Do you run a gym house and want to promote it? If YES, here is a sample gym and fitness center marketing plan template, tips and ideas to attract clients..
Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a gym and fitness center. We also took it further by providing an in-depth sample gym and fitness center business plan template.
In this article, we will be analyzing and drafting a sample gym and fitness center marketing plan backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for gym and fitness centers. So put on your marketing hat and let’s proceed.
A Sample Gym House & Fitness Center Marketing Plan Template
1. Our Present Business Situation
Presently, we have legally registered our gym house and fitness club and we have fruitfully acquired the required business license and all the necessary permits to run this type of business in the united states of America. Our Fit as Fiddle Gym and Fitness Club facility is located at 135 E John Carpenter 1400 Irving, Texas United States of America.
We were able to secure a standard facility along the road in the heart of the city. The facility for our gym and fitness club has a standard Olympic size swimming pool and enough packing space for our clients.
Currently, we have concluded recruitment and training exercises of all the employees that will pioneer the business. We are set to open our gym house and fitness club on Saturday the 2nd of January, 2016 with an open house party for residence in the neighborhood.
Let us add that we have been able to equip our gym house with all the gym and fitness equipment that you can find in any standard gym in the United States of America and in any part of the world.
2. Our Product and Services
Fit as Fiddles Gym and Fitness Club is in business to provide all round health and fitness services to the residence of Irving, Texas, which is why we have been able to put up a facility that can help us achieve the goal. We are optimistic that everyone who enrolled in our gym and fitness club will definitely derive huge value for their money. These are the services and amenities that will be made available to our clients;
- Personal Training
- Group Fitness Classes
- Yoga Classes
- Pilates (full body walkout)
- Spinning Classes
- Weight Management
- Kinesis Station
- Nutrition Counseling
- Childcare / Daycare
- Spa
- Full Locker Room Services
- Physical Therapy
- Juice Bar
- Internet Café
- Sports shop (sale of sportswear, towel, shampoos et al)
- Comprehensive fitness assessment
- Full gym membership
3. Our Mission and Vision Statement
Our Vision is to contribute our quota to encourage families and residence in Irving, Texas, to engage in the regular exercising of their bodies, so as to enable them stay healthy.
The mission of Fit as Fiddle Gym and Fitness Club is to build a world class gym and fitness club in Irving, Texas, where residents can comfortably train for health and for fitness; a place where residents can connect whilst achieving their health goals.
Our Market Goals
Every business is supposed to have a marketing goal, and that we have done too. As a result, we have perfected our sales and marketing strategies, and are set to deliver excellent services and gym facility. We know that if we structure our business properly and have highly trained and motivated employees, we are likely going to meet or even surpass our set market/sales target of generating enough income/profits from our first three months of operations.
With the help of experts, we have been able to critically examine the gym and fitness industry with more emphasis on Texas and have analyzed our chances in the industry. Against this backdrop, we have been able to come up with the following marketing goals. It is important to state that our marketing goals/projections are guided on the information we gathered from the field and of course from some workable assumptions as well.
- Register a minimum of 500 active members in our gym on the first year of officially launching the gym.
- Retain a minimum of 60 percent of the people that register in our gym and there about increase it by 10 percent every year.
- Generate a total income of 200,000 US dollar within the first year of setting up the business
- Generate a total income of 450,000 US dollars in our second year of running the business
- Generate a total income of 700,000 US dollars in our third year of running the business
What we aim to achieve from our market efforts are as follows:
- To be listed among the top 5 gyms in the United States of America (within a 10 years benchmark)
- To become the number one choice when it comes to gym in Irwin and the whole of Texas
- To sell franchise of our gym / establish our gyms in key cities in the United States of America (5 years target)
- We want to build a self – sustaining and highly profitable gym business that will contribute to the growth of the economy of the United States of America.
Our Marketing Budget
Our marketing budget is influenced by our marketing strategies which are directed towards achieving specific objectives that support the strategic goals of the organization. The truths is that all that we do will be geared towards creating new market channels, increasing sales and increase our market share. We will leverage on improving on our services and facility to ensure that we win new clients and retain old members.
Our marketing budget for our gym house and fitness business is put at 7,500 US dollars for the first year of officially launching the business. This is so because we have been able to study the industry and winning clients is easier when your gym is well positioned and well equipped.
Subsequently, we will budget between 5 percent and 10 percent of our annual income towards marketing and promoting our gym house and fitness club.
5. MARKET ANALYSIS
- Our Target Market
The target market for gym cuts across people of different walks of life. The fact that people register in gyms and fitness clubs for various reasons makes marketing the business interesting. The target market for gym and fitness centers can be categorized into three various groups. The first group are people who are looking towards shedding weights through proper exercising and under the guidance of a qualified instructor.
The other group of people are those who are interested in building their biceps (body building) and the last group of people are those who just want to enroll for cardio sessions under the watchful eyes of a qualified trainer. These sessions are a combination of light weights, treadmills and bikes.
Our gym house and fitness club will work towards providing services, facilities and environment that will help us reach out to our target market. These are the category of people that we intend marketing our gym and fitness club to;
- Corporate Executives
- Business People
- Celebrities
- Retirees
- Actors and Actresses
- Household
- Sportsmen and Sportswomen
- Students
- Young Couples
- Children
- Young adults
6. SWOT Analysis
Fit as Fiddle Gym and Fitness Club is in business to help its clients achieve their health and fitness goals and at the same time to make profit. We are aware that there is competition in the gym and fitness industry which is why we took out time to conduct an effective SWOT Analysis before investing our hard earned money.
We know that if we get things right before starting our gym and fitness club, we will not have to struggle before attracting loyal clients and building our membership base to a level where we can easily breakeven. We hired the services of Mr. Emmanuel Bright, an HR and Business consultant to help us conduct SWOT analysis for our company and he did a pretty good job for us.
Here is a of the result we got from the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Fit as Fiddle Gym and Fitness Club, Irving, Texas;
- Strength:
One of the obvious strength that will definitely stand as a plus for Fit as Fiddle Gym and Fitness Club is the fact that our facility is centrally located in a densely populated – residential area in Irving, Texas; our location is in fact one of our major strength.
We equally have a team of highly qualified professionals who will work with all our clients to achieve their aims or enrolling in our gym and lastly our membership package is one of the best that anybody living in Texas can get; it is cheap and affordable.
- Weakness:
Having critically looked into our Business model, we were able to identify two major weaknesses. One is the fact that we are a new business and the second is the fact that we may not have the financial resources required to match up with existing gyms in Texas when it comes to acquiring latest gym equipment and generating the needed hypes that can drive traffic towards our facility.
- Opportunities:
We are centrally located in one of the busiest areas in Irving, Texas, and we are open to all the available opportunities that the city has to offer. We also run a 24 hours, 7 days a week gym and fitness club; thus giving us the advantage to leverage on any available opportunity.
- Threat:
Some of the threats that are likely going to confront Fit as Fiddle Gym and Fitness Club is unfavorable government policies, demographic / social factors, downturn in the economy which is likely going to affect consumers spending and lastly, the emergence of new competitors within the same location where our gym and fitness club is located.
- Our competitive advantage
Fit as Fiddle Gym and Fitness Club is centrally located in a densely populated – residential area in Irving, Texas; this is obviously going to give us an edge amongst our competitors. We equally have a team of highly qualified professionals who will work with all our clients to achieve their aims or enrolling in our gym and lastly our membership package is one of the best that anybody living in Texas can get; it is cheap and affordable.
We can confidently say that the location of our gym will definitely count as a positive for us amongst any competitor that might start a gym and fitness business in same location where ours is located. We will continue to work hard to ensure continuous improvement in our facility and service delivery. As a matter of fact, our services will be second to none in Texas.
7. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
- Our Sources of Income
Fit as Fiddle Gym and Fitness Club will generate income from the following service offerings;
- Personal Training
- Group Fitness Classes
- Yoga Classes
- Pilates (full body walkout)
- Spinning Classes
- Weight Management
- Kinesis Station
- Nutrition Counseling
- Childcare / Daycare
- Spa
- Full Locker Room Services
- Physical Therapy
- Juice Bar
- Internet Café
- Sports shop (sale of sportswear, towel, shampoos et al)
- Comprehensive fitness assessment
- Full gym membership
8. Sales Forecast
It is important to state that our sales forecast is based on the data gathered during our feasibility studies and also some of the assumptions readily available on the field.
It would be hard to create a sales forecast with a newly opened business like gym and fitness club. This is simply because the statistics that will be provided will be on a short term basis. Experts said that usually a business should be in operation for at least one year before they can generate the statistics that will be need to help in accurate forecasting; statistics should be at least one year old in order to show the trends and pattern in consumer spending.
We expect to register a minimum of 1,000 active members within our fits year of operations and then in subsequent year we will grow our membership. Below are the sales projection for Fit as Fiddle Gym and Fitness Club, it is based on the location of our facility and the services and products that we will be offering to our clients (members);
- First Year-: $200,000
- Second Year-: $450,000
- Third Year-: $700,000
N.B: This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major competitor offering same additional services as we do within 4.5 miles radius from our gym facility.
9. Our Pricing Strategy
Our pricing system is going to be based on what is obtainable in the industry, we don’t intend to charge more (except for premium and customized services) and we don’t intend to charge less than what our competitors charge their members in Irving, TX.
Be that as it may, we have put plans in place to offer discount services once in a while and also to reward our loyal customers especially when they refer clients to us or when they register as a family. The prices of our services will be same as what is obtainable in the United States’ open market.
Our Unique Selling Point; What Makes Our Gym House and Fitness Club Superior to Our Competitions
One of our major goals of starting up our gym house and fitness club is to encourage families in Irving, Texas to cultivate the habit of regularly exercising and to stay healthy. Our gym facility is specifically designed and built to take care of adults and children, we have active childcare services for toddlers and we have membership packages that are highly discounted for families that enrolled in our gym. This is of course our major unique selling point and perhaps that is what makes our gym house and fitness club superior to our competitors in and around Irving, Texas.
So also, one of the factors that will serve as a unique selling point for our gym house and fitness club is the fact that our facility is centrally located in a densely populated – residential area in Irving, Texas; our location is in fact one of our major strength.
We equally have a team of highly qualified professionals who will work with all our clients to achieve their aims or enrolling in our gym and lastly our membership package is one of the best that anybody living in Texas can get; it is cheap and affordable.
Another unique selling point that will give us edge over our competitors is that our facility is equipped with modern technology. We have got large TV screens close to our cardiovascular equipment and treadmills, so as to help our clients stay entertained while they engage in their exercise.
We will work towards ensuring that we provide our clients/members with a daily program of exercise and diet that perfectly suit their lifestyle and also to help them achieve their desired results and to help them create lasting healthy habits that will last them for life.
Benefits Our Client Stand to Gain When They Register in Our Gym and Fitness Club
We are in business for the purpose of making profits and building long lasting relationship with everyone that register in our gym and fitness club. We are quite aware that if how members are satisfied with our gym and fitness facility, programs and of course services, they will definitely remain loyal and perhaps encourage their friends, family members and colleagues to register in our gym and fitness club hence we are trained and well positioned to deliver services that will benefit our members and potential members alike.
In view of that, here are the benefits our members and potential members stand to benefits when they register in our gym and fitness club:
- We have a weight management consultant who will work with individual based on customized fitness and nutrition needs.
- Highly secured facility and enough parking space and competitive membership fees that they can get in the United States of America
- We will run fitness clubs that will help members who want to lose weight achieve their desire without little stress.
- We will open 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week in order for us to be able to accommodate people with different time preference.
- Excellent customer service delivery at all times and of course freebies at regular intervals
- Good value for their money
10. Strategic Marketing Alliance with Our Competitors in the Gym and Fitness Industry
Forming strategic marketing alliance with a competitor in most business does not always come easy because everybody that are in business are their basically because they want to make money. Making money for an ideal business person involves executing as much job as possible or selling as much products as possible or registering as much members as possible.
In essence, the only reason why a company will want to enter strategic marketing alliance with its competitors is when they lack the machines and manpower to execute a job but have the connections required to secure business deals.
When it comes to forming strategic marketing alliance with a competitor in the gym and fitness industry, it will obviously be as a result of in adequate financial capacity to equip the gym house and fitness club with state of the art gym facility or the lack of some services that is demanded by clients. So also, forming strategic marketing alliance in the gym industry could be between a gym house and fitness club with manufacturers of gym and fitness equipment.
For example, if a gym house and fitness club can go into strategic marketing partnership with a manufacturer of gym equipment. The gym house can get some of the gym and fitness equipment for free or at a highly discounted price and then help the manufacturer promote and of course attract buyers. That is one of the easiest means of selling gym equipment and agreement could be reach on commission to be attracted per equipment sell et al.
11. Our Client Retention Strategies (Ways to Improve Our Customer Experience)
No doubt, if a company is able to achieve over 60 percent retention the company will sure experience huge turn over and such company can comfortably be classified as a thriving company. This is why we have perfected plans on how to improve our customer experience from time to time and to continue to improve on our customer’s retention.
These are the methods we intend utilizing when it comes to improving our customer experience so that we can create a good impression and generate repeated business from them:
- Ensure that we only higher qualified and highly trained trainers/gym instructors
- Ensure that our membership fee is highly competitive and we will create different packages for different class of clients
- Ensure we get feedback from our customers at all times
- We will create a system where points will be awarded to loyal customers – a point-based system for redeemable rewards.
- Make use of effective customer relationship management (CRM) software to effectively manage our clientele base.
- Ensures that we carry our customers along when making decisions that directly affect them.
12. Possible Ways We Intend Offering Incentives to Our Customers/Clients (Bonus, Discounts, etc)
It has been proven over and over again that any business that aims towards building a good relationship with its customers and increase repeated business must be willing to give out mouth – watering incentives from time to time not only during special occasions.
As a matter of fact any company to gives out incentives on a regular basis will not only retain their customers, but they will also continue to attract new customers. So we will go all out to continue to reward our loyal members with incentives on a regular basis.
Part of the incentives that we intend dishing out to our highly esteemed members is to give them discount on their membership fee whenever they renew their membership with us or when they bring in new members.
We will also create a loyalty plan that will enable us reward our loyal members who refers our gym house and fitness club to their family members, friends and colleagues. Part of what we intend doing to reward our members is to give them discounts anytime they patronizes our services or purchase gym equipment from us.
We will also ensure that we give members of our gym and fitness club gifts during special occasions like Christmas, New Year, Thanksgiving, Independence Celebrations and Easter et al.
- After Sales Service and Client Support Services
The fact that we are going to be selling gym and fitness equipment means that we will make provision for after sale services. After sales services as it relates to our gym business is that once we sell any gym and fitness equipment, we will take it upon ourselves to ensure that we assist our customers in installing the gym and fitness equipment in any location of their choice and also we will be available for maintenance and repair of the gym and fitness equipment.
As regard customer support services we are not going to handle it with slackness, we will maximize our customer relationship management software applications so as to keep in touch with all our members. We will make sure we carry them along when we have any promo that we know will benefit them and also to make sure they are satisfied with our services and to give them the opportunity to lodge their complaints if they do have any.
Possible Questions We Intend Asking Our Clients During Our Market Survey
These are the 10 possible questions we are going to put forward when conducting marketing survey on our customers/clients:
- Are you satisfied with our gym facility and gym program?
- If you are not satisfied with our gym facility and gym program, in what areas would you want us to improve on going forward?
- What part of Irving do you reside, and can you conveniently locate our gym house and fitness club?
- Have you ever register in any gym before now?
- Would you like to register in our gym?
- How would you want us to communicate to you when we want to pass useful information that will be of benefit to you or someone you know? Through letters, text messages, e – mail, or via mobile apps (BBM, twitter, 2Go, WeChat, WhatsApp et al)
- What is the highest amount you are willing to pay as membership fee for a gym house and fitness club?
- What is the lowest amount you are willing to pay as membership fee for a gym house and fitness club?
- Can you comfortably recommend our gym house and fitness club to your family members, friends and colleagues who are looking towards registering in a gym?
- Are you satisfied with our customer service delivery? If no, what areas would you want us to improve on?