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!