Running a gym is a complex business. There are many plates spinning at the same time and the Gym Manager’s job is to make sure they stay spinning!
Gyms are first and foremost places where people go to get fit, relax, meet friends, and develop their physical and mental health. There are as many reasons to go the gym as there are gym-goers.
As a Gym Manager, your task is to keep all your patrons, staff and other stakeholders happy, safe, and productive. That’s a lot of responsibility.
We wanted to find out how to run a gym successfully so we spoke to Ashley Wright, Head of Gym and Spa Management at motive8. Her job is to oversee 10 gym and spa sites around London. So Ashley has quite a lot on her plate!
What kind of work is involved in being gym manager?
There’s a lot of reactive work. You’re putting out fires and have to be available whenever somebody needs you – whether that’s a member of staff, a gym-goer. Then there’s the equipment and gym environment. Gyms are high wear-and-tear places and need a lot of maintenance. You can plan a lot of what needs to happen, but you simply can’t plan for every eventuality, so you need the backup of a great team to help you.
What are the gym manager’s roles?
There are many different aspects of the job. From admin, payroll, staff rotas, health and safety, equipment. You need to be a fantastic multi-tasker and switched on all the time.
In residential gym management, liaison and communication between the gym team and estate management team is crucial.
Training
Making sure staff are fully-trained for their jobs is one of the most important aspects of gym management. It’s not just a box-ticking exercise, it’s a key difference between a happy and successful gym and one that barely survives.
Staff training is also a way of identifying star members of your team with a view towards promotion and possible future management roles.
People management
There are many different people involved in keeping a gym running smoothly. From personal trainers, fitness instructors through to admin staff, HR, payroll. Some workers are lone workers in today’s gym environment (especially in residential) so making sure these staff are safe and supported is important.
Managing all these roles and responsibilities is quite a challenge. Keeping tabs on which staff are where is key.
Gym management app
Today almost all gyms are managed via a central app. Motive8’s gyms are no exception. The app is a central database which manages booking of gym spaces, memberships, subscriptions and staff.
There are many moving parts, so understanding how to use the app and make the most of it is very important. Even more important is making sure staff understand and use the app on a day-to-day basis as well.
In residential gyms, the app also has a community page which can bring members of the gym together. This is a great way to add value to residential gyms, as it can bring residents together in a way that might not otherwise happen. Gym-goers can communicate with one another, set challenges, form their own groups, and compete or collaborate with each other.
During the pandemic lockdowns, the app was used to create outdoor challenges such as Fresh Air February, which encouraged and monitored outdoor activity.
Making the most of this aspect is a big part of managing the gym successfully because it helps to develop a relationship between the gym staff and the residents.
Tips on running a successful gym
Ashley’s top tips are to focus on customer service. Running a great gym means going beyond the day-to-day basics and rolling customer service into every aspect. Like all enterprises, gyms rely heavily on human relationships – between patrons and staff, staff and management, management and stakeholders. The Gym Manager’s job is to balance and support all these different relationships.
Running special events is one way to strengthen relationships between members and staff.
Biggest mistakes
The biggest mistake some Gym Manager’s make is to treat members as mere numbers. Each person attending the gym has different goals, aspirations and reasons to be there.
Some gym goers are very confident about their bodies and fitness levels. But many members, especially newer members, may be very nervous. In some ways, these members need more encouragement and support. The Gym Manager needs to cater for everybody no matter what their level of fitness or gym experience.
Focusing too much on sales and targets is a mistake. Whilst targets need to be met to keep the gym open and viable, focusing on the human element of running the gym is one way to make it a popular and well-used space, and keep members subscribing and using the gym well.
A more fundamental mistake is designing the wrong gym for the wrong audience. Understanding factors such as member demographics, types of exercise your probable members will like, is vital to success. Will your gym be a holistic spa or a functional gym focussing on strength and HITT? (Or a mixture of the two?) Even before the gym design is completed, talking to potential members or residents is important.
So here are Ashley’s top tips on running a successful gym:
- Design the right gym for the right members
- Focus on people and relationships, not on numbers and targets
- Make sure staff are trained fully and are completely competent in their roles
If you are considering outsourcing your gym management, motive8 are the go-to company to provide fully-trained, experienced gym managers who will grow your gym and keep it running smoothly.
