Hi, I’m Steve,
Hard times are here. Inflation is skyrocketing, petrol prices are through the roof and more and more economists are predicting a full-scale recession ahead. All of these financial pressures are bound to have an impact on gyms. With people being squeezed from every angle, they’re going to be looking at every non-essential expense with a critical eye.
For your gym to make it through the hard times, you’ve got to adapt. In this article, I’ll run through thirteen strategies you can apply today to come out the other end as healthy as ever.
The Strategies at a Glance
- Nurture Your Brand Advocates
- Learn to Duck and Weave
- Use Targeted Social Media Advertising
- Diversify the Markets You Serve
- Automate Your Business Processes
- Set Up More Subscription Paid Services
- Request Feedback
- Do Not Drop Your Prices
- Focus on the Big Picture
- Conduct a Staff Inventory
- Make Sure You Have Cash Access
- Focus on the Details
- Do Not Cut Back Your Services
Strategy #1: Nurture Your Brand Advocates
You will have plenty of happy and contented customers who are willing to spread the news about your gym. During hard times, these members are more valuable to you than ever. At this time, you need to help them maintain interest and desire to become your best advocates.
Identify who your gym advocate members are. These will be people who have a lot of influence in the community. If you can win over that person, they will be bound to tell a large number of people all the great things about your gym. As well as delivering the same top-notch service that you give to all of your members, consider offering some sort of reward to your identified brand advocates. It could be that they receive a free month’s membership for every new member that comes in from a recommendation from them.
Strategy #2: Learn to Duck and Weave
During hard times you have got to be able to duck and weave. In other words, you must be ready for anything. If something isn’t working, be prepared to ditch it. Be open to new low-cost ways of promoting your business. The worst thing you can do during hard times is to do nothing as if you were a deer stuck in the headlights. So, be prepared to make the tough calls and to think outside the square!