Health Club Business Planning In A Recession

Unfortunately, many health clubs are feeling the pinch of the economic recession we're experiencing. This week Lifetime Fitness announced that they are laying off 100 employees from the Minnesota head office. At the same time, Lifetime Fitness announced that their goal for new gyms in 2009 has been reduced from 11 to 6.

The Lifetime Fitness MN office has been around for about 16 years, and has never had to endure layoffs before.

Lifetime Fitness stock dropped 33 cents, or 2.8%, on the news.

With so many of the 'big' players hurting, what can the small health club owners do to protect themselves?

First of all, gym owners need to be trimming the fat right now. We're not talking about body fat, either! Now is the time to be reducing any expenses that you can and getting your overhead down to a manageable level.

For most fitness center owners, their largest expenses are the 3 L's: lease, labor and liability.

If you're struggling to pay your monthly lease, there are some steps you can take to help make ends meet. First of all, you should consider going to your landlord and negotiating a lower lease. There's nothing wrong with just "laying it on the line" and stating that you can't afford to pay the full amount. If you've been a good tenant, the landlord may grant a temporary reduction. You may want to remind the landlord that, in this economy, there's not exactly a line forming to rent from them!

If the very thought of negotiating with your landlord makes your knees knock with fright, then you should consider taking a course by Brian Tracy. We recommend this one: Learn how to influence others - Simply by using your words. Brian Tracy's - How to Talk: Secrets of Great Communicators. Learn how now.


Labor is the next easiest expense to control, as we've seen today with the Lifetime Fitness layoffs. Nobody likes to eliminate jobs, but the hard and cold fact of the matter is that sometimes there's no other option. You may need to work more hours yourself to make ends meet. Keep in mind that such a move will probably be temporary, as you can always call those laid off employees back when things pick up again.

The third expense "L" is liability. It's entirely possible that you can save some money on your liability insurance just by shopping around. The www.cuecd.com team has seen rates vary by as much as DOUBLE for the exact same health club liability coverage! It will just take a few minutes to shop around for an insurance comparison, and the payoff could be huge! While you're at it, you should also take a few minutes to shop around for personal insurance quotes. You can Get a FREE quote with AIGDirect.com. Click Here.


When trimming expenses you should also take a good hard look at your "cost of doing business" monthly expenses. Are you leaving the lights on at night? Could you turn the heat down just a little bit? Small changes can make a difference!

Finally, are you paying too much for debit and credit card processing? When's the last time you shopped around for payment processing quotes? One of the best processors we've found is Electronic Transfer, and they're probably worth checking out. You can find more information here: Accept Credit Cards - Free Credit Card Processing Set Up


Cutting expenses is just one piece of the pie, but a necessary one if you're going to continue to survive or thrive in this market.

The goal by cutting expenses is to help you earn more money. Another goal you should keep in mind right now is saving whatever cash you can. Many health club owners fall into the trap of reinvesting too much into their business and never paying themselves. It's always something they can do tomorrow, and for many tomorrow never comes. Personal financial success is one of the reasons why we all got into this business in the first place, isn't it?

If you're a gym owner who has been neglecting to pay yourself, and you have some available revenue to do so now, then we recommend that you check into ShareBuilder 401(k) for Small Businesses


If you're in the same boat as Lifetime Fitness, and you're now between a rock and a hard place financially speaking, then maybe the best step for you is to talk with an attorney about your legal options.

Although the www.cuecd.com team does bring you TONS of FREE advice about how to best own and operate a health club, we are not lawyers and we are not qualified to issue legal advice. If you're in a position where you need to take a good, hard look at closing your doors, then you need to speak with an attorney. Again, price is a consideration here so we recommend that you perform an attorney search by using Legal Match: Need a Business Lawyer?


The bottom line is that your business planning process simply cannot slow down during this economic recession. On the contrary, this is exactly when your health club management skills need to kick into high gear! Cutting expenses is one very large piece of this puzzle, and we sincerely hope that you take the time to at least consider your options when it comes to controlling gym costs.

In the meantime, don't forget that health club marketing and health club promotions are more important now then ever! We encourage you to check out our FREE library of health club marketing articles today. Here you'll learn how to sell gym memberships on a budget, and that's good advice in any economic situation!

How To Sell Gym Memberships In November

The economic recession in America is taking a toll on health clubs. Many gyms report that sales are down, and renewals are declining as well.

Is economic depression survival possible for the average fitness center? ABSOLUTELY!

The purpose of this blog posting is to examine how to sell gym memberships in November. Adopting a couple of these ideas will help you break the downward trend and start signing up new members today!

For one good example of how to sell fitness in November we need to check out the industry experts at 24 Hour Fitness - Join Today


All 24 Hour Fitness locations will be running a Thanksgiving sale November 26th at 12:00 noon through December 1st. This time period encompasses Thanksgiving, Black Friday and "Cyber Monday". (NOTE: If you're not familiar with the term, "Cyber Monday" is the one day where the most Christmas shopping online is done.)

What's so smart about the 24 Hour Fitness approach is that they are taking advantage of Black Friday 2008 (the day after Thanksgiving, known in the retail world as Black Friday). Without a doubt, the day after Thanksgiving is the single biggest sales day for many retailers. From Amazon to Wal-Mart, Black Friday deals pull shoppers into stores like moths to a flame. Mountains of Black Friday ads fill up the newspaper, and television ads run nonstop. It's been true for years, and Black Friday 2008 will be no exception.

So, knowing that Black Friday deals will entice shoppers into spending, the question becomes WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

24 Hour Fitness locations will be promoting four different offers:
Offer 1: $0 initiation and $19.99 monthly dues for a One Club Sport month to month membership.
Offer 2: $0 initiation and $29.99 monthly dues for a All Club Sport month to month membership.
Offer 3: Three-Year Prepaid Membership with four 50-minute Personal Training Sessions for $549.99 and access to over 390 Sport clubs.
Offer 4: We are offering the bodybugg calorie management system for $149.50 (requires subscription to web based tracking tool). Good while supplies last.

The folks at 24 Hour Fitness aren't dumb. They know that Black Friday deals will bring in the new members, and they're ready!

The moral of the story is that you NEED to be open on the day after Thanksgiving, you NEED to have some Black Friday deals ready in advance, and you NEED to run some Black Friday ads prior to Thanksgiving.

The Black Friday ad you run should be a GREAT price and it should be valid for just one day. If you're short on promotional funds, at least come up with a sale and send it out to everyone on your email list. (If you don't maintain an email list of members AND potential members, you should!) Don't forget to promote your Black Friday deals in the gym, too.

So how else do you sell gym memberships in November?

Most Gold's Gym locations are promoting a concept they're calling "Beat Recession Depression". On their website and in some of their health clubs, Gold's Gym is boosting November sales with information like this: "The economy. The election. The war: Don't let today's bad news drag your attitude down with it. We'll show you how an hour-long escape to the gym can improve you physically and mentally."

Need another idea about how to sell fitness in November? Keep reading!

Another way to sell gym memberships in November is to focus on holiday weight gain, and how you can help your members stay trim this Thanksgiving. "Researchers now say they have some good news for us -- and some bad news. The good news? Most of us gain less weight over the winter holidays than we think, only one pound on average. The bad news? We never take it off" (source: archives.cnn.com).

Almost everyone is concerned about gaining a ton of weight over the holidays, and you're in a position to help them! First of all, you can help them exercise properly so they're burning fat. You can also educate them about what to eat, when to eat, and how to eat so they can minimize weight gain. The fact of the matter is that you have the knowledge to help the average person on the street avoid holiday weight gain. Are you bragging about that? You should be!

There you have it.....Three ways to sell gym memberships in November:
1) Use Black Friday ads to your advantage,
2) Teach the public how exercise helps beat depression,
3) Emphasize how exercise keeps off the holiday pounds.

By the way, it's not too early to start planning how you're going to sell gym memberships in December! Be sure to read our How To Sell Fitness In December article so you can have a very merry Christmas this year!

Can Barack Obama Election Results Help You Sell Gym Memberships?

Here's the question of the day: Can Barack Obama election results help you sell gym memberships? The answer is a resounding YES!

The public is (understandably) very interested in Obama right now, and is actively seeking information about this man who was so little-known until just two years ago. That's the good news. The even better news for us in the health and fitness industry is that the Barack Obama biography is chock-full of stuff we can use to sell gym memberships this year!

NOW is the time to research the Obama exercise routine and then offer it to your health club members and prospective members. Barack is known to love basketball, so if your gym offers basketball you can promote that right now with a motto like this: "Join The Obama Campaign For Healthier Living Through Basketball".

Any circuit training health club can promote the fact that regular exercise relieves stress. Use some Barack Obama quotes to support this claim, such as this Obama quote that appeared in Men's Health: "The main reason I do it [exercise] is just to clear my head and relieve me of stress. My blood pressure is pretty low and I tend to be a healthy eater."

Another good strategy is to challenge gym members to take the Barack Obama test for health and fitness. Barack is known to exercise for 45 minutes per day, 6 days each week. He alternates days between weights and cardio. Issue a challenge to your health club members to match the amount of exercise Obama is getting between now and Inauguration Day. Following this Obama workout routine will mean that your fitness center members will be exercising 2,000+ minutes before Obama is sworn in as President of the United States!

There are a million other ways that you can use the Barack Obama election results to help you sell gym memberships, but those ideas should get you started. No matter which idea you use, be sure to include some Barack Obama pictures in your advertising to further benefit from this 'celebrity' promotion.

Using the Obama election win to sell gym memberships is just smart marketing, and the time to take advantage of this opportunity is NOW. Good luck!

Inexpensive Ways To Compete With The New Curves Smart Technology

The current economic recession is wreaking havoc for a lot of health club owners, and that's a fact. How are you responding to this economic depression we're in? Many Curves locations are trying some new tactics to retain memberships.

Curves is currently running advertisements about their new CurvesSmart technology, which provides up-to-the-minute feedback for gym members. Their new tagline is "I Am Curves Smart."

Curves is running "I Am Curves Smart" ads on television, radio, online and also in newspapers and magazines. The advertising campaign is the chain's biggest since it went national in 2003. According to Nielsen Monitor-Plus, Curves spent $19 million on U.S. advertising in 2007 and $9 million through July of this year (excluding online).

Here's what the Curves website has to say about their new CurveSmart technology: "CurvesSmart is a state-of-the-art personal coaching system that has been incorporated into our 30-minute circuit workout. Now every piece of equipment in our circuit is programmed with your body’s information to give you moment-by-moment feedback. CurvesSmart also automatically adjusts to your body’s endurance level so you stay continually challenged and achieve your potential on every machine, during every workout. CurvesSmart then automatically computes all of your workout data to produce detailed progress reports that show your overall muscle strength, your calories burned and how close you are to reaching your goals. It’s the knowledge and motivation you need to get the results you want."

Adding an expensive new technology to every piece of circuit training equipment in the gym may by beyond your budget. However, you can almost certainly afford to spice up the circuit by adding some new (and inexpensive) pieces of exercise equipment!

Here are a few circuit training ideas of how you can add some equipment to your existing circuit training program for very little money. Adding fitness equipment keeps the workout fresh and exciting for your members, while at the same time helping them achieve better results.

Adding dumbbells to a circuit is just a smart move. It's very inexpensive, and members that need some extra exercise can use them if they wish. Most gym owners are also personal trainers, and would have no problem showing members how to do some simple exercises using Weights / Dumbbells


Bodylastics exercise bands are also a quick and inexpensive addition to any circuit training program. Exercise bands like these are easily incorporated into the circuit as just another station. They're effective and will help your members GET RESULTS FAST!! with the #1 Compact Gym System


Another inexpensive option is to offer your advanced members a weighted vest to wear as they complete their regular circuit training exercises. Since they're so affordable, you can order several different sizes and weights. You haven't experienced difficult until you've done a circuit wearing a weighted vest! You can order a 20lbs weighted vest starting at $59!!! The MIR Fitness vest.


Of course, cuecd.com also offers some inexpensive circuit training program additions that you may want to check out.

Depending on your budget, you may want to spend a little more on adding some equipment to your health club. If you're looking to add a stand-alone piece of equipment that members could use before or after their regular circuit exercise, then you should at least consider the Total Gym. For as little as $399 you can add the Total Gym® Home Fitness Equipment - Over 1 Million Satisfied Customers. Get the Body You've Always Wanted!


Finally, don't rule out the possibility of buying used fitness equipment to add to your circuit training program. Searching sites like eBay or Craigslist.com can help you pick up used exercise equipment at a fraction of the original price. We've even heard of circuit trainng health clubs bringing in fitness equipment they purchased at a local yard sale!

Remember that if you're part of a franchise, then you need to check your franchise agreement to see if you're allowed to add equipment. You should also notify your insurance company every time you add fitness equipment to your gym.

So while the Curves franchise may have their new Curves Smart program going for them, you can still enhance your own circuit training program for less cash than you expected.

Curves Smart To Host Open House

Many of us have hosted an Open House to help generate interest in our health club. Although an Open House is usually tied to a grand opening, there's no reason why you can't have an Open House any time of the year! The Curves Community of fitness centers know this, and many Curves locations are using this knowledge to their advantage.

For example, check out this article about how a Curves frachise set up their Open House.

There are many good Open House ideas out there. For example, the Lincoln City Curves location mentioned in this article got it right by offering a membership discount valid during the Open House only. They also hit a home run by issuing a press release to the local media and getting some FREE publicity.

We would also suggest that you purchase and give away some FREE gifts at all Open Houses in your health club. Everyone loves to win something, and just the mention of a drawing or gift will bring in potential clients. The gifts and prizes don't have to be expensive, either! For example, you may want to consider some small candles from Candle Bay


When planning your event, don't forget to send out Open House invitations to everybody on your lead list. The more you can send out, the better! If you have a regular email newsletter that you're sending out (and you should!), then be sure to include an announcement there. You should also mail out postcard invitations. Mail these out to all previous gym members, as well as to everyone who has visited your fitness center but did not become a member. You can make these postcards yourself or use a service like PsPrint to get 50 4"x6" Postcards for under $20


Be sure to create a real Open House party atmosphere with decorations, music, and even some healthy treats. More is better, and remember that the goal is to bring people into the gym!

Finally, don't forget that on the day of the event you should be putting up Open House signs all over the neighborhood. Hey, it works for realtors! If you're planning to host two Open Houses each year (and you should!), then it might be worth it to invest in some professionally made Open House signs. Any local sign company can help you with that, or you can Shop Custom Signs Online at BuildASign.com!


There are countless other Open House ideas you can use to make your event successful. You could consider bringing in a guest speaker to offer a FREE seminar for clients and potential clients. Another tactic is to invite your members to set up booths for their businesses! It will generate excitement for the event while at the same time create member loyalty.

The cuecd.com team recommends that you sponsor an Open House party twice each year. The first should be in January, which is by far the most profitable month for most health club owners. The date of the second Open House should be based upon your own local circumstances. It could be the anniversary date of when you opened your business. It could be tied to a local event like the annual summer parade, the local Cherry Festival, or whatever. It's up to you.

The bottom line is that many Curves locations are taking full advantage of Open Houses to gain new members, and you should be too. A well-planned Open House is an inexpensive way to gain some FREE publicity and boost health club revenue!

24 Hour Fitness Locations Offer Free Student Access

Savvy circuit training health club owners can learn a lot by watching the 'big guys' and copying them when it makes sense to do so.

Now may be the time to do so.

In case you missed it, many 24 Hour fitness locations recently announced that they are offering free gym access for student athletes. Here's part of their press release: "Access to the right fitness equipment can make a difference in your athletic training and your success as a student-athlete. Our Varsity Program helps student athletes gain FREE access to 24 Hour Fitness facilities during the school year (September 15th, 2008 - May 31st, 2009) from 2:30pm - 4:30pm. 7 days a week."

Why are they doing this? Is it because this counts as a school donation and they're receiving a tax write-off? Is it because they know that some of those athletes will eventually become paying gym members? Is it because they know that parents will be dropping off their kids, and that some of those parents will join the health club? Is it because of the free media coverage they're getting from this program? Or is it because 24 Hour Fitness centers really do care about people?

My guess is that it's a combination of all these reasons. The folks at 24 Hour Fitness are no dummies, and they know that allowing students to exercise for free is a win-win situation for them.

Notice that the free student access is restricted to two hours per day. These hours are strategically placed to be right after school and before paying members get off work. In other words, it's one of the slowest times in the day.

24 Hour Fitness also does a great job of putting together tempting offers to join their health clubs. Check out these examples:

$0 Initiation and Processing. Join 24Hour Fitness Today! Use Promo Code: AFMPW4WN5R


$20 Off a 90-Day Memberships. Join 24Hour Fitness Now!


$50 off a 1 year limited term one club membership. Use promo code: AFLMSJV8FQ


$50 off a 3 year prepaid ALL CLUB membership. Access to over 380 locations. Promo Code: AFPPAHPVXJ


2 personal training sessions for $99 at 24Hour Fitness


Save 10% when you spend $50 or more at Mystore by 24 Hour Fitness. Use promo code: AFP8128


Login now for a free 14-day guest pass!


So what can you, as a circuit training gym owner, learn from 24 Hour Fitness and these promotions?

First of all, be creative! Think outside the box. It's certainly an unusual move to get more paying members by offering free gym access to kids!

The second thing to learn from 24 Hour Fitness is that you should be varying your advertising. Don't always run with the same old tired advertisement. The seven examples above are just SOME of the recent advertising that 24 Hour Fitness locations have used. They know that different people will respond to different ads, so they vary their advertising constantly.

Finally, you should notice that 24 Hour Fitness is offering a FREE 14-DAY PASS. We're big believers in the free pass concept! It costs you nothing to allow somebody to use the facility for two weeks, and once they're in the door you have 14 days to sell them on a full membership! Even if they don't join, you'll still get their contact information for future marketing efforts.

The moral of the story is that you can learn a lot from watching the 'big guys' and how they operate. Don't hesitate to copy their moves when it makes sense!

Will You Give A Fit Flops Review?

As a health club owner, you're constantly being asked questions about weight loss products and fitness equipment. Your gym members view you as the expert, so you need to be ready with expert advice!

That's why cuecd.com is here to help you learn about Fit Flops. With literally millions of searches for Fit Flops online and with Fit Flops retailers going CRAZY trying to keep them in stock, there's no doubt that Fit Flops are one of the hottest new fitness products on the market!

But do they work? Your fitness center members have probably already asked you that question.

Most Fit Flops reviews agree that, to some extent, Fit Flops do indeed improve balance and muscle tone in the lower body. These claims are backed up by some pretty impressive research.

However, Fit Flops will NOT make an overweight client thin. They are NOT a substitute for regular gym workouts, and they are NOT an easy weight loss shortcut.

As long as your members understand that Fit Flops are not a cure-all for their weight issues, but that Fit Flops are just a nice addition to consistent fitness center visits, we see no harm in recommending them.

Fitflop, It's the Flip-flop, with the GYM built in!


We highly recommend reading the following information so you know more about Fit Flops and can better answer questions from your members.

1. FitFlop midsoles incorporate patent-pending micro-wobbleboard technology, to give you a workout while you walk. Developed by Darren James and Dr David Cook at LSBU, the FitFlop's unique safely-tapered midsole places varying densities of EVA under your feet each time you step, to challenge the support and balance muscles of the foot and leg.

2. They challenge hard to reach muscles more. FitFlops are engineered with a multi-density midsole that stimulates your muscles more while you're wearing them. In independent University testing, FitFlops have been shown to trigger increase gluteal muscle response, increased hamstring response, increase rectus femoris (thigh) response and increased calf muscle response .

3. Every step you take in your FitFlops helps tone and trim your legs: Studies at Salford University by Dr. Philip Graham-Smith and Richard Jones have shown that the FitFlop midsole extends the amount of time that the slow twitch* muscles are engaged during each step (by approximately 10-12%). So just by wearing a pair of FitFlops you'll get more exercise while doing just exactly what you're normally doing. (*slow twitch muscles produce energy by converting fats into energy aerobically)

4. FitFlops work your bum muscles more. FitFlops have been clinically proven to increase the amount of time that the gluteus maximus muscle is 'activated' during every single step.

5. FitFlops have been shown to have a significant effect on the toning muscles of your thighs: The rectus femoris muscle (one of the large muscles in the group of muscles in your thigh) is activated for a longer period of time while walking in FitFlops than while normally shod or barefoot.

6. Walking in FitFlops is like walking barefoot, but a little bit better. According to a study done at the University of Salford in Manchester, UK, the FitFlop wearer's gait is very similar to that of a barefoot walker, but the added cushion provided by the EVA midsole helps reduce joint strain and absorb shock. In fact, several FitFlop wearers have already reported relief from back pain after a few days of wearing them.

7. FitFlops make it easier to stay in shape. Just throw them on while you're running errands, walking to work, or working around your house. Most first-time FitFlop wearers report feeling their muscles working more, while 'fitter' wearers feedback has been more toward great comfort and cushion. One woman reported feeling like she'd had a 'bum-blasting' workout after a half an hour of FitFlop-shod walking.

Fitflop, It's the Flip-flop, with the GYM built in!

Accepting Credit Cards Is Essential For Health Club Success

Regular readers of the cuecd.com newsletter, website and blog know that we're always seeking ways to help you earn more money and make your health club more successful.

That's why we were more than concerned when we heard that some gyms are still not accepting credit cards!

Honestly, we thought this was a business basic that didn't need any explanation.

The ability to handle credit card processing is absolutely essential to doing business in 2008. You simply must have the ability to take credit card numbers as payment!

As a gym owner, your credit card processing company must be able to handle recurring billing. Most circuit training health clubs sign folks up for an annual membership which is billed monthly, so you will need the ability to handle that type of payment.

You will also want to control credit card processing from your computer. This will help you avoid excessive equipment fees!

Finally, if you've set up a website and you're interested in selling items on that site, then you'll want internet payment processing.

If you're like the typical fitness center owner, then you'll want to shop around until you find a company that handles credit card processing for small business and ALSO meets the three criteria listed above (recurring billing, no equipment fees, internet processing).

The company we recommend is Electronic Transfer, Inc. which offers a Merchant Account with a Free Shopping Cart


We like Electronic Transfer because they offer the following features at NO extra charge:
1) FREE Merchant Account Application
2) FREE Recurring Billing Service!
3) FREE Web Link Shopping Cart!
4) FREE online sales tracking and reporting
5) FREE extremely stiff fraud screening and protection
6) FREE increased cash flow - no long waits!
7) FREE ACH/Online Check Processing set up to instantly increase the size of your customers' purchases!
8) FREE automatic daily batching!
9) FREE automatic email receipts to you and your customer, so that you both stay on top - this drastically cuts down on useless administrative work, saving you tons of cash!
10) FREE real-time instant approval or decline both online and offline (yes, you can accept credit card orders offline, too!)

While the Electronic Transfer system is proven to be reliable, we also suggest that you do your homework and find the credit card processing company that's right for you. After all, our main concern is that you're able to accept credit card numbers as payment for your health club memberships!

Again, the company we recommend is Electronic Transfer, Inc. which offers a Merchant Account with a Free Shopping Cart


Our best suggestion is to conract Electronic Transfer for a quote, then check out other credit card processing companies so you can compare and make an intelligent decision.

No matter which company you choose, the ultimate goal is that you MUST be able to handle credit card processing our you will fall behind in the business world.

Use Printed Door Hangers For Advertising

Not too long ago I came home from work and found that I had a yellow Post-It note stuck to my door. Automatically, I thought it was a notice that I had missed a UPS delivery. But that wasn't the case. Instead, the note was from a local realtor trying to drum up some business (see the picture).

While I'm not really looking to buy or sell a home, I do appreciate the footwork this realtor is putting into their business! It's not really innovative, but it is admirable to see someone out there using a tried-and-true method to generate leads.

This realtor is basically just using a variation on the usual door hanger advertising technique, which is one of the oldest marketing gimmicks around. Using door hangers for advertising has been working for years, driving new sales for many different industries.

When's the last time you distributed door hangers for your own gym? Look, if it's been so long that you can't even answer that question, then it's time you GET BUSY with some serious dour hanger distribution!

Although you're probably not going to find free door hangers out there anywhere, having door hangers printed is not nearly as expensive as you'd expect. That's why it's such a cost-efficient advertising tool.

One of the best door hangers printing deals we've found is this: Door Hanger Printing in Full Color at PsPrint - 8 cents each!


Of course, the realtor that left a Post-It note on my door was saving even more money because he didn't even buy a full door hanger! Instead, he just had his message printed on personalized Post-It notes. Not only is this smaller and less expensive than traditional door hanger paper, it's also far easier to distribute door to door.

For a great price on personalized Post-It Notes, go here: 25% off Personalized Post-it® Notes!


It should now be obvious that it's not the door hanger printing that's expensive, but perhaps it's the door hanger distribution costs that are prohibitive.

There are a few options you can use to get your new door hangers directly to your customer base. First of all, you can distribute them yourself. Simply walking from house to house, you'll find that ON AVERAGE you can deliver about 100 door hangers per hour.

If you have employees, you can also certainly send them out to deliver door hangers for you. Be aware, however, that they may require supervision so they're not tempted to throw the door hangers away and take an extra break instead!

Yet another option would be to have some trusted health club members help you with door hanger marketing by walking the area as a group and putting ads on local doors. You can even play this up big-time by emphasizing the healthy aspect to the extra walking! You should also consider awarding your 'member helpers' a one-month free pass.

Finally, you can recruit friends and family to help you distribute door hangers free of charge.

While you probably cannot print AND distribute door hangers free of charge, it is still true that door hangers provide tremendous bang for the marketing buck!

So, to re-state the title of this blog post: YES, You Absolutely Should Use Printed Door Hangers For Advertising!

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The Curves Community Cares (and gets paid!)

It's no secret that some Curves locations are experts at publicity and public relations. The Curves franchise does a pretty good job of educating their health clubs on how to get media coverage.

For example, take a look at the media coverage Curves gyms received just today.

First of all, Curves smartly chose to support several non-profit organizations. Check out this article titled: Lakeville Curves to walk in 'Making Strides'

Other smart Curves locations are teaming up with proven national winners like Easter Seals: Curves and Easter Seals team up to raise funds in Orillia

Finally, Curves gym for women has brought in a national celebrity to support yet another cause: Olivia Newton-John Partners With Curves To Distribute The Liv(R) Breast Self-Exam Aid To 1 Million Women

There's no doubt that the Curves community has done well when it comes to getting FREE publicity while helping the neighborhood.

So, the question is, if Curves locations can do it.....why can't you?

If a Curves gym can get a FREE article in the newspaper, get a FREE spot on the local television news, and get a ton of FREE goodwill from the locals, then why can't every other health club do the same?

If you need some good advice on how to generate FREE publicity for your fitness center, just like Curves locations are doing, then you need to get our www.cuecd.com Sales Manual.

It's only $49 bucks, which isn't much when you consider that just one new member will more than pay for the manual!

Hey, the entire Curves community has this same information, and they're getting all the FREE publicity they can handle! Why shouldn't you get the same?

Go here to check out our Sales Manual today. You'll soon be reaping the rewards of FREE PUBLICITY just like Curves locations around the country!

How The Candyman Can Help You Market Your Health Club

Last week I was on vacation in beautiful Seaside, OR. If you've never been there, I highly recommend it! Besides the annual Seaside volleyball tournament and the pristine beach, there are a million things to do there. Seriously, out of all my summer trips it has been the Seaside vacations that have been the best.

Again this year I visited the Seaside Candyman store. It's a well-known shop in downtown Seaside that features 170 flavors of locally made salt water taffy. They sell it by the BUCKET, and there is often a line of customers just waiting to pay.

So what's the big deal? After all, there are probably about a dozen stores in Seaside that sell salt water taffy! Why is the Seaside Candyman store so popular and successful?

I'll tell you why, and I GUARANTEE you that I'm right on this! The Seaside Candyman store blows their competition out of the water because of good old fashioned MARKETING. Seriously, that's it.

They don't sell an exclusive product, they don't have the lowest price, and they certainly don't have the best location. But they do have a couple marketing "gimmicks" (for lack of a better word) that pay off for them BIG TIME.

First, the Seaside Candyman store pays a guy to stand on the street corner and give out free pieces of salt water taffy. While he's doing that, he sings the 'Candyman' song. Seriously. Everyone gets a coupon good for 10% off a taffy purchase, too. A singing candyman! Who would have thunk it? It's original and it gets noticed!

Second, the Seaside Candyman store has a huge wooden 'roulette' wheel on the wall inside their store. Yeah, it's HUGE. Anyone can spin the wheel and if they're lucky they can win a small bag of popcorn or a 1/4 pound of salt water taffy. It's GENIUS! People are often lined up ten deep just to take their turn at spinning the wheel. Mom takes a picture of the kiddies spinning the wheel. It instantly identifies the store and provides an atmosphere of fun and excitement!

All of that got me thinking about health club marketing and how so many gym owners feel like they're beating their heads against the wall trying to get people into their fitness center.

As gym owners, are we making it too complicated?

Is it really as simple as a singing candyman and a roulette wheel?

How about doing something similar? You might think about putting a huge roulette wheel on the wall of your health club. Seriously. Invite prospects to spin the wheel and see if they've won prizes ranging from a 1-week free pass to a free sample pack of tanning lotion. The prizes don't have to be big. People just like free stuff.

We've heard about the Liberty Fitness location that put an employee in a Statue of Liberty costume and stood them outside waving at cars. I don't know if they're still doing that, but I can promise you that a Statue of Liberty waving at you from the side of the road is going to get noticed!

So what ideas do you have for fitness center marketing? Please leave a comment so we can all learn from your experience!

If you're interested in some really innovative health club marketing techniques, then you might want to pick up a copy of our Gym Sales Manual. Just click here for details.

Oh, yeah, and if you're really hungry for some fantastic salt water taffy then you should check out the Seaside Candyman website.

Is Exercise Etc Obsolete Or Is It Another False Alarm?

Is exercise etc obsolete or is it another false alarm?

As health club owners, we pay VERY CLOSE attention whenever somebody claims that weight loss nutrition and exercise professionals are no longer needed because another scientist has invented what we call exercise on demand or exercise in a pill.

As exercise professionals, we know that exercise on demand is an absolute JOKE and a falsehood!

But it doesn't matter what we think, does it?

What matters is what the CUSTOMER thinks, and our customers are the average overweight people in weight loss groups and overeaters anonymous meetings.

In their endless quest for weight loss resources that work, our customers (and potential customers) have tried everything from weight loss surgeries to diets for weight loss success.

As WE all know, the only true to path to achieving true physical fitness is through regular exercise and a sensible diet.

However, scientists have dealt us a low blow today by announcing that a new drug may give the new benefits of exercise. Make no mistake about it, this proclomation by just a few scientists will cost you money and members!

The article released by the Associated Press (AP) on 8-1-08 began by stating that "Here's a couch potato's dream: What if a drug could help you gain some of the benefits of exercise without working up a sweat?"

Unfortunately, people will hear what they want to hear and will assume that a cure-all weight loss drug has been invented. They will assume that they don't have to exerise anymore.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

In this press release, scientists talk about Resveratrol research and AICAR research results. However, Resveratrol news is far from conclusive and so is the AICAR news released today.

First of all, the results from both drugs have been obtained from testing on mice. The AP story states that "Just how well those results might translate to people is an open question".

The second issue with the Resveratrol health benefits and the AICAR health benefits is that results are greatly enhanced with exercise. Again, the AP states that mice who exercised while taking the drug realized much greater benefits than mice who received the drug alone (without exercise).

The third problem that exercise professionals should have with this press release is that scientists don't even know how they achived their front-page results. Ron Evans, an author of the study, said that "Honestly, I just don't know how that happens. Whether it would happen in a person, I don't know. I think it's a small miracle that it happened at all".

The fourth argument against the so-called no-exercise drug AICAR is simple consumer safety. Keep in mind that this diet power drug has not been tested on humans, and an author of the study doesn't know how it worked in mice. In the same AP article, study author Ron Evans stated that ".....it [AICAR] would have to be taken for a long time.....so its safety in people would have to be assured". By the way, if this diet power drug has to be taken for a long time, just what do you think the cost will be to the consumer? It certainly won't be inexpensive!

Finally, the fifth argument against Resveratrol and AICAR is that even in mice AICAR mimics only aerobic exercise. The no-exercise AICAR thus ignores and cannot replicate anaerobic exercise, commonly known as resistance training. Since this blog is directed towards exercise professionals, we won't take the time here to go into the benefits of anaerobic training. However, this fact obviously limites the Resveratrol health benefits as well as the AICAR claims.

Perhaps Laurie Goodyear of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston said it best when she stated that "For the majority of people, it would be better to do exercise than to take a pill".

The Resveratrol study and the AICAR study are dangerous to gym owners because they may give the public yet another reason to avoid exercise.

So, the moral of the story is that fitness centers need to be informed! When a health club member or potential member asks you about the new miracle method for losing weight without exercise, will you be ready with an answer?

The success of your gym may depend on it!

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Your Logo Works 9 Times Out Of 10

It may be that your logo works 9 times out of 10, but it also may be true that your logo isn't doing you any favors! Do you know how the public perceives your gym logo?

For the health club owner, your logo is the cornerstone of your business identity. It will appear on your signs, business cards, stationery, T-shirts, ads, and other promotional materials. In short, it's critical to your gym to have a professional, memorable logo that accurately reflects you and your fitness center.

At the same time, most health club owners are running on a tight budget.

So you need a fantastic logo for a low price.

The www.cuecd.com team has three possible solutions to this problem. We’ll present them in order from best to worst.

First of all, you should consider hiring a low-cost professional logo creation agency. According to the Graphic Artists Guild you'll pay $2,000 to $10,000 for a corporate logo at a traditional design firm. That’s far too expensive for most gyms.

By going with a discount professional, however, you can get a company logo for much less! For example, Logoworks offers a complete corporate logo for only $299.

At Logoworks, their mission is to make fitness centers look great. They do this by providing small businesses with graphic design services that inspire you and enable you to emotionally connect with your customers. That's why over 45,000 clients have chosen Logoworks to design their logo. Logoworks is one of the largest logo design firms in the world. They’ve created a unique business model designed to eliminate the hassles and uncertainty of traditional logo design. Customers appreciate their streamlined, simplified process, talented designers, and personal service.

Logoworks has an outstanding satisfaction rate. They have a 98 percent satisfaction rate from customers spanning 70 countries. You can check them out here:




To get the www.cuecd.com discount at LogoWorks just click on the link below:

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You may also want to check out these other options for professional logo design:

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The best alternative for most health clubs is to have a discount professional handle their logo creation. They’ll do a good job while charging MUCH less than a traditional design firm. Even if you already have a logo, you may want to consider having it updated or even replaced by a professionally designed logo.

If you don’t want to have a professional design your logo, for whatever reason, you may want to think about sponsoring a logo design contest for health club members. After all, your own gym members know you and your fitness center quite well! Ask your own members to submit a logo design. You can either do all the judging yourself or you can post the entries in the fitness center and let the members vote on which design they like the most.

Use the best submission for your own health club logo. Members love a contest like this, and one talented gym member will have bragging rights that their design is on your shirts, sign, business cards, etc.

Of course, should you choose to sponsor a contest like this you’ll need to provide a prize for the winner. Something simple like $100 cash would probably work well. You may even want to award prizes for runners-up.

Of course, if you’re totally and completely out of cash and you still need a logo, you can always choose the third option which is creating your own logo from scratch. Although most health club owners (probably) don’t have graphic design experience, it is still possible to do a good job with logo creation.

Keep in mind, however, that you’ll need to pay to have your homemade logo digitized and converted into multiple formats. Sign companies, print shops, and other business suppliers require you to submit your logo in a specific format so the chances are that even if you design your own logo you’ll be paying someone else to digitize it. In many cases, you’ll save money by hiring a discount professional in the first place.

Keep in mind that all good business plans require the use of a distinguished logo. The great logos of the world were not created by accident, but were produced by a professional. All health club owners, no matter how small, should carefully consider revising their business logo today.

How High Will The New Supplements Rank?

At least dozens, maybe even hundreds, of new supplements are introduced each year. So how high will these new supplements rank in the annual Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards?

Some new supplements are worthless, and some are breakhrough products that will rock the air of the health and fitness world for years to come.

The good folks at BodyBuilding.com are actively seeking the opinions (and votes!) of gym owners and fitness center managers. They are truly interested in how health club professionals feel about the new supplements of 2007 and 2008.

Please take a moment to check out the links below, and vote for the new supplement of the year. So just how high will your favorite supplement rank?

Make your vote count! Vote NOW for the 2008 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards!!!


CONFUSED by all those SUPPLEMENT INGREDIENTS? Get your Free Supps eBook at Bodybuilding.com. Start decoding them now!

Weight Loss Camp Rocks Memberships?

The typical health club management staff is always seeking ways to increase the numbers. Marketing jobs and marketing magazines alike have been created for the sole purpose of bring new members to gyms aound the country.

The folks at Curves, however, think they may have accomplished a fitness first by bringing in hordes of new paying members with a weight loss camp.

Camp Curves is a six-week program filled with arts, crafts, games and workouts - all designed to encourage weight loss and implement a fitness routine into your life. Interested mothers and daughters can begin the program at any time.

At this point all we know is that only select Curves fitness centers are participating in this program. It may very well be that this is a small-scale test, since we could not find any information about this camp on the Curves for Women website.

One thing is for sure, however. If the Curves community is testing the weight loss camp concept, then we haven't heard the end of this concept!

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Health Club Memberships Down Twenty Percent?

Barrington Broadcasting (HOI-19) in Illinois is reporting that some local health clubs have seen memberships decline by around 20 percent in the last year or so.

These gyms say their biggest drop has been from people 35 years old and younger. One theory for the drop is that this population seems to need to hang on to their spending money.

With gas prices rising to over four dollars per gallon, it's certainly possible that gasoline costs are eating up all the disposable income people used to spend on a gym membership. Rising food costs also have consumers playing a type of grocery store game where they're watching sales snd seeking free grocery coupons on line to help minimize expenses.

While it's much more challenging to sell fitness center memberships in a down economy, it is possible. You may want to consider emphasizing how losing weight will help people save money. Here's a great article that illustrates the point: http://www.letspickupthepace.com/article.asp?ID=22.

With the health club customer feeling the penny-pinching impact of the economic downturn, perhaps now is the time to offer a great membership discount and talk about how regular exercise can help you save money overall.

How To Get FREE Advertising (No Kidding!) Part 2

By now many of you have read "How To Get FREE Advertising (No Kidding!) Part 1", so you are aware that we really know what we're talking about. If you've haven't yet read that article, click here to check it out now: http://www.cuecd.com/article.asp?ID=31.

In Part 1 we did a great job of letting you know how to get FREE advertising once each year (when the Entertainment Book is published).

Now in Part 2 we are going to explain how you can set up a SYSTEM where you can not only advertise for FREE each and every month, but in addition we're also going to explain how you can ACTUALLY GET PAID to have your own health club advertising distributed!

Hey, where else are you gonna get information like this? Only www.cuecd.com gets you quality information like this, and does it for FREE! If you find this information valuable, please take a moment to let other fitness center owners know about www.cuecd.com and all that we offer!

Without further ado, here's exactly how you can get your gym advertising distributed not only for FREE, but also how you can actually GET PAID to advertise your own health club!

Okay, first it's important that you implement step #1: You need to set up a fundraiser for non-profit organizations. This may not seem like it has much to do with advertising, but rest assured, it most certainly does!

With this fundraiser, you will offer non-profit groups the opportunity to earn money for distributing your brochures and/or coupons. This is best accomplished by the tried-and-true door hanger method.

Although door hangers take longer to disburse than windshield-talkers or direct mail, they are also a very effective way to advertise your gym. Door hangers are very similar to direct mail in that they get the advertising message in front of each household in a neighborhood. The advantage to door hangers is that you can ‘blanket’ a community for just a few pennies per house. The disadvantage is that door hangers are very time-consuming to distribute.

The most effective door hanger will be double-sided, with the ‘hook’ on one side and additional information on the other. The side that is facing away from the house (what the occupant will see first when they get home) should have the ‘hook’, which is a coupon or other offer. Remember to include an expiration date for that sense of urgency! The ‘hook’ side of the door hanger shouldn’t have a lot of words, but should be designed to catch the eye of the consumer. The people that are interested in the offer will be able to turn the door hanger over and read the detailed information on the back.

There are companies that will print door hangers for you, and there are companies that will distribute them for you. To save expense, however, it is recommended that you begin by printing and passing out your own. Double-sided photocopies are all you need for the first run; cut them in half and start walking! Carrying a roll of Scotch tape will allow you to secure each door hanger to a door or window. At 8 cents per double-sided copy, you can cover the neighborhoods for only 4 cents per household. You can expect to distribute about 100 door hangers per hour.

As a fitness center owner, you may find that your time is too limited to go walking door-to-door. This is where the non-profit organization comes in. We highly recommend that you 'hire' a non-profit to distribute door hangers for you. A word of caution about hiring people to pass out door hangers: use a reputable organization whenever possible! Hiring some kids off the street not only raises liability issues, but you have no assurance that they’re actually going to do the work. It’s a lot easier to throw the stack in the trash and go watch a movie.

The best way to guarantee that the non-profit you’ve hired is working hard is to build in an incentive. When printing your door hangers, use several different colors of paper. Give blue door hangers to non-profit group A, yellow door hangers to non-profit group B, and so on. By doing this you will be able to track which groups are getting results, because when the door hanger coupon is redeemed the color will indicate which non-profit distributed it.

Tell the organizations that they will get paid 6 cents for distributing door hangers for you + a $10 bonus for each person that joins using one of 'their' door hangers! (Remember, each door hanger will include a coupon that has to be brought in to the gym to be redeemed.) Talk about incentive! With this simple offer you’ve motivated them to not only hit every house, but also to do it quickly so they can get all of their door hangers out.

The www.cuecd.com team recommends that you pay the non-profit group 6 cents per flyer distributed, which works out to about $6 per hour. In addition, you will pay them a $10 bonus for each person that joins your health club using a flyer (coupon) they have distributed. The benefits of this arrangement are obvious. You get your advertisement in every household for only 12 cents each, which is an absolute STEAL compared to direct mail! Additionally, you don’t pay the bonus if you don’t get the results. To the non-profit, the appeal is that they have a guaranteed return of $6 per hour. If they achieve a 1% return from the ads they’re distributing, then they get paid $16 per hour! A 2% return on their ads will pay them $26 per hour! It’s a win-win situation! The non-profit immediately perceives that there’s no limit to their earnings, and no limit to your membership results!

To get non-profit organizations involved in this project, simply send them a letter like this:

ABC Health Club is looking for a group that is interested in distributing our flyers door-to-door. We will provide all the materials, and all you have to do is walk through the surrounding neighborhoods and put one door hanger on each house. You set your own hours. You set your own days. What a GREAT way to get some extra exercise and raise some much-needed funds!

If your non-profit group is up to this challenge, you'll be paid a set amount for each flyer distributed plus a bonus! The current rate is 6 cents per door-hanger that is distributed + $10 for each new gym member that joins using one of the door-hanger coupons you distributed.

Experience has shown that non-profit organizations can earn about $6.00 per person, per hour as a base rate. If your group experiences a 1% return rate on the coupons you distribute, then you'll be earning $16 per person per hour. A 2% return rate will bring
your group $26 per person per hour……and so on.

At ABC Health Club, we want to help your non-profit raise funds without having to spend a lot of money in inventory. That's why our fund-raiser doesn't require any investment at all!

This door-hanger project is limited to just a few organizations at a time..........so be sure to call ABC Health Club today for more details. This is one opportunity that won't hang around for long!

Okay, now you've laid the groundwork to get FREE advertising and possibly even GET PAID to distribute your own gym advertising.

Now we're on to the next step.....

Since you're already paying a non-profit group to walk door-to-door and distribute SOMETHING, you need to ask yourself why they should only be distributing your one piece of fitness center advertising.

Why couldn't they distribute more than one marketing piece at a time?

The answer is that they can, and most certainly will, distribute more than one door hanger for the same 6 cents per house. After all, their workload is the same whether they're distributing information for one or five businesses!

The strategy now is to approach a few businesses that are similar to your own and see if they're interested in advertising locally for FAR LESS MONEY than they'd spend on postage. Have these businesses provide their own door hangers and pay you 6 cents per item distributed. That's not a bad deal! How else are they going to get something on the door of local homes for a fraction of postage expenses?

If you get just one business to give you door hangers to distribute locally, then you've basically saved 100% of the distribution costs of your own door hangers.

If you get two businesses to give you door hangers to distribute locally, then you're actually going to be GETTING PAID to advertise your own health club!

By approaching businesses that are similar to your own (companies that cater to the same customer you do) you'll also be able to form other partnerships with them as well. For example, you could run a cross-promotion with them where you display your brochures and they display yours in their building. This is called cooperative advertising.

(Opportunities in cooperative advertising are virtually endless, and if you're interested in more of these ideas we highly recommend that you purchase our Gym Sales Manual, which you can find here: http://www.cuecd.com/store.asp?Category=Health+Club+Business+Tools).

Another idea is to approach businesses that are in the same strip-mall as your gym. You could create a one-page, double-sided advertisement that contains smaller ads for all the companies in your local strip-mall. The overall theme would be inviting the local customer to the local strip-mall. You charge the other firms 6 cents per household + their portion of the photocopies. The other businesses win because they're getting their message on local doors for very little money, and you win because you're organizing the entire thing. You're getting your health club advertisement out on local doors not only for FREE, but you're actually GETTING PAID to do so!

Now, think about the possibilities for just a minute. If you organize one of these non-profit fundraisers and include some other local businesses, you'll actually GET PAID to advertise your health club. You can repeat thsi process several times annually to generate even more income!

If you're really on your toes as a health club owner, you can even issue a press release about how you helped raise money for the non-profit, which will generate even more FREE advertising and publicity for your gym!

The bottom line is that this strategy is a win-win situation for the non-profit, other local business owners, and especially for you.

Want even more FREE ideas about how you can boost your health club sales to new heights? Simply click here: http://www.cuecd.com/articles.asp

Want even more ideas about small business marketing for your gym or fitness center? Simply click here: http://www.cuecd.com/marketing.asp

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Mother's Day In 2008

Is it possible to honor motherhood while at the same time enrolling lots of lots of new health club members?

Absolutely!

One secret is to sell gift certificates as Mother's Day gifts so that you'll boost sales immediately. Be sure to get a sign outside the health club stating that you offer gift certificates for Mother's Day. You will want to post some signs inside the gym too, perhaps even offering existing members a discount on any gift certificates they purchase prior to Mother's Day.

Since Mother's Day in 2008 is fast approaching, the success of the Mother/Daughter/Grandmother advertisement cannot be forgotten either. Although this promotion is typically reserved for Mother’s Day or Grandparent’s Day, many gym owners use it any time during the year. There are many variations on this type of referral contest, but the most successful seems to be that if an existing member refers their mother, daughter or grandmother, then they both receive one free month.

Yet another tactic to increase fitness center sales is to invite a mother/daughter combination to give Mother's Day presents to each other. In other words, you could invite them to "Give The Gift Of Good Health" this Mother's Day! When mom & daughter join together they pay only one registration fee!

Take a quick look back at Mother's Day 2007 results. How many new members did you enroll? How many gift certificates did you sell? Write down those results, because those are your targets to beat for Mother's Day in 2008! Happy selling!

Health Club Systems Design

Let's be honest. Most gym owners try the "hit and miss" approach to business. They try newspaper advertising, but that doesn't immediately work so they move on to something else. They try a new referral program, but that doesn't work immediately either so they move on to something else. They try....well, you get the idea.

What most fitness center owners need is a system. A system that will pay big dividends time after time, regardless of the market.

Here's the bad news: we don't know which health club system will guarantee you great results.

Here's the good news: we DO know that there's a health club system that will guarantee you great results.

We just don't know which one it is.....and neither do you.

The fact of the matter is that nobody, unless they also own a successful health club in your market, can tell you for sure which health club system will work in your area. Each and every market around the country is different, so what works in NY may not work in CA.

So what's a gym owner to do?

We highly recommend that you check out the following resource:
http://www.marketerschoice.com/app/?Clk=1384908

Bedros Keuilian Health & Fitness is an awesome tool for one reason and one reason only: here you will find a variety of fitness center systems strategies that you can put into practice immediately. Will all of these systems be right for you? Of course not. But one of these systems will be right for you.

The www.cuecd.com team is also a big supporter of FREE health club systems design tools. That's why we give you so many FREE articles for gym owners and managers, which you can access by clicking here: http://www.cuecd.com/articles.asp

What health club system works for you? Let us know and we'll share your story with other fitness center owners!

Me? A Fitness Expert?!?!

The day that you open the doors of your gym location is the day that you become a fitness expert. What?!? A fitness expert, you say?!? But I just opened……..I’m not ready………I need more time!

Scary as it may seem, a gym owner is considered to be an expert in health and fitness. Your members will start asking you questions right away. Perhaps they want to know if a crunch is better than a sit-up. Or maybe they want to know if they should start supplementing with creatine now that they’re exercising. Whatever the question may be, you’ll get it!

Although you may not yet be an expert, there’s no reason why you can’t start learning today! In the meantime, the most important thing you can do is to simply be honest with your members. If you don’t know the answer, don’t fake it. More often than not, the member will eventually find out the real answer, and then you’ve lost all credibility. So be honest. Say that you’re not sure of the answer, but you’ll do some research and get back to them with a response.

Some practical things you can do to become a fitness expert:
1) Subscribe to ‘muscle’ and health magazines. Read each copy cover-to-cover.
2) Become a certified personal trainer.
3) Subscribe to a health and/or fitness news clipper service.
4) Take physiology classes at the local college or university.
5) Talk with other gym owners.

Subscribe to ‘muscle’ and health magazines. Read each copy cover-to-cover.
One of the best ways to learn about any topic is to read the trade publications. Reading the Wall Street Journal® front-to-back every day for a year, for example, would teach you everything you ever wanted to know about finance. In much the same way, you can go a long ways towards becoming a fitness expert by reading the trade publications. Some recommended magazines to read are:
Muscle & Fitness ®
Muscle & Fitness Hers ®
Fitness ®
Shape ®
Health ®
Prevention ®
Fitness Rx ®

An added bonus to subscribing to these magazines is that, when you’re done with them, you can add them to your gym library for your members to read.

Become a certified personal trainer.
Becoming a certified personal trainer is not as frightening as it may sound. On the contrary, you should be excited about the new opportunities that will open up for you once you’re certified by a national organization!

While there are many groups out there that offer fitness certification, the old rule of thumb that ‘you get what you pay for’ is very true in this area. Be wary of internet-only certification, where you don’t receive any hard-copy materials. You should also stay away from any business offering certification for less than $100. You get what you pay for.

The two best national fitness certification organizations are ACE (American Council on Exercise) and ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association). ISSA, for example, charges about $600 for their first level certification. The training materials you’ll receive include a textbook, a video, a CD, unlimited access to their website, unlimited telephone support, and admittance to a two-day conference. The ISSA certification exam is quite lengthy, but well worth the effort in terms of the knowledge you’ll acquire.

Not only will the certification process provide you with a solid education in health and fitness, but most organizations also provide you with unlimited resources for asking questions and continued learning.

Subscribe to a health and/or fitness news clipper service.
Subscribing to a health and/or fitness news clipper service is easy, free, and effective. One of the best on the market today is the YaHoo ® home page service. Simply set up your YaHoo ® home page to post all health and fitness related articles as ‘My Front Page Headlines’. Then, every morning, you have immediate access to the latest health news! Rest assured, when a news story breaks that impacts fitness, you will have members asking you about it. If you’ve already read it on the internet that morning, then you’re prepared!

Another benefit to the health and fitness news clipper service is that it allows you to print pertinent articles immediately. So, if the AMA (American Medical Association) issues a press release about the hazards of trans-fats, then you can quickly print off some copies to distribute to your members. You might even consider putting up a small brochure rack solely for this purpose; you could title it “Breaking Fitness News”.

Whatever course of action you decide to take, it’s vital that you stay on top of the newest and latest health news. That way, anytime a member asks you about new fitness developments, you’ve already heard about it even have additional materials for them to read! After a period of time, this will help to establish you as a fitness expert in your community.

Take physiology classes at the local college or university.
Depending on how much time you have, you may consider taking some basic physiology or sports nutrition classes at the local college or university. Where you live will, of course, have an impact on how much this costs. Another possible drawback is that, with a class, you are time-bound in your education efforts: the professor will not re-schedule the class just for you! On the positive side, classroom learning allows you to interact with other students and ask pointed questions of the instructor.

Talk with other gym owners.
Finally, one of the best ways to become a fitness expert is to frequently talk with other gym owners. Whether you discuss marketing, sales, operations, or just plain old ‘health’, the information you can glean from this group will be invaluable.

No matter which of these methods you use to become a fitness expert, it is vital that you do something. Word-of-mouth advertising is the best kind of advertising in the world, and when you are recognized as a fitness expert in the community your word-of-mouth advertising will multiply tenfold! Your goal in this area is to become knowledgeable, so that your members will always refer to you as their source of information. Comments like “I’ll ask Jane at ABC Gym.. She always knows about this stuff” are golden! This is exactly the kind of publicity you should be seeking!

Tom Nicoli BCH, CI is a nationally recognized hypnotherapist that was featured on Dateline NBC. He offers several different self help CDs including Weight Loss, Stop Smoking and Exercise Boost! CDs. Click here for More Information.

Just a quick reminder from the www.cuecd.com team…..

The fastest, easiest and most effective way to advertise is simply by handing out “Free Trial” coupons.

We have a great article on this subject, which you can read here: http://www.cuecd.com/article.asp?ID=7

Anyway, VistaPrint is running a great sale on business cards. As you’ll know by reading the article, having the printer run you some coupons as business cards is the best value around!

Check out this sale today…..and DRIVE MEMBERSHIP SALES!

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Kids Health = Health Club Profits?

Fitness Business News recently reported that just 15% of people in the United States belongs to a health club, and that gyms are always seeking ways to bring in the other 85%.

As part of this effort, some fitness centers are targeting kids as clients. One of the dangers is that you risk changing the atmosphere of the gym by introducing kids to the mix. Conversations may have to be more guarded, and not everyone enjoys being around children and/or teens. After all, many members come to the health club for "me time" away from their youngsters!

Of course, there's also the concern that your insurance company may not allow children below a certain age.

On the plus side, there are many parents that are concerned about how lethargic kids are today. The daily health news frequently features a story about obese children. Between video games, iPods and television most children are getting far less exercise than they should. This could be a perfect market for fitness center owners, and who wouldn't want to boost their overall membership numbers?

How do you make it work? A gym called Motion Fitness in New Jersey allows kids into the facility after school and on weekend afternoons, which are typically slow times. Some circuit training health clubs keep kids in mind by offering memberships to anyone 16 years of age or older.

Is your gym a children's place or just for adults? What's your age cutoff for new members? Join the discussion and add your comments below!

Advertising News For Health Clubs

We have some new marketing communications for all gyms. Tomorrow is April 1st, and if you haven't done so already now is the time to put an April marketing plan in place.

Whether you're a regular advertiser or a brand new fitness center owner, you're certain to benefit from the 13 ideas we have posted here: http://www.cuecd.com/article.asp?ID=24

Follow the link (above) and you'll find one article that's sure to help jump-start your April health club sales. Then put these ideas in action and reap the rewards!

As always, be sure to come back to this blog and post a comment letting us (and other gym owners) know what April sales ideas worked best for you.

Weight Loss Support Group

A club owner in Washington asked us this question: Does anyone offer any special weight loss support group for members in addition to exercise. Do you hold special meetings, is it open to the general public, etc. Any ideas for this type of program would be appreciated.

The Purposes Of This Blog

The reason for this blog is to give circuit training health club management a way to communiate with other gyms around the world. Based upon comments we've received at our main site http://www.cuecd.com/ there is a need for a forum where fitness center owners can talk with each other.

Our goal is that you will use this blog to ask each other questions, provide expert answers from the field, and basically just boost your business!