The Best Locations to Open a Gym

Opening your own gym is an exciting, yet challenging venture. One of the most difficult aspects of starting up your own gym is finding the best location. The placement of your gym is a key factor in determining the long-term success of your business.

Here are the most important things to consider when choosing your gym's location, both inside and out.

1. Neighborhood demographics
   
2. Ample parking space
3. Competitors in your area
4. Accessible location
5. Age and construction of the building
6. High ceilings
7. Adequate space
8. A qualified property manager or PEO
   
   

1. Neighborhood Demographics

Obviously, opening your gym on the bad side of town won't attract many customers. Once you have a building in mind, research the area surrounding it. You should open your gym with a decent population and low crime rates. If you already have a large pool of potential customers, focus on attracting more of this demographic.

For example, if your clientele consists of middle-aged parents, find a location relatively close to the suburbs. Ideally, the gym should also be within walking distance. Most people find it easier to commit to going to the gym if it's a few steps away from their home.

If possible, try to find a location for your gym amidst like-minded businesses. Putting your gym near a fast-food restaurant or liquor store can send your customers a mixed message. It might even prevent them from meeting their fitness goals, which may lead to them switching gyms.

2. Ample Parking Space

For customers that prefer to drive to your gym, it's important to have enough parking spots. How many you need will depend on your location and your demographics. If most of your customers commute to the gym on foot, you won't need many parking spaces.

However, if some of your clients are getting rides to the gym, those drivers will need spaces to wait. There's also the potential to have such a successful gym that people may commute by car for a workout. If they don't have access to parking, those are some potential customers that you're going to lose.

3. Competitors in Your Area

Opening your gym too close to a rival gym is never a good idea, so do your research about existing facilities. Sometimes, an ideal location will be minutes away from a competing gym, but there are some ways to make your location unique. For example, you may offer a service that a nearby gym doesn't, like CrossFit training.

Your gym's membership prices should also be competitively priced. If your fees are too high, most people won't mind driving an extra ten minutes to use a cheaper gym. Just make sure your prices aren't so low that you can't keep up with your gym's operational costs.

4. Accessible Location

The building itself needs to be easily accessible to all your customers. If your gym is in the heart of a busy city, make it easily visible for customers making their way on foot. Your parking lot should also be easy to enter, with clear parking space lines and no parking fees.

Bright signage is also important, especially if your gym is a 24-hour facility. A location with good visibility and distinct signage may also cut down your advertising costs. Marketing your gym on billboards can be expensive, and paper signs placed around town can be hard for people to see.

A gym that's easily accessible on foot is also more likely to attract impulse customers. A quick workout can be the perfect way for someone to relieve stress during their lunch break.

5. Age and Construction of the Building

Once you have picked a good location, consider the actual building that will house all your equipment. Older buildings may have more outdated utilities. Old electrical or plumbing systems will need to be replaced sooner than those in a new building.

Both the inside and outside of the building should also appear to be in good shape. Peeling paint or a crumbling facade could indicate some structural damage. Additionally, people are less likely to visit your gym if the building looks shoddy.

6. High Ceilings

If you have tall workout machines or a large rock climbing wall, a high gym ceiling is a must. If your gym's ceiling is too low, it can make create a claustrophobic atmosphere for your customers. Additionally, you'll have better air ventilation with a higher ceiling. Nobody will want to work out at your gym if the smell of sweat lingers in the air for too long.

A higher ceiling also lets in more natural light. Natural sunlight yields a lot of health benefits, such as improving a bad mood and encouraging the absorption of Vitamin D. If your location doesn't have a high ceiling, large windows can let the sunshine in just as well.

7. Adequate Space

A large general training area is good, but a tightly-packed crowd can scare some customers away. When people don't have enough space to work out, it's a potential safety hazard. A good commercial gym should also have enough room for:

• A front desk and waiting area
• A dedicated changing and shower area
• Each piece of equipment
• Each customer to have their own personal space (usually 10 square feet)

It might be tempting to seek out a larger building if you're anticipating a lot of traffic. However, doing so puts you at risk for costs beyond what you can afford. It's better to start with a smaller building and think about expansion later.

8. A Qualified Property Manager or PEO

Opening and operating your gym can be expensive, especially when you don't have many customers yet. One way you can cut down maintenance costs is by finding a location with a property manager. If some part of the building needs to be fixed, the property manager will pay for it from their own pocket.

New gym owners might also have trouble paying their employees and finding the best benefits for their team. A PEO can help manage these tasks so that managers can stay focused on the growth of their business.

Finding the best location is only the beginning of a successful gym. For everything else, like buying insurance and leasing equipment, NEXO Fitness Solutions is here to help. Visit our online blog or for more information.