If you’ve got some space that sits empty during the day, you’ve also got a great opportunity to increase gym revenue with it.
Not only can square footage mean extra dollars, but potentially more value for your current members. Plus, partnerships with other local businesses can bring awareness about your gym to people who may not otherwise have known.
Last week, we gave you five ideas for using gym space to drive additional revenue. Today, we’re adding five more ideas to the list!
Five Bonus Ideas To Increase Gym Revenue:
1. Rent An Office To A Dietician Or Sports Nutritionist.
Despite the fact that fitness is your core offering, many of your members also seek nutritional guidance. So if you’re not passionate about launching a nutrition program at your gym - or you don’t have the time - outsource the help.
As Nicole Aucoin, owner of Healthy Steps Nutrition says, “If you truly want to help people make meaningful change, you’re doing them a disservice by not addressing nutrition. And providing support and accountability beyond fitness classes.”
Consider renting gym space to a dietician or sports nutritionist to work with clients. The help is two-fold: First, they can work with your current community. Second, their current roster of clients might just end up joining your gym.
2. Collaborate With Health Practitioners.
Most practitioners in the health and wellness space would make for a great addition to your gym. Two common choices for gyms are chiropractors and physical therapists.
Renting an office to either of these health practitioners creates a cross-referral network. You’ll both be sending clients to one another to help drive business.
In addition, these services offer a tremendous benefit for your members. In the event of injury - or even something feeling wonky - having a professional in the building is incredibly helpful. The three of you can discuss a recovery plan, and your member now has two health professionals in their corner. This goes a long way to increase gym revenue, membership value and retention.
Another practitioner to consider is a pelvic floor therapist. Oftentimes, they don’t need a lot of space, machines or equipment. Their clientele includes pregnant and postpartum women, which is another area of opportunity. If they’re not already members, they may be looking for a gym to get back to their pre-pregnancy fitness level.
Finally, don’t overlook the opportunities that comes from renting gym space to a massage therapist. The cross-promotional potential exists for both of you to bring on new clients, even if it starts as a part-time gig.
And from the members perspective, is there a better service than a post-workout massage?
Pro Tip: Use automation to spread the word to members about new recovery and wellness options! Book a demo with the PushPress Grow team today to find out more!
3. Partner With A Body Composition Business.
Continuing the trend of providing more value to members, measurable data is always a plus. Therefore, offering clients a body composition analysis machine helps them see progress.
InBody and BOD POD are two of the most popular - and most accurate - options. Neither are an inexpensive investment but that’s where collaboration is beneficial.
First, consider approaching a local business that already owns a body composition analysis machine. Send your clients their way for scans in exchange for a percentage of their fee. There’s no work on your end (except telling clients about it) and it’s a way to increase gym revenue.
Second, if you already have a nutritionist or health practitioner renting gym space, present this in-house option. If they’re willing to invest in the machine, they get the lion’s share of the revenue. This gives your members an in-house option, adding more gym membership value. And it gives you a small share of the revenue while someone else does the work.
4. Get Creative With A Photographer.
For gym owners, a constant supply of high-quality images is a game-changer. Whether for your website, social media or wall decor, professional photography levels you up.
High-quality photos statistically get more visibility and shares on social media. It’s pretty simple: Your members aren’t likely to share blurry, low-res pictures of their worst lifting face.
Your brand is an important part of your marketing, and quality images are an important part of your brand. Ultimately, it helps you attract new members and increase revenue. So what does this have to do with renting gym space?
If you can find a local photographer looking for office space to do their editing, why not your gym? As part of the rental contract, set up an agreement for sporadic photo shoot days. This allows you to keep your content fresh and increase gym revenue.
As a bonus, offer to spread the word about their photography business to your members. Chances are, some of them have an upcoming event that needs a photographer.
5. Go With The Tried And True: Personal Trainers.
Personal training is probably the most logical use of gym space when classes aren’t in session. And while some gyms are hesitant to allow outside trainers to rent gym space, it’s an opportunity for a significant amount of revenue.
The first step is to find a qualified trainer (or trainers) that you trust. From there, every detail of the agreement should be clearly outlined, and agreed to by both parties.
There are various ways to go about it: The first option is to charge a flat, monthly rate for using gym space at designated times. On the other hand, you could split revenue with the trainer or charge on a per-client basis.
After the pandemic, CrossFit Felix in Seattle started bringing on personal trainers in an effort to rebuild. Ultimately, it resulted in an additional $12,000 monthly that saved the gym.
Personal trainers had access during quiet hours of the day, which worked well with peoples’ new “work from home” norm. It’s simply become easier to fill mid-day hours as people have more flexibility due to changes in the corporate landscape.
So yes, bringing on outside personal trainers might be a bit more delicate and require some trial and error. But when it works, it can make a big, revenue-generating difference during times when the gym sits empty.
In Summary: When In Doubt, Rent It Out
If there are blocks of time throughout the day when your gym sits empty, it’s time to explore options for renting it out. Increase gym revenue by inviting other local businesses to take advantage of the down times. From health practitioners to personal trainers, the options are varied and numerous. Find partners that will also provide membership value for your community to drive retention numbers as well!
