Small gyms
 

Hi everyone. I usually hang out in the maintainers section but I've been lurking here a lot lately. I belong to a large big box gym, which is close to my home. I mostly use the cardio equipment, weight machines and free weights. My hubby has always wanted to buy a franchise and is big on the idea of buying 3 Snap Fitness gyms. We've looked at a lot of them. They are small, only about 2,500 to 3,000 square feet, don't have pools, saunas, exercise rooms, showers, etc. But they are situated close to people's home in strip malls, so you can get in and get out. Does anyone have opinions on the smaller co-ed gyms? Would you buy a membership in a gym like this if it was closer to your home than a big box, but about the same amount of $ per month. No contract requried? Personal training is available.
Thanks so much. I am pulling my hair out about this as I am new to the whole gym thing and have only been going less than a year. I do love it and this would certainly keep me working out!
Pam

Hi Pam,

I've not heard of them, so I googled them. Probably a bulletin board dedicated to franchises or small business owners would be a good place to visit too, to see what the "on the street" opinion of this organization is.

I think it has some pro's -- it's a "real" gym and not one that you would outgrown, like some people talk about growing a limited circuit gym like Curves.

But, the 24 hour access concerns me. I know it is key card access and camera-rigged, but unless you plan to staff it (which would be hard), I would just be real worried about liability for what could go on in your facility with no one manning it. In terms of assault, even one 16 y/o member letting "buddies" in, kids getting their parent's cards, I don't know, it just makes me nervous. And if something were to happen in your facility, we're talking lawsuit, and I don't think you'd find much corporate support at all in that situation. In fact, I would be money that you sign away any rights for that in the contracts. Worse case scenario, of course, but I think as a business owner, it's all about looking fully at the risks as well as benefits.

Hi Pam! Wow, what an interesting idea! But I think I'd be nervous too. :)

I'm a heavy gym user, going at least once a day, sometimes twice, so feel pretty qualified to answer. :lol: What I want in a gym is a good variety of well-maintained equipment, cleanliness, hours to suit my schedule (I'm an early AM person), convenient location, and access to equipement when I'm there (not insanely crowded). I don't care about showers (I change at home), pools etc, don't need childcare, and don't take a lot of classes. Size doesn't matter to me as long as the gym has the equipment I need. Co-ed is fine; my workout partner is a guy.

My dues at Ballys are only $22/month but I'd be willing to pay more for a nice facility. We just don't have any competition here.

Good luck and let us know what you decide to do! :)

I used to belong to a woman's only gym. I liked it a lot. It was clean, they handed you fresh towels when you came and it was only women. If you plan to maintain a smaller gym for the same price but without other amenities, how would you plan to make up for it? What would someone joining your gym get that they wouldn't get at a bigger one? Other than maybe being a little closer?

This is very well put.

Personally, I wouldn't be interested in any gym without showers, especially one that charged full-gym prices.

The website stated memberships started at $26 a month, and if that's true in every market it would probably be cheaper. I know around here and when I lived in Co, it was $35/mo and probably upwards of $50 for shorter contracts. So it might be priced lower that the competition, not sure. I don't think as a user I would be comfortable going somewhere where there is no staff either. I mean, who's really watching the other end of the closed circuit tv? Probably no one, it's just recorded on tape in case you need to look at it later.

Thinking about it some more, my concern would be the variety of equipment. Would a gym that size be able to provide a squat rack, bench press, benches, DBs from 5 - 95#, different sized BBs, leg press, all the weight plates, and an assortment of cardio equipment? I can live without most machines but really would want a well-stocked free weight area. Of course, others might prefer a circuit of machines. The size makes me concerned that it would be like the so-called fitness centers you run into at hotels ... which wouldn't work for me.

I wouldn't want to use an unstaffed gym for anything other than light cardio. Right now I belong to Bally's and no matter what kind of trouble I get into from getting stuck under weights to falling off the treadmill, to bashing my skull on the squat bar, I know someone is there that can either help me out or call 9-1-1.

I went and looked at the information when Fran said it was 24 hour access. Not that I would be a 2am exerciser, some people are. If I was a woman though, the last thing I'd want is to be exercising in a gym by myself or with very few people. What if some guys got in an argument and it turned into something more? The whole concept seems very strange to me, like Meg said, almost like a hotel gym which is not some place I would say is ideal to workout.

I have to agree with eveyone here. I'd not be comfortable in an unstaffed gym.

I've belonged to both a "big box" gym and a smaller independently owned gym. I hated the big box for many reasons - too expensive for what I got out of it was my biggest beef. I also didn't like being at a gym where the women were only interested in which designer gym clothes you wear, wearing perfume and makeup while working out, and people talking on their cell phones while working out! The whole gym as pick up joint thing. Yuck!:nono:

I really liked the smaller independent. It was a gym for serious weight lifters so most of the clients were men. I actually liked that because I wanted to be around people who were serious about working out. They had very basic cardio equiptment and no group classes but that was fine with me as I don't like group classes. The lifting equiptment was great and all very well maintained. Again I think that's because the focus of the gym was training competition weight lifters. Having all those knowlegeable people around was great plus oooooh those guys are sooooooo fun to watch!:love:

The down side to the independent was only one shower in the women's locker room and the cleanliness was next to nothing! You couldn't have paid me to shower in that thing!:no:

As far as price goes around here (Minneapolis) a mid-range single membership is about $45 plus taxes/fees so If you're not offering all the other amenities the big boxes offer: free towels, big clean locker rooms with free lockers, day care, on-site help (not personal training but help if you need it) available during all gym hours; I'm not sure people will pay the same fee. If your charge is in the $25/mo range with less amenities then that sounds fair.

All that being said (I know, too wordy! LOL) I think owning your own business is a GREAT idea. Just research like mad before you do anything. There have been a lot of small "Curves-like" franchises for both men and women that have tried and failed around our neighborhood over the past 5 years. I'm not sure why as we live in a fairly affluent part of the city. I guess it really depends on who you think your clientel will be. Who are they? Do they live near your location? Where do they work? Do they want you work out close to home or work? Can you piggy back on say a grocery store nearby? Is there another business near that will help draw them in, a Target maybe?

Good luck in making your decision.

Beth

I don't like the unstaffed aspect either. I have qualms about using hotel workout rooms when they're tucked away where no one can see. It's the one time I want someone watching me exercise. :lol:

I echo the things others have brought up. The longer hours are great, but I think it ought to be staffed, and ususally that means 2 people, esp in the late night times. I would never have a single staff person working in my library - too many opportunities for problems. We did have one instance when 2 women were here alone (library was closed) and inadverntly left a door unlocked. A man came in ranting and raised his arm as if to strike them. It all turned out okay, but you can bet they never leave a door unlocked!

So, back to the gym. It wouldn't be my first choice without a lot more investigation. :)

Wow, thanks everyone for the well-thought out responses. I really appreciate your input. The gyms have cameras and security systems. They would be staffed by my husband or me or a personal trainer/manager during business hours. The rest of the time, they are not staffed. The doors are always locked, though. Members get in using an access card, so it's possible that you may be the only one working out or you could be with several other people. The security system comes with a device you can wear around your neck to summon 911 if you get into any trouble. People can wear the device out to their car if they are worried about walking out alone at night. They just have to return them the next time they come in. Working out alone at night, or with just one other person, say, a big scary looking man, would freak me out too. I kind of doubt that many women will be working out late at night, though. There is a phone right near the door so you could always call the police and say, "hey, there's a creepy guy outside and I don't feel comfortable leaving." Still, this is something to seriously consider.
Meg: You mentioned the free weight area. It would be fully stocked with all of the different sized items you mentioned, although there are not multiple sets of everything. We would have probably 5 treadmills, 5 ellipticals and 2 bikes, all by Cybex. the equipment would be brand new as we would get it directly from Cybex. Would the security thing be a factor for you?

The club would be the same price as a big box so what you get is a smaller, hoepfully friendlier "neighborhood" gym that doesn't have the big box feel to it, where memberships are often over sold and you have to wait to get on the cardio equipment. It's meant to appeal to people who don't want all the amenities but just want to get in their work out and get home. It isn't located at a major interection, like where a 24-hour fitness or Bally would be, but rather nestled into a strip mall in a residential area.

Any other thoughts out there would be appreciated.
Thanks!!!
Pam

Pam, the security issue wouldn't be a big deal to me because I'd only use the facility between say, 5:30 am and 6 pm. I can't see me ever working out in the middle of the night. Of course, a lot would depend on the neighborhood but where I live, it wouldn't bother me if I was there without a staff member. We only have one employee at Ballys early in the morning and he's a floor away from the cardio equipment and weight room so it's not a whole lot different.

My issue would be equipment - is it clean, well-maintained, and enough of it? It certainly sounds like a good stock of cardio equipment and in a gym tht size, you wouldn't need duplicates in the free weight area.

If a gym like yours was located near me, I'd definitely check it out and ask for a week's pass. :) We literally have NO alternatives to Ballys except for a 'wellness' type gym run by a hospital ... not my thing. :p

I would definitely prefer a gym like that to a "big box" gym. However, I've now worked at two independent gyms that were "weightlifter gyms" with decent locker rooms and classes that have been put out of business by big box gyms that could afford to lose a little money for a while at one location in order to shut down the competition. I now work out of the complete opposite business scenario- a large, well equiped private training gym with no members, only training clients. We charge a lot, but our clients get a full gym and a trainer, towels, clean shower, etc.

You'd have to offer something special that people couldn't get (ok, proximity is a biggie) elsewhere.

My parents briefly belonged to a gym like that in Boulder because of their "scent free" policy. It was open 24 hours and accessible with a pass card. They were happy with the facility, but no one sniff-tested the other users of the facility for compliance, and my mother had to quit.

The security issue probably wouldn't bother me. I would do my workouts during the day. We do have a 24 hour gym nearby to which I belong (uh, yeah, I think I still belong there.....) It is staffed 24 hours a day and used at all hours, much to my surprise. The front desk staff told me that every couple of hours, a contingent of nurses, emergency service personnel, police, etc who work odd shifts use the facility when their shift is done.

Mel

I went to the website.

It seems odd to me that the website is as much about selling franchises as it is selling gym memberships. Compare it to 24hourfitness.com or ballyfitness.com or goldsgym.com or probably any other franchised gym. All the other sites are selling the idea of gym memberships, not trying to sell the gyms themselves.

Thanks again for the input. I'll keep you posted on what we decide to do. Meg and Mel, thanks for your replies on the staffed vs. unstaffed issue. Other owners of these clubs have told us that the members treat the gyms as if they are "their" gyms, i.e., take care of it, keep riff-raff out, etc. Mel, that's too bad about your mom having to quit her gym because of her allergies (I assume she's allergic to fragrances). A friend of mine lives in Evergreen where this is a similar type of gym (I think it's an Anytime Fitness) and she said her volunteer firefighter hubby and all his firefighter pals joined and love it. I'm thinking if we could find 3 locations that are in areas where there are a lot of residences, but not so many that the big box gyms can afford to put a place there, that we might be able to be successful. We've talked to a number of franchisees who are doing well. Still, I'm skeptical whenever you have to pay a lot of money to get something going, and there is sales pressure involved. Grrr. If you have any other thoughts, keep 'em coming. I'm all ears.
Pam

MilehiMama -- You commented that people have to wait for equipment at the big gyms, but I have found that there is always something I can work out on. My gym has over 250 cardio machines (treads, ellipticals, bikes). I may not be able to get my preferred brand of elliptical when the gym is at its busiest, but there's always one to hop on.

Conversely, when I was at the small Y with fewer than 25 machines, frequently they were all taken and you had to wait for any elliptical or treadmill...

Pam - here's an idea that I definitely would NOT recommend: Getting buff in the buff :lol3:

Wyllenn: That's one of the things i'm worried about: Not having enough cardio equipment. Since we would have nearly as many members as a large gym, I'm thinking that this wouldn't be a problem, at least that's what the other franchisees we've talked to have said. I think the cardio equipment would be one of the main reasons why people would join a small gym like this, and would get pretty annoyed if they couldn't get on anything when they came in to work out...

What to do, what to do...

Meg: that's so funny about working out naked. There is no way I could go without my really supportive sports bra. Panties, socks and shoes maybe, but NOT my bra. Now that would be a hoot to see!

Pam

Exercise naked? :nono: And ewwwww!

Speaking of small gyms, here's the ultimate in hotel gyms from one of the places we stayed in Costa Rica. Wish I had this at home!

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h5...h_100_1374.jpg

This reminds me of the workout room at Sandals in Jamaica. I never understood how they kept the equipment dry from the blowing rains and humidity, but they must have a secret!

AH, tht looks like the gym I used in Xpu-Ha Mexico. Very private, most of the time I was the only one there. My dd lifted with me once, and once a couple wandered in and started asking me questions about the equipment in French- I was there so much they thought I was staff.

I LOVE the classes at my gym. It is the main reason I joined, since I have an elliptical at home, weights at home, and run outside. Since joining, I also use the treadmills and do weightlifting. It is a "big box" type gym, but I live in a relatively small town. We paid upfront for our memberships, and paid in full when we renewed, and that gave us a much better rate (plus we bargained and waited til August when they were desperate). Still, our rate averages to $10 per month. Hard to beat that. I don't care at all about the showers (shower at home) but do care about the hours (I like to go very early am). My gym is opened and fully staffed from 4 am til 11 pm weekdays and 8 am to 10 pm weekends. Perfect for me.

My husband and I own a business (eatery and coffee bar) and we had originally thought we would do a franchise. We completely changed our minds after getting a lot of advice against it. First of all, you have to pay money off the TOP line to the franchise (which means there may not be a bottom line, but you still have to pay). Plus, franchises exert a LOT of control about the decisions you make, so if there is something you want to do it may or may not work with the franchise. It took us a LONG time to put together our concept, but it was definitely worth it to not do a franshise. I would recommend this:

1) Start by evaluating whether or not this is something you are both passionate about and committed to for the long haul.
2) Decide what factors are important to YOU (location? hours? decor? showers? etc, etc)
3) Decide if the franchise fits what YOU are looking for. Franchises do help in that they do a lot of upfront legwork for you. But if you are willing/able to do the legwork yourself, your longterm financial picture is much better.

When I lived across town, I belonged to a locally owned non-franchise gym on that side of town. It was EXCELLENT. Plenty of cardio equipment, excellent exercise classes, an enormous weight room. It was clean, nice, well-staffed by the couple who own it and a few employees. There were locker rooms and showers. It really was awesome. The price was comparable or even a touch higher than some of the other franchise gyms, and they had a little less cardio equipment (they did have childcare, BTW). But the LOCATION was incredible. No other franchises anywhere nearby.

Best wishes!

Lindy

Wow, that hotel gym looks fabulous. My DH and I went on a cruise this past Oct and I really enjoyed the gym on the ship. It was located at the very front very near the top of the ship. Watching the sunrise in the morning while working out was just too wonderful. I did sweat a bunch since the humidity was so much higher than it is here in Colorado, though.

Lindy: thanks for the input. Your list of questions are very thoughtful and helpful. These Snap Fitness gyms definitely do not have classes or childcare or many amenities at all. They are really geared toward the person who just wants to get in, work on cardio and weights, and get out. My husband has always liked the franchise concept becuase they have a proven model, but it does really lock you into doing it there way, plus there is the upfront fee. Fortunately, these fees aren't too bad since the concept is relatively new and they are trying to attract owners, but still, it does cut into the bottom line. I'm not sure what were going to do at this point. I think the biggest thing for me is that I'm just not sure if we're cut out for the membership selling that's involved in making a gym successful. He's a CPA and I'm a writer--definitely not heavy salespeople by any stretch of the imagination. Still, it would be nice to do something different for a change, and we really like the idea of MANAGING a gym and doing something that helps people get healthy (except we won't have tanning beds because I am absolutely against that idea). I'm also concerned about being able to compete with the big box prices. These smaller gyms have to charge $35/month to be able to make it. We've talked to a bunch of franchisees who are doing really well because they say a) people are sick of the big boxes, b) people want a gym that is small and intimate and c) people want a gym that is CLOSE to home in their neighborhood, where they don't have to travel to the main corridors and sit at 5 stoplights before they get there. The franchise company has told us to look for locations that are in densely populated residential areas, next to a grocery store, for example. Not, say, near a mall at a major intersection because that's where the big boxes are.
A lot to think about that's for sure...
Thanks everyone!
Pam

Now, Item C would be a big seller for me actually. My biggest box is 30-35 mins away which just isn't practical.

Wow, that's a long drive to work out. Do you live in an area with enough population to support a gym, hrbabe?

In Alabama, we had a small gym like this. There were ALWAYS people using it. My cousin and her husband worked a split shift, with the second half ending at 3 am, so on their way home, they stopped at the gym and worked out, just as if they got off at 5 pm. They can't say enough good things about these smaller gyms, mainly because of how convenient it was to their drive.

Oh yes, Maria, I'm in suburban DC. I'm just saying the closest big box (Lifetime Fitness) one that I would consider joining (where I wouldn't get robbed in the parking lot at nite - there is one closer Bally's, but risky). We have an independent mid size gym 2 blocks away, and mostly around here there is boutique personal training shops. One is another franchise opp. called Fit2Gether, which is a pt studio - MileHi, you might want to check out that website for franchise info. More stuff like that, I think. Also alot of stores like Leisure Fitness, so I'm guessing there's a pretty big home market here. Of course, a Curves every time you round a corner. And LA Workout Express too, but I wouldn't join those types of things.

Yes, these gyms are really trying to target people who want convenience--not locker rooms and exercise classes, etc. I'm at 24-hour fitness right now and it's a huge pain to park because the lot is always full. Plus, the place is just packed and that gets old. My DH and I have traveled to see a few Snap Fitness places and they are really nice, small, but nice. I'd love to get on a piece of cardio equipment and find a TV show that I want to watch. The 24-hour fitness where I go, the TVs are never tuned to a station I like and the sound-thingies that are attached to the cardio equipment aren't always set to the stations that ARE showing. Anyway, it's scary getting into this. My DH likes the concept and the fact that we don't have to start with a model from scratch. The company is run by a former 24-hour fitness muckety muck. It's good to hear that some people like these smaller gyms.
Fran: If you had a big box gym on one corner and a small 24-hour access gym on an opposing corner, which one would you choose, if the price was about the same? Would you go with a small gym if it was 5 minutes from your home vs. 10 minutes for a big box?
Pam

One question I would have for you is if you've been to a Snap Fitness during "peak" hours, 5pm to 7pm Monday through Thursday? I would definitely check it out on a Monday between 5pm to 7pm because that is the busiest time I have found for any gym. I go to a Ballys and their peak hours are pretty busy but there is still cardio equipment available and weight machines available. If I go at other times, it is a lot less busy which is something I like. I go to Ballys and remain a member because my dues are really cheap (~$8/month) and there is no way I can get that price anywhere else. Also, my membership is nationwide so I can go to any Ballys, no matter where I'm at or no matter where I move to.

I think the advantage of Snap Fitness would be that you aren't under a contract. Also, some people may like to belong to a smaller gym. As I said previously, I used to go to a woman's only gym that was small and nice. They had classes, they had clean towels for us to use and they had a decent amount of cardio and weights. I ended up switching to Ballys because even though I liked the small gym, I wanted a gym with nationwide presence as well as the Ballys I joined had a pool, more classes and a bigger weight section.

Of course I'm in a different situation now where I have a pretty decent home gym. I have some free weights, I have an elliptical and not much need to go to Ballys. Also my current Ballys kind of sucks. The weight section is small, there is no pool and they don't maintain their cardio machines properly. I have considered joining another gym nearby and I get discounts through my company but my reasoning for not doing so is if I want to go to a gym, then I should just go to the gym that I belong to.

I looked at the model that they have on their site, which is the 1500 sq foot facility and was disappointed. I would love to have access to a small, convenient, 24-hour facility, but would probably not use one with that set up.

Unless, I am missing something in the diagram. It is basically a hotel fitness center setup. A circuit of machines, some dumbells, and a smith.

I would like to see a dedicated squat rack and Also, while there are som machines that I do find useful, such as an assisted dip/pullup station, and high low-pulleys for pulldowns, cable crunches, rows, etc, they appear to be missing from that setup. Perhaps I missed them or perhaps they are in the larger models only.

Pam, all things being equal, I would probably choose the new big box gym. It would have a place to drop my kiddies if I had to use their dc, and the security of being manned, and I guess safety in crowds. Yes, I'm scared of the boogie-man and always expect the worst. Even your own neighborhood people are capable of flipping out, so being up the street from my home -- I've just seen too much weird stuff around here I guess. Sorry.... But maybe a Fitness2Gether thing would be differentiated enough that it would draw business. Small, but then not trying to be a gym, more of a boutique experience.

Depalma: If you scroll down on the website you can see what the bigger 2400 and 3200 square foot facilities look like, which are similar to the ones we would own. I agree that the 1500 facility doesn't have that much. One thing our gym would NOT have is tanning beds. I'm opposed to selling people something that is so bad for their health (my mom died from melanoma, I've had a melanoma) so no way am I going to get invovled with that. I think they should be bannded, but that's another thread. That could put us at a disadvantage in the marketplace as tanning beds are so popular.

Thanks for the response, Fran. Yes, I can see how child care would be a definite plus since you have kids. Actually, I probably shouldn't have posed the question the way I do because a Snap would never be located on teh same corner of a busy intersection as a big box. They are usually closer to residential areas and trying to make convenience their big thing, where you don't have to navigate a busy parking lot, you can just pull up to the door and go in. Oh, and they do have reciprocity with snaps in other parts of the country, so if you're traveling you could still go to the gym. Oh, and month-to-month is a big plus too. No long contracts to sign.

Pam

How could I miss the larger versions!?

They look a little better. I still don't see the cable station although I could still be missing that, I do see the assisted pullup/dip station as well as a vertical knee raise, unassisted station, so that's good and a few more freeweight benches to go along with the sole rack.


I could care less about the showers and the tanning bed, so I would prefer a franchise who used that space for another power rack or two, but I could definitely see myself using a facility like one of the larger models. It's better than my home gym and far better than the hotel fitness center by my work.

my apologies....I sorted the threads in reverse and accidentally posted in one! :)