A few months ago I had a chance to meet with an executive roundtable featuring owners of the top health clubs and chains from around the world. While the discussions were fascinating and the ideas great, it reminded me of the first IHRSA conference I attended 14 years ago. The challenge then was, “How to [...]
Ten years ago it never occurred to Billy Malkovich that he would be working in the fitness industry — he was dead set on becoming a lawyer and politician on Capitol Hill. However, like many things in life, direction changed for Malkovich. He graduated from Arizona State University, worked for Senator John McCain in Washington [...]
The well-known saying “if you build it, they will come” is not necessarily true in this industry. Building a nice gym just isn’t enough. The big question is how do you get them in the door? When you focus on demographics you can tailor your marketing message to whomever you want and make sure it [...]
Building a new fitness center can be a daunting task. With so much to bear in mind from the initial design to the actual construction, it’s no surprise that certain areas of the club get overlooked! Here is a list of the top five things to consider when building a new gym. 1) Don’t over [...]
Q: We’re trying to become more diligent with goal setting. What are some best practices for setting goals and quotas? – Submitted by Chris Hargis, General Manager of World Gym, Ponte Vedra, Fla. A: Setting goals is one of the most important activities you can do to become successful, both personally and at your fitness [...]
In his early 20s Peter Taunton was attempting to turn around a club that was almost $100,000 in debt. Sitting at his home in Willmar, Minn. he pondered how he would make payroll the next day. As the morning sun came shining through the window, a weary-eyed Taunton had stayed up all night with no [...]
HASTINGS, Minn. — Anytime Fitness continues to accelerate its international expansion, this time – into Japan. The attainment of a master franchisee agreement for Japan, one year in the making, comes just weeks after the fitness chain announced its plans to open clubs in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Recent overseas deals, combined with 300 [...]
According to the TimesOnline, Virgin Active has emerged from the recession “in good health.” The Virgin Group has announced underlying earnings of more than £100 million. Included with the number that is a first for the company will be an expansion of the Virgin Active brand. Currently, there are clubs in Britain, Italy, Spain, Portugal [...]
In the search for a great staff, you must recognize that mastering the interview process is one of the most valuable talents that you can possess and one of the most important skills that you should continually teach your leadership staff. Too often, however, interviewing skills may not be as finely tuned and interviewers resort [...]
By watching the daily fluctuating stock market it would be difficult to make any substantial judgments as to the U.S. emerging from its recession. Regardless, when looking at the health and fitness industry, a ray of hope is found. Aaron Lieberman, the chief development officer for Titan Fitness, a Gold’s Gym Franchisee, said they have [...]
