in these settings appear to be surrounded by jelly jars set in a small cage. These can be hidden with valences or placed below benches. Alternatively, you can find ways to use glass creatively to bring in more natural light. And, for both steam rooms and saunas, consider aroma enhancement — if it smells right, it will feel clean, and patrons, relishing the relaxing environment they are privileged to experience, might even be more likely to follow the rules you set to keep your amenities lasting forever.

gym community

Stepping Up the Locker Room Game

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

Lately, there’s been a lot of locker-room talk in our industry. I don’t mean we’re saying inappropriate things; I mean, literally, we’re talking about locker rooms. It seems that facilities everywhere have begun to rethink the locker room and its centrality to the health, success, mindset, and even the reputation of a sports team. The old model — cold, ugly rooms; small, grey, smelly metal lockers; hard, narrow benches — is going the way of the all-leather soccer ball. The new model — mini barber shops, self-ventilating wooden lockers, football-shaped rooms — is cropping up at colleges and in pro-league facilities everywhere. It has evolved along with the evolving nature of college and professional sports, as competition becomes more intense than ever before, the amount of practice time increases, greater amounts of money and business investments are at stake, and game plans depend on technology more than ever before.

The Hatfield-Dowlin Complex at the University of Oregon is one example of a state-of-the-art locker room that has fans, parents, professional sports leagues, facilities directors — and, of course, players themselves — gawking. The complex has its own barber shop. Lockers are engineered to block odors, and they feature images of football players, with the actual names of the teams’ players’ names appearing on the jerseys in the images. Hidden doors create the sense that the locker room does not contain any lockers at all, and benches lined up against the wall under the lockers allow players to face each other during team talks.

At Oregon’s complex and in other facilities, technology plays a big role. Smart TV screens allow coaches to diagram directly on a screen or to pull up digital video footage of action that occurred in practice or a game. Almost all new locker rooms are hooked up with more power outlets than ever before to allow players and coaches to recharge their devices. Almost all are built to be wi-fi ready. Scott Radecic, senior principal at Populous, an architectural design firm with vast experience in sports facility strategic planning, told Athletic Business magazine, “At one point in time, some architects tried to design a locker space for a specific device — for an iPad, for an iPhone, for a Samsung. Well, these devices change so often that really the most important thing to do is provide a place to store the device, whatever it is, but make sure there’s power.”

And that’s what teams are doing. But technology is not the only thing advancing — changes in configuration and size are also at play. Both individual lockers and entire locker rooms are expanding. “When you say, ‘I want a minimum locker width of 42 inches and then I want to put every locker on the perimeter’… all of a sudden this becomes an extremely large room,” Radecic told Athletic Business. The new locker room in the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium measures about 160 feet in length, larger than any other locker room Radecic has ever been in. Meanwhile, space layouts are becoming both more creative and more functional. That giant locker room in Minnesota’s facility is football-shaped; the idea is to create a huge, welcoming space in the dead of winter.

Underlining all of these changes is an awareness of the need to make an impression. At both college and pro facilities, locker rooms have become more public than ever before. People tour facilities and get a glimpse of private spaces. Before and after games, television cameras follow players around locker rooms. And players and teams themselves post images of their facilities’ inner spaces all over social media. These realities are creating a drive for a clean presentation; for extras, such as color-varying LED lights embedded in lockers or flat screens installed in each individual locker; for elaborate team logo displays. The result is an unprecedented kind of mood-setting in the locker room environment — and the hope is partly that that mood-setting will result in higher team morale and, ultimately, better playing.

Whether or not that’s the case remains to be seen, but certainly it’s true that players are finding themselves in greater comfort in their inner sanctums than ever has been the case before. Maybe it’s time for your facility to get its own locker room boost?

front desk help

Your Management Software Solution and Your Front Desk

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

If you ask yourself where your facility’s nucleus of member service lies, what is your answer? The front desk? Most likely. It’s where almost all member-related activities take place, and it serves as the main communication point for prospects, members, trainers, sales staff, instructors, and managers. At the same time, chances are you rely on a management software solution that is the beating heart beneath your front desk, a system that, for starters, organizes, maintains, and stores member information and allows you and your staff to access that information instantly and easily. Given how important a software solution is to your front desk’s functioning, it’s crucial to ensure that the two elements—the desk and the software—are fully integrated. Here are a few ways to do so.

First, train front desk staff completely. If your software system is going to fulfill your needs, your staff will have to know how to optimize its capabilities. A software solution package should come with training support (if you’ve purchased one that doesn’t, it’s probably time to shop around for a better alternative). Sign up with your provider for a training course, and be sure to sign your key staff members up as well. Moreover, know how to answer your employees’ questions about the system (and where to go for answers if you don’t have them). At base, you — and at least some of your employees — should know how to use the system to process payments, manage sales leads, attract new members, retain members, address attrition, and forecast revenue. Get up to speed on anything you’re unsure about, and keep your employees up to speed as well.

Once you know your front desk staff is using your software system to its full capacity, you’ll want to focus on how well your security procedures integrate with your system’s security features. Management software enhances front desk security in a number of ways. First and foremost, it can pop up photos of members as they check in, allowing staff to verify that the member and the person present are the same person. Moreover, your management software can help you fine-tune access to your club. Member-specific features, such as image capture and fingerprint scanning, help deter nonmembers from entering. These features also can help alert front-desk staff if memberships are past due or expired, allowing them to deal with issues on the spot.

On a lighter note, your software solution can help enhance member experience by providing your staff members with instant, member-specific alerts. If someone checks in on their birthday, you can configure your system to display a happy birthday message, so that front-desk staff can convey their wishes on behalf of the facility. If someone is recovering from an injury that they have reported to your facility, a message to that effect can pop up, allowing staff to enquire about their progress. All in all, the front-desk experience can become a more personal and enjoyable one, helping to create an atmosphere that keeps members coming back (not to mention renewing their memberships and spreading the word to prospects).

One more feature of your management software solution to pay close attention to when it comes to front-desk business: back-up. As with any system that channels important information, your management software solution requires efficient data backup and storage. Find out what kind of backup/restore utilities are available with your system. How frequently does your software transmit information from your facility to your provider’s mainframe, and how often is that mainframe backed up? Do you have online access to member information? The last thing you want is for front-desk staff to be checking someone in, only to find out the system has crashed. Be sure to institute a regimen of periodically backing up your data, whether by archiving it on another network computer located off-site or distributing it to removable storage media. Review your regimen with key employees, and check it occasionally to be sure it’s functioning as intended.

business keywords

Matching Future Goals with Software Solutions

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

When it comes to facility management software, it can be difficult to know what product will be a good fit for your company. What features do you assess in order to make a determination? How can you know, before putting money down, whether a given product will be right for you?

One factor that can set a product apart from others is what is planned for it in the future. As Athletic Business magazine put it in a recent article, “What are the vendor’s future plans — and yours? Given how rapidly technology is evolving, this might be the most important question to ask once you have your priorities in mind.” The question is crucial not only because of the pace at which technology changes but also because, as a business, your facility must grow in order to thrive. If you invest in a software solution that will not grow with you, you’ll find yourself in a few years having to choose a new solution all over again — or having to figure out how to live with an inadequate one.

To understand what a vendor plans for a software product’s future, you need to know two things: what additional features a company has in development and how your own needs might change. In talks with salespeople, ask what features the vendor plans to implement in the future, and when implementation is expected to happen. Some particular features to consider inquiring about: mobile compatibility (if the software doesn’t already have a mobile feature, will it? Will it work on all devices?), simplified registration for and checking into group fitness classes (will the software solution allow for one or two clicks that let members efficiently register or check in?), encryption techniques (will software updates include whatever encryption technologies are most cutting edge at the time?). Also, think about your particular future needs. If you’re a college rec center, perhaps you plan to offer occasional outdoor adventure programming — does the software solution you’re considering allow for this, or might it in the future? Are you considering implementing wearable integration, and, if so, can the solution support this?

Clearly, you need to undertake some self-reflection before you begin asking about the future of a given product. If you haven’t already, sit down with your core team and brainstorm how you want the next five years — and the next ten and fifteen and twenty years — to look for your facility. What’s your wishlist in terms of general development and growth? What do you imagine for your facility particularly in terms of technological implementation? What do you hope your management software will be able to do for you down the road? Once you articulate answers to such questions, you can begin to understand the kinds of questions you need to ask about management software products. Don’t be afraid to get carried away. If you envision eventually have a sixty-foot rock-climbing wall that ascends from the deep end of a swimming pool, but you currently have no wall and no aquatic center, make sure your management software package either has the capacity to handle a climbing-wall-cum-swimming pool or will have it. Anything you can project as a possible reality for your facility, you want your software to be able to handle — if not now, then at some point.

So think ahead, think big, and ask questions about what’s to come.

gym community

Making a Fitness Facility a Home

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

Last year, my friend and I both started using a running app. The app coached us through sessions and let us keep track of our goals, routes, calories burned, and distances. It also gave us the option to link to our Facebook accounts so that our intentions and our successes (and, yes, failures) could be publicly broadcast. My friend chose to keep her Facebook community up-to-date; I chose to lie low.

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that she’s still running (she recently signed up for a 10K), while I’ve called it quits. We started out pretty equal in terms of experience, fitness, and determination levels — but she found the motivation to keep going, while somewhere along the way I got bored or distracted or lazy or something. To be honest, I don’t entirely know why I stopped. But I suspect I know why she didn’t: She had a community to support her.

It’s a scientifically verified fact that when we have a community supporting our efforts to accomplish a goal, we’re much more likely actually to actually accomplish it. In one study conducted by Weilos, a social media site where people post about their attempts to lose weight, individuals who documented their progress by publicly posting photos of their bodies lost 1.2 pounds per week, while individuals who relied only on a diet and exercise program lost .27 pounds. In another study, published in 2013 in Translational Behavioral Medicine, one group of participants enrolled in a weight-loss program was asked to publish progress, questions, and requests for support on Twitter; a second group was asked to post nothing. While the two groups showed equal amounts of weight loss, individuals who posted most frequently always lost the most weight. The message is clear: Establish a community and you’re more likely to stick to your goals.

The thing is, not everyone whose goals involve weight loss or fitness wants a virtual community. That’s where fitness facilities come in. With a fitness facility, you are able to provide exercisers with real-life access to a group of people with similar goals and real-life access to a staff whose purpose is to help further those goals. Those are huge assets, and we constantly hear industry stories suggesting that facilities with the best member retention and most successful word-of-mouth new membership campaigns are the ones that make people feel they are a part of something. As Anthony Wall, Director of Professional Education at the American Council on Exercise in San Diego, California, expressed it in a recent post on the IHRSA blog: “Exactly how a club creates a sense of belonging and community will depend, to some extent, on the type of facility. However, at the end of the day, it comes down to making members feel welcome…. the one thing that all successful health and fitness facilities have in common is staff who are genuinely concerned about members, and enjoy being part of their involvement in club activities.”

Ali Lucas, Director of Marketing for BodyBusiness Health Club and Spa in Austin, Texas, agrees. “Hire and fire the right people,” she said in the same blog post. “Define your purpose and values, and compare every decision against them. Compensate and reward employees based on their performance. Train them to create a consistent member and guest experience.” She tells the story of a former member who had to cancel because she was moving out of state. The member posted a video testimonial — which in itself is telling — saying that she was going to miss two things: her church and her health club. “Lots of gyms have nice equipment and good classes,” the member said in the video, “but it’ll be hard to find one with the same kind of heart.”

That’s what you want: for your members to recognize the heart in your facility, and to feel an emotional attachment to the community they have there. Building such a community depends first of all, on your staff. It also depends on your efforts to promote social interaction, whether you introduce members to each other, hold networking events, form clubs that address members’ interests, or, yes, build up an online social media presence. Whatever your approach, make it part of your membership and retention strategy to make your facility a true community. You’ll know you’ve achieved that when you hear a member call it “home.”

sporting event fans

Making Special Events a Revenue Stream

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

Looking for ways to create a new revenue stream or beef up an existing one? Look no further than the space all around you. It’s all you need in order to pull in earnings over and above what you make through membership dues.

I’m talking about special events. You have the space. Chances are you have open time slots too. Given these, you have the opportunity to invite community groups, families, schools, and anyone else you can think of in for one-off or recurring events. You just need to figure out how to position yourself as the place to call when someone is looking for event space.

From an event planner’s point of view, pricing is probably the top concern. What you can reasonably charge probably depends a lot on where you’re located — there are facilities in Manhattan that charge upwards of $5,000 just for a kid’s birthday party; joints in small towns probably couldn’t get away with quite so much. Do some research and see what the going rates are in your area. Then figure out how little you can afford to charge. I know that sounds anti-intuitive, but the fact is that if your facility’s primary function is to provide lessons, leagues, games, coaching, and the like, maybe you can consider anything that comes in from special events extra. Keeping your fees low can help make you the most appealing place in town.

On a related note, don’t get hung up on providing extras. Keep those fees low by offering the minimum that groups and families need in order to create their own fun: a space. Maybe a space and a couple coaches, some sports equipment. Too many facilities think they’re competing with other kinds of venues that go all out providing decorations, food, entertainment, and the like. You’re not that kind of venue; you’re a sports center or health club with some space to offer. And many event planners want to choose their own extras anyway. If you feel you must offer more, think about devising package plans: space plus extras for those who want a “just-the-facts” option for those who don’t.

But do be sure to offer incentives. Give free passes to classes, practices, and training sessions to event planners; offer them the chance to secure the space a second time for half price. Brainstorm whatever other kinds of incentives might work best for your facility. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to see the event as a marketing opportunity. Ask your event organizers if you can hand out flyers during their events — or, better yet, flyers with coupons attached. Let everyone who comes know what kinds of classes and services you offer. And, most importantly, make sure you are pulling reports on sales of these programs and offers in your club management software.You will want the physical proof of your progress! If you do it right, special events can be more than just a revenue stream — they can bring you new members and clients, too!

puzzle piece

Helping Your Members Find Their Own Way

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

I have a confession to make: Exercise bores me. Don’t get me wrong — I love staying fit, and I love the way I feel after a great workout, but no matter what exercise routine I try, after a while I get bored and want something new. For a while I was into spin classes. Then it was Zumba. Then aquatic aerobics, HIIT-style repetitions, and just plain jogging. Now I’m all about indoor climbing. I was starting to think there’s something wrong with me, but then I stumbled across a post on the “Be Active Your Way” blog, a publication of the Department of Health and Human Services. Written by Alexandra Black, a dietician and IHRSA’s Health Promotion Manager, the article is not about keeping exercise interesting — but it nevertheless put my mind at ease and inspired me to continue trying new routines.

What the article is about is this: using trial and error to determine the best workouts for individuals. “Each person,” Black writes, “has a unique genetic makeup, different life experiences, and varied medical histories that make it nearly impossible to prescribe one great diet or one great fitness plan for all.” Because of this, she says, the best way for individuals to figure out what works for them is through trial and error. The health and medical industries are beginning to recognize this, and the result of moving away from a one-size-fits-all mindset is better care and better long-term health for people. Black puts it this way: “As the trend towards individualized healthcare continues, we’re recognizing that every person is different, and that treating them as such — both in healthcare and in wellness — is often where the real magic happens.”

Which brings me back to my boredom issue. Reading Black’s thoughts on trial and error made me realize that the only way for me to find a routine that doesn’t eventually bore me is to keep trying new ones — and that it’s okay to do so. Maybe I just haven’t found the right one yet, and I need to keep searching until I do. Or maybe it’s the case that my genetic makeup, life experiences, and medical history make me a person who needs constant changes in her workout routine in order to most benefit from working out. Whatever the case, thinking about fitness as something that requires an individualized approach completely changes the way I think about working out. It gives me a feeling that I have permission to keep trying whatever I want to try.

Why am I sharing all this? Because chances are that an individualized fitness approach is something that would appeal to your members too. Of course, if you have personal trainers or some kind of personalized workout program, you already promote individualized fitness — but doing so explicitly could put your members at ease (enough so that they renew their memberships and talk your facility up to all their friends and social network connections). Defining individualized fitness and explaining its benefits — through posters, emails, social media, and one-on-one sales and promotion pitches — can help your members feel freer to engage in their own trial and error, giving new workouts and exercises a try, experimenting until they know what works best for them. And helping them in that way greatly increases the chances that they’re going to keep coming back to you.

gym community

Preparing Your Club For A Brand New Year

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

I’m guessing you barely even have time to read this, so I’m going to get straight to the point: The January rush is on. You’ve been preparing for it, no doubt, since early last month. Take a breather (a really short one) and make sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row. If you don’t, don’t panic: You still have time to create solutions and ready yourself and your facility for the swell of 2016 resolution-makers you’re going to see in the coming weeks. Here are some top tips:
1) Ensure that any new staff members you’ve hired to handle the busy time are fully trained and confident. You probably lined those new employees up several weeks ago, and no doubt you’ve been teaching them the ins and outs of your facility’s operations. Don’t assume they’re ready to fly, though: You need to check in with them frequently (several times a day for the first week or so) to make sure they understand your procedures and are handling your most valuable resources (your customers) with great care. Give them ample opportunity to ask questions about anything they don’t understand. Create checklists for them to simplify their tasks. Hold staff meetings once a week, and publicly recognize the contributions of your temporary staff members so they feel invested in your facility.
2) With all staff, old and new, temporary and long term, make sure you’ve conveyed a clear idea about what to expect. They need to be prepared to handle lines of people checking in, chaotic situations, and possibly some impatient customers. The more prepared they are, the more likely they’ll be to keep their cool in tough situations.
3) Your sales team needs to be as highly prepared as your greeters and front desk staff. Educate the team about the specific ways in which your club stands out from the competition. In order to leave prospects with the impression that it’s simply a fact that your club is better, your sales staff should be able to spew off your club’s distinguishing features effortlessly and with great confidence. On a related note, if there’s any time of the year to offer sign-up incentives, this is it. Figure out what extras your facility can offer to attract new members, and make sure prospects understand exactly what those extras are.
4) Increase your staff’s efficiency. Arm sales people and other employees with tablets or other mobile devices that make processes seamless for both prospects and current members. Front desk folk can walk down the line of waiting customers, checking them in. Sales staff can iron out the enrollment process by having paperless forms at their fingertips.
5) Adjust schedules to accommodate heavy traffic. Slate classes for non-peak hours in order to channel people toward slower periods. If, during these heavily trafficked weeks, you realize your current schedule isn’t working, don’t be afraid to make changes. Customers will easily adjust once they realize their own needs are better served by more efficiently scheduled classes.
Whatever you do during this beginning-of-the-year rush, take note of what works for you and what doesn’t. Reflect on ways in which you might be better prepared next year. If necessary, make resolutions of your own about getting started in November this year. Post-Halloween is the perfect time to begin setting yourself up for New Year’s success — and to make things run so smoothly that you’re setting your new and existing members up for success as well.

Personal-Trainer

How a Software Solution Could Maximize Your Time

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

If you run a sports center, health club, gym, or niche exercise venture, chances are you don’t have enough time. It would take someone superhuman, after all, to open a facility early in the morning; oversee employees, attend meetings, troubleshoot, pay bills, coordinate with contractors, and do all the other zillion things required of business owners (including maybe even running a class or a training session or two); perform end-of-the-day accounting and shut-down routines (the end of the day often being 10 p.m.); and tend to post-work familial and social obligations while still having time leftover. Never mind finding the hours needed to grow your business in whatever way you dream of growing it.

Where Does a business software solution come in?

Software packages designed for the sports and fitness industries automate many of the processes that consume a great deal of time if you do them by hand or using basic word-processing or spreadsheet programs designed for other purposes. Business software solutions produce user-friendly reports, convey messages to employees and members, send out automatic notices to collect member dues, schedule trainers and instructors, track equipment, manage leagues, provide marketing tools, and much, much more. Automating these functions gives you more time for the things you want and need to get done. It also gives you the security that comes with knowing that one, overarching system is running your entire operation.

How do you choose the solution that’s right for your facility?

First, you have to know what needs the software must meet. Take the time to study your current business requirements, design, and mission. Review the hardware and software you already have in place, and analyze their current strengths and shortcomings. Consider also what kind of financial investment you are willing and able to make in a software package. (If all of this seems like too much of a burden on your already stuffed schedule, consider hiring an organizational analyst who can come in, determine your needs, and make recommendations. Sometimes having an outsider’s perspective is more helpful anyway.) A key part of this step: Consider not only what your business needs now, but also what it will need a year, five years, ten years down the road. You don’t want to invest in something your business will outgrow quickly.

Second, consider security.

With each passing day, more and more business applications use the cloud: that mysterious, invisible place where so much of the world’s data is stored. The more applications that use them, the more vulnerable businesses are to hackers and malware. Before you choose a software solution, ensure that the company that provides it has a reputation for security. Ask what security options the software includes. Does it encrypt stored data? What level of encryption does it support? Doing your homework in this area could save you many headaches down the road.

Finally, don’t evaluate just the software — also evaluate the vendor.

You don’t want to choose a company that executes great ideas poorly or mismanages its people or products. You do want a company with proven vendor stability. That’s not to say it has to have been around for decades, but the executive team should include industry leaders. You should consider the size of the vendor, what its core business is, and whether its software truly supports the sports and fitness industries.

Finding the right software can mean reduced expenses, increased profits, happier employees and members — and more time for you. If you’re not already using a software solution, start looking into the possibilities today. And if you are, consider an overall assessment to be sure the one you’ve got is the best one for you.

GymManagementSoftwareDisplay"
gym community

The Core Is Core

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

So, here’s a question: How many of your facility’s offerings have to do with helping your clients strengthen their core? If you answered, “A lot,” that’s a good start, or so would say some industry leaders who believe focusing on the core is the best possible strategy right now — for both fitness businesses and clients. If you answered, “All of them,” you’re at the forefront of a new trend: facilities that make core-training the foundation of their entire business model. A recent, fascinating article on the IHRSA website takes a close look at the growing trend and at the expansion of core-training offerings at fitness facilities around the country.

Mike Z. Robinson, IDEA’s 2015 Personal Trainer of the Year and owner of MZR Fitness, a training studio in San Luis Obispo, California, told IHRSA he’s “seen a definite increase in the number of boutique studios that feature core-based movements — facilities that focus, for example, on Pilates and barre. Their main selling point is a workout constructed around the core. At the same time, traditional gyms are offering more core-centric classes, because consumers have become aware of the benefits. Program schedules are reflecting the trend, the demand.”

Some trainers go so far as to say the trend is taking over. Amy Dixon, the national creative manager for group fitness for Equinox Fitness and a master trainer for BOSU and Shockwave, told IHRSA, “For a while, we saw a push toward the high-intensity end of the spectrum. Today, I believe, the pendulum is swinging back…. We’re seeing clubs integrate core into all their classes.” In other words, the focus now is turning toward exercises necessary for sharpening the core and away from the kinds of high-intensity activities that stress the importance of raising, and then resting, the heart rate.

Why the renewed interest in core-based exercising? Dixon, Robinson, and other trainers argue that a strong core is the foundation of good fitness. “When you help clients improve their core strength,” said Kim Ingleby, founder of the Energised Performance studio in Bristol, England, “you’re making it possible for them to progress to more complex exercises while simultaneously reducing the probability of injury.” A strong core, therefore, lowers the chances of sprains and other pains, and increases the chances of improved results for members. At the same time, it reduces liability concerns for clubs, because clients are progressing through strength-training safely and appropriately.

How do you jump on the trend? It’s easy to incorporate core basics into an existing program. Think beyond crunches, which are effective but not as effective as other moves; it’s better to focus on motions that truly integrate the core, such as squats, push-ups, or lateral lunges. As Dixon puts it, “Multidimensional movement is the key.” Think about how you might pull such movements into, say, classes for skiing or triathlons. Also, keep in mind that manufacturers are coming out with more and more core-focused pieces, such as BOSU, CoreTex, and Core Stix. Other equipment mentioned by some of the trainers IHRSA spoke with include TPX, ViPR, and Life Fitness’s SYNRGY360. Also, consider designing a core-for-beginners class, one aimed at a population that never has thought much about its core, let alone exercised it before. “Everyone, no matter their age or their initial condition, needs core work,” Dixon pointed out, “and, with the right training, they will improve.” But they need to be given the chance to get started.

Wherever you boost up your core offerings, keep in mind that it’s crucial to let your clients know, first of all, that you consider core-work vital, and second of all, that you’re creating more possibilities for clients to focus on the core. Use social media, email blasts, face-to-face sales, and attractive flyers to get the word out. And make sure you emphasize the possibility for fun when it comes to core-training — and the great potential benefits.

customer satisfaction

What Do Best-Of Lists Mean?

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

“The 20 Best Gyms and Health Clubs in New York City,” “The Best Gyms in America for Every Workout,” “The 31 Best Gyms in America 2015”: Gyms, fitness centers, and sports facilities are subject to the near-constant publication of such lists, ones which, with varying degrees of validity, have great power to influence consumer decision-making. Every time you turn around, some magazine or other is ranking our businesses, comparing them with one another, and fitting their comparisons into some possibly arbitrary list that consumers might swallow wholesale when they’re contemplating putting money down. What’s a fitness facility to do?

First of all, don’t ignore the lists. It might be painful to read them, you might feel disempowered by them or frustrated by what you see as their meaninglessness, but you’ve got to keep in mind that your members are reading them, your competition is reading them, and your employees are reading them. And while you might not agree with their criteria or believe in their research methods, you need to keep up with what they’re saying about the industry. So, read the lists, even if you never appear on one or if you appear low down — or if you’re high up.

You want to read them not just because they give you information about what your colleagues, competitors, and membership know or believe to be true about fitness facilities, but also because they can give you clues about how to improve your business. Are the cleanest and hippest gyms the highest rated? If so, maybe it’s time to impose draconian standards for cleanliness and get yourself a new look. Are the sports facilities with former pro athletes the top-ranking ones? If so, maybe you need to reconsider who you’re hiring. Use the criteria in the best-of lists to help you make decisions about changes you could instigate in your facility.

That said; don’t give every list equal weight. Some best-of lists are drawn up with minimal research, and the meaninglessness you sense in the conclusions they draw is very real. Consider the publication the list appears in — is it one you think highly of yourself, or one you don’t really care about? Is it one with a large readership, or not much more than a cheap brochure? If it’s a web-only publication, how prominent is the advertising? That, more than anything, could determine who makes the publication’s lists and who doesn’t. Another factor to consider is reader input: Was the list created based on results of a survey that readers responded to? Or was it drawn up in an editorial meeting by people who perhaps have never been in a gym in their lives? If the latter, maybe you can take it with a grain of salt (read it, for the reasons stated earlier, but don’t pay it too much heed). If the former, you should tune in: The votes of readers and consumers probably do hold meaning, or at the very least probably can tell you what it is many of your members and prospective members consider important and attractive in a facility.

Take, for example, the article “31 Best Gyms in America 2015,” published recently by Active Times. While this magazine may not be as popular or as commercially significant as Fitness or Self, its best-of list is based on reader responses to a survey. What did the survey reveal? That cleanliness, community, and membership cost, in that order, are the three factors consumers consider most important when choosing a fitness facility. Would you ever have guessed that cost comes after cleanliness? Now look around you: How do you prioritize cleanliness vs. cost? Does your facility reflect members’ concerns adequately?

The bottom line is this: You can learn from best-of lists; you can even improve your operation based on what they say. And you should pay close attention when the lists are the result of reader responses. But you shouldn’t pay them too much mind overall — whatever list you’re not on today, you might be on tomorrow, and who can say why?

schedule

What Do Best-Of Lists Mean?

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

“The 20 Best Gyms and Health Clubs in New York City,” “The Best Gyms in America for Every Workout,” “The 31 Best Gyms in America 2015”: Gyms, fitness centers, and sports facilities are subject to the near-constant publication of such lists, ones which, with varying degrees of validity, have great power to influence consumer decision-making. Every time you turn around, some magazine or other is ranking our businesses, comparing them with one another, and fitting their comparisons into some possibly arbitrary list that consumers might swallow wholesale when they’re contemplating putting money down. What’s a fitness facility to do?

First of all, don’t ignore the lists. It might be painful to read them, you might feel disempowered by them or frustrated by what you see as their meaninglessness, but you’ve got to keep in mind that your members are reading them, your competition is reading them, and your employees are reading them. And while you might not agree with their criteria or believe in their research methods, you need to keep up with what they’re saying about the industry. So, read the lists, even if you never appear on one or if you appear low down — or if you’re high up.

You want to read them not just because they give you information about what your colleagues, competitors, and membership know or believe to be true about fitness facilities, but also because they can give you clues about how to improve your business. Are the cleanest and hippest gyms the highest rated? If so, maybe it’s time to impose draconian standards for cleanliness and get yourself a new look. Are the sports facilities with former pro athletes the top-ranking ones? If so, maybe you need to reconsider who you’re hiring. Do the clubs that make the top of the list use an all-in-one gym management software? Perhaps you should think of investing in management software to streamline your business practices. Use the criteria in the best-of lists to help you make decisions about changes you could instigate in your facility.

That said; don’t give every list equal weight. Some best-of lists are drawn up with minimal research, and the meaninglessness you sense in the conclusions they draw is very real. Consider the publication the list appears in — is it one you think highly of yourself, or one you don’t really care about? Is it one with a large readership, or not much more than a cheap brochure? If it’s a web-only publication, how prominent is the advertising? That, more than anything, could determine who makes the publication’s lists and who doesn’t. Another factor to consider is reader input: Was the list created based on results of a survey that readers responded to? Or was it drawn up in an editorial meeting by people who perhaps have never been in a gym in their lives? If the latter, maybe you can take it with a grain of salt (read it, for the reasons stated earlier, but don’t pay it too much heed). If the former, you should tune in: The votes of readers and consumers probably do hold meaning, or at the very least probably can tell you what it is many of your members and prospective members consider important and attractive in a facility.

Take, for example, the article “31 Best Gyms in America 2015,” published recently by Active Times. While this magazine may not be as popular or as commercially significant as Fitness or Self, its best-of list is based on reader responses to a survey. What did the survey reveal? That cleanliness, community, and membership cost, in that order, are the three factors consumers consider most important when choosing a fitness facility. Would you ever have guessed that cost comes after cleanliness? Now look around you: How do you prioritize cleanliness vs. cost? Does your facility reflect members’ concerns adequately?

The bottom line is this: You can learn from best-of lists; you can even improve your operation based on what they say. And you should pay close attention when the lists are the result of reader responses. But you shouldn’t pay them too much mind overall — whatever list you’re not on today, you might be on tomorrow, and who can say why?

statistics and analytics

Grow Your Business with the Right Software Solution

« Blog | Written by ezfacility | | (0) Comments

So you want to grow your fitness facility but you’re not sure how to do it. The answer might be staring you in the face — literally, if you’re reading this on a computer or other device. The best way to grow your business? Find a software solution that’s going to help you do so.

The right software solution can take your business to the next level in a number of ways. First and most obviously, a good software solution helps you store your key business and client information and access it whenever you need it, from any kind of device. If you’re relying on spreadsheets to track your key financial and client information, you’re quickly going to find yourself overwhelmed — or at least less efficient than you could be. With a business software solution storing your most important data for you, you have the capacity to instantly and easily find whatever information you need. Instant, easy access to crucial information equals a smarter, faster, bigger business.

Moreover, a business software solution allows you to run reports and perform functions that spreadsheets simply can’t do. Imagine seamlessly producing reports that allow you to ensure all of your books are reconciled, analyze your membership base, monitor member attendance, track referral sources, determine your most popular sessions, pin down your busiest time of day, identify underperforming classes, and run a range of financial and point-of-sale reports that highlight opportunities for business growth. For starters. And, again, all at your fingertips, with such reports available from any device at any moment. How much more smoothly would your business run? How much more quickly would you be able to develop ideas for growth?

Of course, the right business software solution also will help you with your marketing needs. For one thing, it will enhance your website by allowing you to embed key tools and features. Embedded class schedule, anyone? Also, customizable automations can help you reach out to students who failed to join your gym after signing up for a trial membership, or supply visitors to your website with key marketing materials when they click a “request more information button.”

Another way your software solution will help you grow is by making it easy for your clients to pay you. All well and good, you say, but how does this lead to growth? Essentially, if paying you requires effort — even slight effort — your clients will be more likely to cancel their membership. Think about it: Each month, they have to make a choice about whether to remain with your club or find another one (or quit club memberships altogether). On the other hand, if payments are automatic, there’s no monthly decision point. There’s no opportunity for your clients to — consciously or unconsciously — reevaluate the benefits gained at the cost of their membership. So what’s another thing a great business software solution will provide you with? An affordable payment processing option. Looking for the right one means finding one that makes it easy for you to make it easy for your students to pay.

All in all, investing in a software solution, or shopping around for one better than the one you already use, just makes good business sense. The more smoothly your operations run, the more time, effort, and resources you can devote to growing your business. Get that software solution going today.