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However, choosing the right software to implement in your facility is like walking into a candy store as a kid. So many choices to make. So many possibilities.

What if you invest in something that doesn’t fit your business? What if your customers don’t take to the software? What if your staff has problems using that gym management software?

If you’ve been looking for a gym management solution yet you experience decision paralysis when it comes to choosing the best software, then this guide is for you. This guide reveals what to look for when choosing the best gym management software to help you grow your business.

Let’s dive in.

Look for a System that Has a Mobile App

It’s a known fact. Most of us are glued to our phones. Our mobile devices have become an extension of us.

They’re our source of transportation (Uber, Google maps, and other ridesharing apps). They’re our source of food. They’re also our source of information, shopping, and perhaps the most important means of communication in the 21st Century.

This is why it makes sense that your first consideration should be whether the gym management system has a mobile app. And, not just a basic mobile app, but one that offers added value to your customer fitness experience. An app that allows them to track their work out progress, make payments, and reserve classes.

Having a gym management system that has a mobile app feature also allows you to get rid of boring paperwork and spreadsheets. Members can easily register without having to fill stacks of paperwork.

Some systems have a custom branded app specifically built for your business. This software allows customers to interact directly with the business, which can help increase engagement and customer loyalty.

Does the Gym Management Software Have Website Integration Tools?

What good is a gym software if it doesn’t reflect your brand? Your software provider should offer website integration tools together with the system. The gym management software that you choose should give users the same experience as your website.

It should provide a seamless experience for your users (similar to what your brand is known for). Most gym software providers offer website integration and branded web tools as basic services. These tools work with different website platforms, including Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, and Weebly.

Choosing a system that can integrate with your website will allow your customers to book and pay for services through one centralized platform.

What Are Your Exact Needs?

Other than running your gym, what other functionalities do you expect your gym management system to perform? Maybe you’re looking for a system that can help with marketing. Or maybe one that can help boost community and mobile engagement.

Whatever your needs are, there is always a gym software for you.

Before you start your search for a gym management system, first conduct a need assessment on your business. What areas do you feel need improvement? What are your short term, midterm, and long-term goals?

Every gym software is different and comes with its unique features. Some may be stronger in certain areas when compared to others. Take time and determine your exact needs, and you’ll be able to choose the best gym management software for your business.

Does the Vendor Offer Customer Support?

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when choosing a gym management system is choosing a gym software with poor or no customer support. At one point or the other, the system is bound to experience technical issues. Whether it’s during the onboarding process or while using the system, your software provider should be able to handle these issues quickly and effectively.

Some indicators of excellent customer support include the availability of online resources that cover different aspects of the software. Examples of these online resources can include blog posts, instructional videos, and a FAQ section.

Look into whether the software vendor has a live chat, phone, and email support. These are clear indicators of an active customer support system.

Feedback from past users can also be a benchmark for assessing customer support. Software providers who offer excellent customer service receive positive feedback from their clients.

What Identification Options Does the System Provide?

How easy is it for people to access your facility? Can a stranger walk in and start working out? Do your members have to wait in line as the receptionist confirms their names from the list?

When choosing a gym software, look for one that offers multiple check-in options. Your software of choice should allow both fingerprint and bar code check-in, which helps to ensure that only registered members can access the facility.

Also, look for fitness management software that has a photo capture feature. This feature will allow you to eliminate fraudulent check-ins by preventing non-members from using member ID to gain access to your facility.

Choosing the Best Gym Management System

The fitness industry is extremely competitive. There are thousands of gyms and fitness centers all around the United States. This may be tantalizing for fitness enthusiasts but as a gym owner, it can be extremely problematic.

How do you maintain a competitive advantage against other fitness centers? How do you attract more members to your gym? By leveraging the right gym management software, you take away most of the stress that comes with management, which leaves you with more time to focus on growing your business.

Take time to speak to different vendors on how they can help you. Also, experiment with demo versions of different software to find out which is most useful to you. However, if you’re short of time, and aren’t looking to experiment with different products, consider using the MIS software for your gym management needs.

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Opening a gym, however, is an investment in time, energy, and money. Read through the checklist below to see if you have what it take to be a Gym Owner.

The Ultimate Checklist to Opening A Gym

A lot goes into opening a gym and running your own business. You will need to manage everything from working with clients to ensuring that the bathrooms have toilet paper. There are also legal and financial items to consider. 

Below is a checklist to help you decide if you are ready to open a gym. 

Are You an Entrepreneur?

Take a step back and ask yourself some key questions?

Are you willing to pour your heart and soul into your business? Most entrepreneurs do, at least in the beginning. Inc.com  has 17 ways to know if you are an entrepreneur.

Personal Training Certifications & Licenses

Unless you have a partner in your business who is an exercise physiologist by education or a certified/licensed personal trainer, you MUST become certified yourself. In the health and fitness industry, you need someone in a leadership role having one or both of those credentials.

In the U.S., personal trainers are not licensed; they are certified. Certifications are not overseen by the federal or state government but are self-monitored by the industry.

If you currently have a certification, ensure that it is third-party accredited.

IHRSA is the international leader in the operational side of gyms, health, recreation, and sports clubs. Join them to learn about where the industry is headed.

For business licenses, keep reading.

Create a Business Plan

Successful businesses have a plan and work that plan; unsuccessful businesses do not.  

You may feel you have a plan stored in your head, but the act of putting it down on paper identifies areas still needing work.

If you are seeking funding from a bank, or are taking on investors, a business plan is required.  

Things to Include in Your Business Plan

This is not a comprehensive list, check with your local college or university business schools, or the Small Business Administration for help on creating a solid plan.

Create a Budget

Are you drawing a salary in the beginning? How much is rent and equipment expenses? What licenses or inspections do you need? What is your estimated tax obligation for your area?  You need to know the answer to these and other questions to ensure you have enough money to open, and run, your own gym.  

Find a Location

Your gym needs a physical location. Find it and secure it. This process takes a long time especially if you need to build it out. Factor the cost of this into your budget and in the Timeline. 

Hire Staff 

Will you need staff? What qualifications do they need? When are you going to start hiring? What type of pre-employment screening do you want or are required by law? Hiring is expensive, so work through the process before you bring a new staff person on board.

Equipment for the Gym and for Operations

You will need “stuff” for your gym. This will include exercise equipment as well as office equipment.

Typical Gym Equipment

• Training Bench
• Dumbbell Set
• Barbell Set and Rack
• Kettlebell Set
• Pull-up Frame and Bar
• Treadmill
• Stationary Bicycle
• Rowing Machine
• Fitness Ball (Exercise Ball)
• Additional Ideas: wooden bar for stretching, resistance bands or tubing

Depending on the size of your space, budget, or audience you may want to consider larger machine equipment.  

Can you leverage contacts/relationships to help control the costs of equipment? Check out equipment affiliate programs. An affiliate program may provide you free equipment or cash for each item you sell when you promote their product line.    

Office Equipment to Run Your Gym

You decided to open your own gym because you are passionate about health and fitness. However, you also have to run the business side of the gym. Consider using a membership software to manage and automate the operational side. Click here to watch a 1.5-minute video to show you the power of membership software.  Still, have questions? Schedule a demo to see specifically how we can help you run your gym.

Legal, Insurance & Licenses

Have an attorney review all your waivers, insurance policies, partnership or financing paperwork. Yes, it is an upfront cost, but failing to do so prior to opening your doors, could cost you your business if you get sued. Keep in mind the cost of defending yourself, even if you did nothing wrong, could bankrupt you.

You will need both insurances for your business and licenses to operate it. These requirements will depend on where you live.

Timeline

Now that the pieces are coming together; what is your timeline? This should be as detailed as your budget and they should dovetail together. 

Identify Your Niche the Key to Successful Marketing and Sales

What makes your gym special? Who is your ideal customer?

This knowledge helps you to ensure you are offering the right programming and services. Once you know all this; tell the world why they need to come to your gym.

In today’s world, social media is a must, but balance it with traditional marketing and word of mouth. Keep in mind, happy customers are your best source of referrals. 

It’s a Process

There is a process for opening a gym and a process to run a gym. Don’t skip steps. You can prevent your business from falling by making sure you prepare before you start.

Ready for the Next Step

If you are just starting the process of opening a gym or are small and have less than 25 members, check out our Free Trial. We know after trying our product you will love it and our talented team is excited to help you grow and expand. 

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For fitness enthusiasts, that’s great news. But as a gym owner, this can pose a problem: how do you beat the competition?

Gym club management software might be the answer. The right software can propel your gym into the modern day. It offers a streamlined experience that customers will love.

Not sure how to use gym management software to grow your business? This guide is for you — keep reading to learn how to implement this strategy to get more customers!

What is Gym Club Management Software?

Gym software basically just helps you automate processes. This can speed things up for your customers, while also saving you money. With software, you won’t have to pay so many staff members.

In addition to automating the check-in process, your software can also automate payments, track leads, and much more. Exactly what your management software can do will depend on which type you choose. 

For example, you can get gym club software that’s focused on attendance tracking, merchandise sales, marketing, and more. Most gym software offers multiple functions to meet the changing needs of your clientele.

How Gym Software Can Grow Your Customer Base

Now, let’s take a look at how you can use gym software to get more customers.

Get Your Staff on Board

One of the best ways gym management software can help is by making sure your whole team is on the same page.

Do you feel like you’re the only person making the decisions and looking at the numbers? It’s probably because you are.

Gym management software can open a portal to important information for all your staff to see. This helps them feel more involved, and take more responsibility for getting more customers.

Your gym club management software should offer analytics tracking so you can see how well your approach is working. These analytics can show you everything from which classes clients like the best to what time of the day your gym is busiest. 

When your staff understands these patterns, they can take more ownership. They’ll want to get more people to sign up for their classes or training sessions.

This can even become a friendly competition for staff members: seeing who can get the biggest class of the week or month!

Your software can also let your staff know about promotions to mention and other ways to support the gym. Make sure they can access relevant information, and stay open to your staff’s suggestions for more ways to grow your gym.

Reach Your Target Audience

With your staff on board with the new software, you can now turn your attention to reaching your ideal customer.

With so many gyms in the U.S., you have to set yours apart in more ways than one. It can’t just be a place for people to go work out. Instead, it has to be a place that has a specific appeal for a specific group of people.

Figure out your niche, and then you can figure out how to reach customers within that niche. Some software can track your leads and even send out marketing materials, like promotional emails.

Use software to keep turning those leads into return customers.

Track Attendance

Software that tracks attendance can be useful for seeing how to adjust your scheduling and marketing accordingly.

Is your gym’s Thursday afternoon Pilates class always full?

You might consider adding a second class at the same time to catch the overflow students. But if you have a Friday morning yoga session that only ever gets a handful of students, you might want to move it to a different time.

Attendance also helps you see how your staff is doing.

For example, if you have a staff member whose classes aren’t well-attended, this might be an opportunity to train them in making their classes more engaging. But remember that the issue might just be that the class schedule doesn’t work for many customers.

You can also track attendance for your individual clients and customize your marketing accordingly. Did a customer recently stop showing up? A gentle nudge in the form of a promotional email might get them coming back in.

Send Promotions

Some gym management software helps you get the word out about any promotions that you have going on.

For example, you can use your software to email all of your customers about a new class series or a new trainer. You can also use it to connect with leads who haven’t become members yet. A discounted offer can prod them toward actually buying a membership.

Even a change in hours or a simple schedule change can mean a lot to some customers. The right software makes it easy to contact everyone at once with the information they need. 

Gather Contact Information

The best gym membership software doesn’t just help track current clients. It also keeps contact information on prospective and former clients. It can even organize them into the categories you need.

For example, you might send out a seasonal discount offer to three categories of customer, with a different message for each. The current clients could be encouraged to share the offer with friends. The prospective and former clients would be encouraged to purchase the discounted membership for themselves.

There are all kinds of marketing benefits to being able to easily gather and sort contact information. The right software means you can get rid of that bulky file cabinet and start storing it all online. 

What’s the Best Gym Software?

The right gym club management software will let you do all this and much more. But where can you find the best gym management software?

The top software options have a wide variety of features that offer multi-faceted benefits.

Looking for the right software choice for your gym? Check out everything that MIS software can do here!

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