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New member
Has anyone looked into, or currently own, their own gym? I am starting the due diligence process and am wondering if there are any good sources of information on the net?
Suggestions?
Suggestions?
Starting a gym...
- Thread starter SoCAmuscle
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SoCAmuscle
New member
No,.. I actually recently transferred up to the Central Valley. We have a couple 24 Hr. Fitness locations, but they are f'ing PACKED all day. The city is growing to the NW and there are no gyms in near proximity. I want to model it similar to the Frog's gym I used to work out at in Solana Beach. I think I have the money guys lined up, but need to put together a business plan w/ projections, etc..
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Dr.M
Guest
Yes, 24 hours SUCKS. I had to go from midnight to 7am or else get no damn equipment, glad I quit that hell hole.
SoCAmuscle
New member
That's really the only alternative around here.. Bally's was looking, but couldn't come to terms with the owner based on wanting a pool, lease term, etc.. I want to buy some cheap dirt, throw up a 12-15k industrial (concrete tilt or metal) building and leave it very industrial inside. Exposed ceiling, HVAC ducting, etc... throw some climate control in there, seperate the cardio area from the freeweights with chain link fence, throw some locker rooms in and away we go.. HammerStrength, free weights, etc.. the good shit. The closest 24 Hr is all foo-foo and is kept at like 65 degrees. I want a more hardcore feel.
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Dr.M
Guest
Why chain link and not barbed wire then 
vinylgroover
New member
SoCAmuscle said:
You may be cutting out a whole section of your potential market by going for the hardcore feel and look.
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Dr.M
Guest
Yep, alot of people will feel unwelcome or intimidated, find a medium.
fogg88
New member
vinylgroover said:
There might actually be a flip-side to that. The Bally's I go to (hey, give me a break, it's $7/month) remodeled their whole upstairs area a while back. (basically, everything except the pool and lockers, which are downstairs.) They got rid of the track and the pretty colors, and just did pretty much the same look you described. Concrete floor, exposed hvac on ceiling, and even the chain-link fence separating free-weights from the cable-machines and cardio. I haven't seen that slow 'em down yet.
What's probably more influential in intimidating or not intimidating your clientle is the people who work for you. No matter how industrial your gym looks, if someone walks through the door and is greeted warmly by someone with a smile, they'll already start to feel welcome. ...as opposed to having counter people who are disinterested or even show obvious disdain for 'regular' people. ...it's more about the people and less about the physical environment, at least in my opinion.
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Citruscide
Guest
1. Ballys sucks, if you are a guy and workout there.. fag.
2. Gyms are notorious for having a high overhead and low profit.
3. I workout at 24 fitness and it must be dead where I'm at... it's only busy from 5-8pm.
C-ditty
2. Gyms are notorious for having a high overhead and low profit.
3. I workout at 24 fitness and it must be dead where I'm at... it's only busy from 5-8pm.
C-ditty
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Dr.M
Guest
The 24 Hour closest to me is a profit machine, a real whorehouse of a place to workout, just f'ing impossible. Some others are pickup joints.
I agree with #2, I can tell your not planning to make money, because 'good' gyms dont make much.
I agree with #2, I can tell your not planning to make money, because 'good' gyms dont make much.
BigRedCat
New member
The most people I have ever seen at my gym is 5-6. That is the rush times. I go late so there is not a single soul. I like that better anyway. Plus its quiter so if some chick says I have nice arms and have beautiful eyes I dont think she asked if I live in barns and tell fanciful lies. hehe.
I agree about the employee's. The guys that work at my gym are kinda dickish. They are out of shape chubby guys too. One guy is a ghost I think. He is super old and I theorized that maybe he was killed in a freak lifting accident back in the 40's and his ghost lives on as the counter guy. The gym ghost.
Yeah I have been intimidated by working out around huge 290 pound dudes but allot of the time they turn out to be very cool guys. The gym I go to now has no huge dudes. You would get more clients if it was more upscale but why try since 24hour has the market on that demographic. Maybe the hardcore idea would work well.
I agree about the employee's. The guys that work at my gym are kinda dickish. They are out of shape chubby guys too. One guy is a ghost I think. He is super old and I theorized that maybe he was killed in a freak lifting accident back in the 40's and his ghost lives on as the counter guy. The gym ghost.Yeah I have been intimidated by working out around huge 290 pound dudes but allot of the time they turn out to be very cool guys. The gym I go to now has no huge dudes. You would get more clients if it was more upscale but why try since 24hour has the market on that demographic. Maybe the hardcore idea would work well.
vinylgroover
New member
The biggest problem with gyms is cashflow. Any business needs cahflow to survive let alone profit.
Socamuscle said he was going to buy land and build the gym himself, which, if you have the money, is the right thing to do, because if you were renting, it would be difficult to pay the rental on the cahflow generated from memberships, on top of your other fixed costs, particularly in the first 6 months of operation.
At the end of the day, if it's not successful, he always has an industrial building which he can lease out to another business and an asset (land) that has economic value.
But i agree, they are a very tough business to make work.
Socamuscle said he was going to buy land and build the gym himself, which, if you have the money, is the right thing to do, because if you were renting, it would be difficult to pay the rental on the cahflow generated from memberships, on top of your other fixed costs, particularly in the first 6 months of operation.
At the end of the day, if it's not successful, he always has an industrial building which he can lease out to another business and an asset (land) that has economic value.
But i agree, they are a very tough business to make work.
