Even with the biggest budget, top-notch personal trainers, and cutting-edge equipment, choosing the wrong location can hurt your business. We go over 5 important aspects you must consider when picking a location for your gym.
How to Pick a Good Location for Your Gym
Choosing your gym location is a serious decision because, while not permanent, it does come with time, legal, and infrastructure constraints. That’s why, to set your gym up for success, carefully think about these 5 aspects:
1. Convenience for your target audience
A factor that will guarantee your gym thrives is keeping your target audience in mind in each decision you make. They are the people you want to see flocking to your gym, who can afford your membership prices, and who are looking for the service you offer.
A gym near a university, for example, will attract students, whereas one near a financial hub will attract blue-collar workers. That’s because people usually choose their gym based on where they live, work, and hang out.
The best strategy is to map out which locations are most convenient for your target audience. They’ll be able to stick to their workout routine, and you’ll retain and grow your business over time.
2. Visibility, peak hours, and foot traffic
If your target audience is the general public, you must find a location with high visibility and foot traffic. That would be a central place where people hang out and can come across your business. Your presence will remind them to join a gym and start losing those extra pounds.
However, if you’re opening a gym for athletes, the location is less important as long as it has enough parking space and isn’t too far away from their homes. In this case, industrial areas, for example, offer more bang for your buck even though they lack foot traffic.
The location you pick for your gym will determine the type of clients you will attract and your peak hours. For example, a gym near a residential area will be busier on weekends. Meanwhile, a central location will be crowded in the afternoon but quiet on weekends.
3. Surroundings and complementary businesses
Complementary businesses to your gym are juice shops, healthy restaurants, massage parlors, etc. They provide products and services in the same industry, targeting the same people, even though you’re not direct competitors.
As such, the location you choose should have a couple of these nearby.
People into health and fitness would welcome a protein shake or a healthy meal, after or before the workout. They’d even socialize, helping create a stronger community that will benefit your business in the long run.
These businesses can even become your partners, and you can discuss offering discounts for your members or running joint promotional campaigns.
4. Nearby competition
With fitness facilities popping up everywhere, it may be difficult to find a location without another competition within a few miles. But that doesn’t mean you should pick a location on the outskirts of town, where visibility and foot traffic is low.
The best strategy is picking a location that isn’t over-saturated, has low-quality gyms, or where you can niche down and be a more competitive and better fit for the audience.
Try to avoid a location near a major competitor that is doing very well. Acquiring a space a few miles away, on the other hand, can get you all those “in-between” prospect members who would find your gym more convenient location-wise.
5. Defining your brand
Will you be located in a vibrant part of the city or will you stay away from the noise and locate your gym in a more isolated area? Both can work on your behalf but they depend on your branding.
Also, do you want an underground space with artificial lighting designed for people into pumping iron, or do you prefer an open space with a more wellness and self-care touch?
Each neighborhood within a city has its vibe, and picking the right location for your gym will keep it from being an outlier, and can influence its growth substantially – it can be the difference between spending 10’s of thousands in marketing every month to maintain members and having a nil ad spend. People will feel represented and you’ll cater to their needs better. That of course leads to a more successful business.
Bottom line
Picking a good location for your gym can help you get more members each month and fill your gym. But, the sky is the limit when it comes to growing your business! Click here to learn more about a gym management system that will assist you in attracting and retaining clients.
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