Run a Profitable Gym

The Prescriptive Model has been used by hundreds of Two-Brain gyms across the world, and it's one of the most effective ways to increase revenue and retention.The short version: Gym owners meet with prospective clients, find out about their goals and prescribe the ideal plan to accomplish them. Then they meet with clients quarterly to review progress and make program adjustments that keep the clients on track.Entrepreneurs who use the Prescriptive Model at their gyms have a much easier time closing sales with high-value clients. We track sales metrics in hundreds of gyms, and the free consultation at the beginning of the Prescriptive Model beats the free trial when it comes to closing rate. The cyclical nature of the Prescriptive Model also keeps gym clients engaged. The first 90 days of membership are critical to retention in a fitness facility, and our model contains precise tactics that measurably improve retention. In the gym industry, average client retention is 7.8 months. The average Two-Brain client's retention is more than double that: 18.8 months. Finally, the Prescriptive Model has a profound effect on total revenue and average revenue per member. It allows gym owners to present high-value solutions to prospective clients in a simplified, direct, genuine manner. At subsequent meetings to review progress, clients regularly upgrade their packages.In this episode, Chris Cooper breaks down the Prescriptive Model step by step, and he lays out the solutions to implementation problems you might encounter so you can start using the model today to improve your gym.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United1:57 - The Prescriptive Model step by step9:16 - How the model increases your value13:55 - Mistake 1: no consultation16:09 - Mistake 2: no objective measurements17:02 - Mistake 3: no prescription upgrades18:51 - Mistake 4: forgetting nutrition20:25 - Mistake 5: not doing goal reviews

Lawyers are experts when it comes to limiting risk for their clients, and Matthew Becker is here today to help you reduce exposure with employees, contractors and third-party contractors.Becker owners Gym Lawyers PLLC as well as Industrial Athletics in Pittsburgh, so he's run into all the situations common in the fitness world.Employees, contractors and third-party contractors all come with risk, but if you take the right steps, you can keep your business as safe as possible. Matthew will walk you through the essentials of insurance, written agreements, LLCs, sublease agreements and more.Listen, cover your bases and then get back to training clients.  LinksYour LLC Isn't Protecting You If You Do These 5 ThingsGymlawyers.comBook a CallGym Owners United2:30 - Legal exposure with employees9:00 - Legal exposure with contractors21:15 - Legal exposure with third-party contractors

How should you set the rates at your gym, affiliate or training studio?There is a formula, and it doesn't involve guesswork. Instead, you'll just have to enter some numbers on a spreadsheet you can request at Gymownersunited.com. In this podcast, Chris Cooper offers a look at that spreadsheet and explains how it works. He'll also tell you what's at stake: your profit margin and the long-term success of your business. If you guess on your prices, you might lose hundreds of thousands of dollars—and you'll lose a lot of sleep, too. Set your prices correctly and you'll have a clear path to breakeven and then great success as a fitness entrepreneur.After he shows you how to set your rates, Chris will tell you how to avoid common pricing mistakes. He'll also provide three tools you can use to create more value so you can make bigger sales when meeting with prospective clients. If you don't have a sales binder, a value stack and a high-ticket offer, you're missing out on revenue. Chris will tell you how to create all of these things—and when you need to do so. Don't guess and race to the bottom with prices. Become a better gym owner and get paid what you're worth.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United1:06 - How to set your rates4:48 - Can you increase average revenue per member?6:04 - Using a pricing binder to create more value with clients8:52 - Building a “value stack” at your gym12:36 - Creating high-ticket/high-value offers17:06 - Recap and key takeaways18:20 - When to add a high-ticket offer

Gym apparel sales don't always go well. Low or nonexistent margins are common, as are weak marketing and unsold inventory that clogs up cash flow.By contrast, some gym owners gross $34,000 a year in apparel sales or use retail to tack thousands of dollars onto net profit. In this episode, Mike Warkentin talks to Matt Albrizio of Forever Fierce, who offers specific tips and tactics any gym owner can use to start making money with retail. Matt covers how often you should place orders, how much you should order, how you should price your gear and how you should get rid of unsold inventory.Follow these tips and move every single unit out the door when you have the next apparel sale at your gym.LinksForever FierceBook a CallGym Owners United2:42 - How often to order gym apparel and how much variety to offer6:10 - How much should you order, and how to use pre-orders to avoid unsold inventory9:43 - Does your gym need a "pro shop" with stocked apparel?13:04 - Pricing and margin recommendations for gym apparel  16:48 - How to calculate your break-even point and target profit19:35 - How to get rid of unsold inventory24:07 - Limited editions and cash collection at time of sale26:28 - Marketing tips, social proof and "a culture of gym apparel"

Can you be a successful entrepreneur and a good parent?Absolutely.In this episode, Two-Brain Business mentor, gym owner and mother of three Joleen Bingham offers her top tips for balancing parenting with gym ownership. Parents have a lot on their plates, and Joleen will show you how to handle it all without losing your mind.She wasn't always so organized. In fact, Joleen once answered business emails and took a phone call from a prospective gym client in the hospital just after giving birth. Now, she uses a precise schedule and clear boundaries to ensure she can focus on her family. And she also finds creative ways to include her kids in her business. You gym business should give you the freedom of time so you can give your family your best. Listen to Joleen, then take action.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United5:01 - Scheduling7:54 - Setting and keeping boundaries12:51 - Involving your kids17:25 - Dealing with parent guilt21:57 - Hiring a mentor

Derek Batman knocked out 34 free consultations in December, which put him near the top of our marketing and sales leaderboard for gym owners.In this video, Derek spills the secrets of his success when it comes to set, show and close rates. His keys? Targeting the right clients, creating an airtight system for follow-up, and tracking data.Derek's worked really hard to ensure the right people see his Facebook ads, and he uses retargeting strategies to warm his leads with repeated exposure. When a lead enters the sales funnel, staff at Hardbat Athletics contact the person within five minutes to book a free consultation. Derek reports that his set rate improved measurably when he took control of the booking process instead of letting leads select—or not select—a time slot themselves through a booking system. In free consultations, the Hardbat crew uses an iPad sales binder to make sure everything is presented clearly and professionally.If you only take one thing from this show, take this: Prioritize responding to leads as quickly as possible.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United2:43 - Lead nurture and speed of follow-ups6:13 - Social media targeting12:22 - Creating systems14:23 - Tracking metrics20:52 - Improving sales numbers

Chris Cooper checks in with exact client-acquisition stats from the top gyms in the world. He'll tell you how many consultations the best gyms book each month, how many people show up for the appointments, and how many sales are made. Set, show and close rate leaderboards are just a few of the many Two-Brain creates each month to determine which gyms are posting the best stats. We use these leaderboards to track progress and celebrate wins but also to identify new best practices used by the leaders. If their tactics stand up to rigorous testing, we'll tell you about them so you can grow your gym.You'll get info on three client acquisition leaderboards from December 2022 in this episode, as well as Chris's insight into how these top gym owners posted such impressive numbers. Check out what the best are doing and then take action to make your gym's sales funnel sing.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United1:40 - Set, show and close rates in gyms2:34 - Set rate leaderboard5:32 - Show rate leaderboard8:14 - Close rate leaderboard11:48 - How to use set, show and close rate stats to improve your gym

Gym owner Corey Lapell has more than doubled his revenue, almost doubled his membership, reduced his work hours dramatically and quadrupled his salary since August 2020. When COVID hit, the longtime CrossFit affiliate owner knew he needed help. Corey turned to Two-Brain, and his mentor got him to take action: writing SOPs, creating contracts, installing a hiring process, rebranding and more.The result of the hard work? Corey and his partner transformed their Vancouver gym from a labor of love into a thriving fitness business. Corey is now enjoying more time with his family, and he's able to focus on building a better business for his clients. In fact, he's now taking bold steps to purchase a building to ensure Empower is able to serve its members for decades. LinksBook a CallGym Owners United0:45 - Empower's structure, business model and 2020 COVID plan3:19 - The fear of signing up for mentorship while losing money5:40 - Taking action when a mentor "kicks your ass" and pushes you9:40 - Dividing roles between owners, and Corey's focus on SOPs13:28 - Rebranding to market personal training and specialty groups18:05 - From making $1,000 a month in 60 hours to $4,000 in 3521:50 - Corey's advice to other affiliate owners

You might be tempted to offer a free trial to get some new clients at your gym, studio or affiliate—that's a mistake.Years ago, prospective clients might have wanted to "taste the intensity" before signing up. But we're not in 2015 anymore.Now, fitness consumers know what functional fitness is. They aren't looking to sample a one-size-fits-all workout. They have specific fitness and nutrition problems, and they want to know how your gym can solve them. The only professional way to present your solution is with a free consultation. The data from thousands of gyms is clear: On average, doing a free consultation instead of a free trial will increase length of engagement from 8 to 13 months. It will also allow you to present the best, most complete solutions to prospective members, and some of them will want your premium packages. That increases average revenue per member. Best of all, a consultation ensures you give clients exactly what they need to get the results they want and improve their lives.Free trials are a thing of the past. To build a stronger business, start using free consultations.LinksBook a CallGym Owners United0:45 - The consultative process1:44 - Length of engagement stats3:16 - Client value

With the help of a Two-Brain mentor, Evan Armstrong increased his gym's revenue by 500 percent in just one year. Here's how he did it.First, he quit his day job and shifted his attention to growing his gym/physical therapy business. He clearly mapped out his client journey, then he systemized and optimized as many tasks as he could before automating the systems.He also overhauled his website to make it easier for potential clients to engage with him, and he dramatically improved his sales process with a video "sales binder" to ensure he wasn't winging it during consultations with prospective members. Evan committed to improving his business one percent every day with clear, actionable tactics from a mentor, and now he's working for even greater success.Listen, then take action so you can boost your revenue, too.LinksCrossFit Gym Business PlanChris Cooper's "Gym Owners Handbook"Book a CallGym Owners United3:35 - Growth of Evan's business7:08 - The 1% improvement mindset16:46 - Day-to-day mentorship21:35 - What's next for Evan's gym?27:46 - How to 5x your revenue: Evan's advice