If you’re like most gym owners, membership was likely your primary revenue-driver during the early years. But as time and growth continue, you start seeking additional opportunities to drive gym revenue.
And if you’re like Amanda Long, those opportunities can get pretty creative.
Long is the owner of CrossFit LC Valley in Lewiston, ID. The business opened in 2009 and uses PushPress for gym management. Over the years, Long has learned that new members aren’t the only way to drive revenue.
Last month, she set out to “offset the costs of the economy, buy new equipment and take care of miscellaneous things that have come up without (having to add) new members.”
She wasn’t looking to sell more gym memberships. Instead, she started thinking outside the box and was able to earn a quick $7,500 with her creative ideas.
Selling Wall Space To Generate Gym Revenue.
Recently, Long came across an advertising article written by Chris Cooper, founder of gym-mentoring company Two Brain Business. After reading the piece, Long decided to find a way to increase gym revenue and help promote the various small business owners in her gym.
She reached out to 15 members that she knew owned local businesses. These included a dentist, coffee shop owner, massage therapist, electrician and more. As a result, she quickly had 10 entrepreneurs who wanted to advertise their business at the gym.
Long sold each of them a two-by-three foot advertising banner for their unique business. She charged each owner $750 for one year of wall space, plus $55 to cover the cost of the banner.
“They were so easy to sell,” said Long. “There wasn’t even a question. Everyone was pretty excited about it.”
Three Tips To Implement This Strategy In Your Gym.
1. Have A Personal Conversation.
When Long first came up with the idea for increasing gym revenue, she spent quite a bit of time and money on her plans to market it. She even made a “really nice flier with pictures and information” to give to potential advertisers.
“But what it boiled down to was they just wanted to talk to me,” she said.
As a result, Long had way more success simply approaching her members to have a personal conversation. She had already developed the relationship and they trusted her. So she simply presented the idea and then asked whether her advertising proposal was a good fit for their business.
“And they were all like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it,’” she said.
Pro Tip: Use PushPress Grow to spread the word about opportunities like this to all of your members! Book a demo with our team today to find out more!
2. Customize The Design.
Since each business partner was unique, Long let each of the owners work directly with her signage company to customize their designs.
“I gave them the freedom to create their sign,” said Long. “It can be whatever you want it to be.” She adding that this ensures each member is happy with their banner.
For example, the coffee shop’s banner includes a QR code. So the goal is for the gym community to read the menu and place an order to pick up as they leave the gym on their way to work. This way, she increases gym revenue and brand awareness for the member’s business.
3. Make It Industry-Exclusive.
Finally, Long decided to limit the advertising opportunity to one business per industry. She explained that this ensured that there weren’t two restaurants or dentists competing against one another. Her goal was to avoid advertisers sharing wall space with their competitors.
Further, the current advertisers will have first dibs to renew at the end of the year. If they decline, then competing businesses will have the opportunity to grab the space.
In Summary: A “No Brainer” Opportunity To Drive Gym Revenue
Not only did the experiment help Long raise gym revenue easily, but she’s hoping it becomes a great value-add for her small business owner members. The goal is for their businesses to benefit from support from the rest of her gym community.
“This was a creative way for me to add value to my gym's members,” she said. “To give back to them.”
She also noted that, as a gym owner, “You’re not exempt from the strains of owning a small business. And you really have to be creative, and think outside the box if you want to run a sustainable business. It’s kind of a no-brainer.”
