This is an IHRSA featured article, brought to you by Gleantap. Retention is a highly charged word in the health club space. Member attrition is a serious threat to the viability of long-term financial health. The entire health club model is based on improving people’s lives over a period of time. Having customers return to…
A study says that at least 50% of Americans are too intimidated to visit a gym, 24 Hour Fitness and fitness apps are trying to make working out easier, and business leaders are continuing to build the industry. Study: Half of Americans Suffer from Gym Anxiety About 50% of Americans feel too intimidated to develop…
How best to structure and manage staff compensation is a key issue for club operators. How you structure staff compensation ties directly into your management style and how you incentivize and reward performance. When it comes to group exercise instructor compensation in California, Janine Williams, former vice president of human resources for Leisure Sports Hospitality is…
At first glance, it may be a disorienting sight: someone has just walked into your club with a dog. While your instinct may be to approach the individual and remind him of your club’s no pet policy, there’s a chance that the dog is a service animal and has a legal right to accompany its…
This is an IHRSA featured article, brought to you by ASF Payment Solutions. Today’s behavioral psychologists have identified a central paradox of internet culture: the more we’re connected by social media, the more we feel isolated. Social connectivity is immediate and on-demand, but it’s not galvanizing our communities. We’re a step removed, our dopamine receptors…
Enhanced collection fuses fashion and function for everyday wear. VERNON, CA—February 21, 2019—Expert Brand, a leading B2B active lifestyle apparel and promotional clothing company, is excited to announce the expansion of its popular American MoCA collection just in time for Spring. Eight new styles—six for women and two for men—are the latest trend-forward options that…
Ten years ago, Apple assembled enough apps—500 titles—to create the first app ecosystem, and opened the Apple Store with 500 titles. Today, it has more than 2 million. Google Play, its Android counterpart, boasts even more: about 2.2 million. While music tops the list of the most-used apps at 79%, according to comScore’s 2016 US…
“This is it. This is the year I get healthy. I’m going to work out more and eat more vegetables!” As a club owner, you’ve probably heard your members say these things at the beginning of each new year. I’d also wager that for every member who sticks to their resolutions and goals, there are…
For more than 30 years, IHRSA’s annual Industry Data Survey (IDS) has gathered key performance indicators (KPIs) among leading health club companies. The resulting report, Profiles of Success, compiles and analyzes key metrics as well as common club practices such as club reinvestment and pricing. Whether your club company is among industry leaders or you’re…
For many small businesses, understanding employment law can be one of the most time consuming tasks. For health clubs, the rules defining independent contractors can cause a major headache. In fact, questions about independent contractors were the second most frequent legal question IHRSA has fielded from members in the past decade. Understanding employee classification can…
The relationship between personal trainers and clients is unique. It involves close physical contact and sharing private information. So it’s no surprise that intimate relationships could develop. Personal trainers who are friendly, who you can confide in, and who are trusted by their clients arguably have much higher client retention. However, trainers—and the club operators…
One of the eternal truths of the fitness industry is that club owners and operators are always in search of new non-dues revenue sources. The examples that come to mind most quickly are special fee-based services—e.g., yoga, Pilates, barre, personal and small-group training, racquet sports, spa treatments, aquatic offerings, youth programming, and food and beverage….