How to Start Your Own Gym

As the world starts to emerge out of the era of the pandemic, the beginning of 2022 sets a new height of goals and expectations. People are already starting to return to normal life, and things are going back to how they were before the pandemic. One of the most popular destinations for people as they emerge out of their 4-walled rooms and homes will be the gym. Hence, there’s no better time than now to open your own gym. 

However, starting your own gym might sound easy, but it needs some careful consideration of a few core factors for things to operate smoothly. Let us take you through some of the core elements of how to start your own gym:

Location

First and foremost, location is a crucial part of starting anything, let alone opening a gym. A prime location gives you a head start in starting your own gym and getting the attention of people. After all, you don’t want to spend years trying to get noticed from the back of the street. The ideal location will be an area that houses a high concentration of people who are out and about. Another crucial element is public transport! Make sure your new gym is easily accessible. 

The Right Equipment

When talking about how to start your own gym, the first thing many think of is the equipment available. Remember, people are coming to the gym because they don’t have the equipment at home. To start off with, strength training and cardio are the two main areas when opening your own gym, later, as you expand you can move to more narrow avenues. 

Equipment such as bench presses, squat racks, deadlift mats, dumbbells and racks, treadmills and rowing machines are some of the main starting points. Depending on how spacious your gym is and your budget, you can then get multiples of the same machines, especially treadmills or explore other options.

Hiring The Right People

Remember, among operational and maintenance costs, perhaps the largest cost is your gym staff. Choose wisely. When opening your own gym, it can be very tempting to hire a team of people forming several departments; however, this is a recipe for disaster. When opening a gym, try to focus on the core areas and only hire people from those sectors. 

These core areas usually include custodial work, maintenance and repairs, accounting and bookkeeping, advertising and marketing, trainers and administration staff. These areas by themselves will start to account for a big number of staff, start small, learn to manage and then expand your teams as your business grows. 

Building Layout

The building layout is another deal making, or breaking factor when talking about how to start your own gym. Many gyms fail to keep their customers due to suffocating rooms, lack of windows, and narrow corridors are some of the structural elements to stay away from. Try to find a building with a reasonable amount of space for people to walk and exercise freely, without bumping into one another. 

When starting your own gym, it’s understandable if you can’t afford a large facility with world-class views. Some windows will do just fine! Depending on the culture and laws, it might also be worth considering if the mens and women’s sections are in the same space or separated. Finally, have water coolers and spaces to sit and relax as a courtesy!

Side Revenue Streams

Starting your own gym is no easy task, neither is it cheap. Hence, it can be a good idea to extract as much revenue as possible after opening your own gym. Apart from membership and coaching fees, try looking into fitness-related products and merchandise which can be added to the shelf. 

These can include fitness books and guides, nutritional supplements, gym apparel, fitness related appliances (hand-held blenders, supplement mixers etc.) and small equipment such as flasks and cups. You might be surprised as to the amount of revenue you can generate from this!

Summary

These were just a few ideas and elements to keep in mind on how to start your own gym. As we mentioned, starting your own gym is no easy task and if you’re looking for a wide variety of gym equipment, head over to Athletic Vision Fitness, for everything you need on how to start your own gym.