GymMaster Logo

GymMaster Blog

How to Be a Productive Gym Owner

Dru Hill
Dru Hill
Published on Mon, Feb 12, 2024
gym owner

Are you stuck on the treadmill of never getting all of your work done and always wishing you had a few more hours in the day?

Running a business, though time-consuming, shouldn’t be something that takes over your life.

If you feel as though you no longer have time for yourself, constantly find yourself stuck behind the front desk, and never seem to get everything checked off your to-do list, the following tips can help.

In this article, we will be giving readers tips on how to streamline the daily processes involved in running a gym so that you have more time to spend on the things that really count.

6 Ways to Streamline Your Day and Become a More Productive Gym Owner

An essential piece of productivity is simply having enough space in your schedule to spend your time where it really counts.

When you are bogged down by unnecessary busy work, you don’t give yourself the opportunity to effectively work towards accomplishing any of your big goals.

Instead of trying to hack your way to being more productive, try eliminating some of the tasks on your daily to-do list.

1. Step Out from Behind the Front Desk

Owners of many wellness-style businesses, including gyms, massage therapy clinics, and the like, often find themselves stuck behind the front desk.

Either they cannot find replacements when staff call in sick, are constantly understaffed, or have a workload for their receptionists that is unmanageable for a single staff member.

If this sounds like you, then it’s time to figure out new ways to get out from behind the front desk so you can spend your time more effectively in the business.

You can try:

  • Delegating front-desk duties to other staff members: Some reception staff find themselves responsible for various tasks throughout the day. Delegate some of these tasks to other staff members or consider hiring more front desk staff.
  • Hiring more front desk staff: Having enough staff can give you the space you need from routine tasks, allowing you to focus your attention where it’s actually needed.
  • Streamlining the administration tasks with gym software systems that do the work for you.

2. Automate Wherever Possible

Certain gym management software handles everything from online bookings to door access and more. If you and your staff seem to always be bogged down in the daily processes involved in running your business, consider getting a new system that helps you streamline these processes, giving you the space to focus your energy where it counts.

3. Hands Off the Burden of Billing

Leaving you or your team to process membership payments at the start of each billing cycle is a sure way to waste hours every month. Automate billing and everything else associated with your membership management wherever possible. Offer automated billing services to your members, provide them with the option to make changes to their billing information, and create automated communications for overdue payments so you’re not spending hours every week following up debtors.

4. Keep Your Finger on the Pulse of Performance Metrics

As a business owner, you need to stay on top of what is working in your gym and be mindful of the areas that need extra attention. Find a way to easily track important metrics such as member count, number of visits, class bookings, and attendance. If you have a good gym management system, all this should be included and prominent for you to review at a glance. Being aware of your gym’s performance allows you to make informed decisions to improve revenue and member experience.

5. Streamline the Booking and Sign-up Process

Allow both new and existing members to sign up for classes and make bookings online. This not only makes it easier for them but also frees up more time for yourself or your front desk staff by not needing to be behind the scenes scheduling and processing everything. Communicate to new members that the sign-up and class process can be done online to avoid unneeded admin stress in your life.

6. Automate Communication with Your Members

Staying in contact with your members is important for member engagement and retention–but doing so manually dozens or hundreds of times is a massive timesink–however, underpersonalised messages also get lost in the inbox and unopened. The solution? Utilize automated personalised email and SMS messaging services to keep your members informed about gym-wide promotions, upcoming events, and reminders for bookings or overdue payments.

7. Prioritize Your Workout Routine

As a gym owner, it’s important to prioritize your own health and fitness. Take time to rest and invest energy into taking care of yourself. By automating more of your business and finding ways to offload unnecessary daily tasks, you create more time for yourself and maintain the energy and motivation to move your business forward.

Bottom Line

Maximizing your productivity as a gym owner depends on creating space in your schedule. Invest in a gym management system to streamline processes and free up more of your time. Click here to learn more about a software solution that can help you step out from behind the front desk once and for all.