Virtual gyms were already becoming popular before the pandemic. Now, their popularity has skyrocketed. That’s because people are spending more time at home. In-person gyms also have to limit capacity or close altogether. What’s more, many people are more comfortable working out alone. If you’ve been considering opening a virtual gym, now is the time to do it. Here are six steps to get your new business started.
Get Certified
If you aren’t already certified, you may want to get personal trainer certification. This will give you a better understanding of the science of exercise and can earn you more gym members. Check that your certification is still valid if you’re already certified. You may need to renew it, take continuing education yearly, or pay an annual fee.
Find Your Niche
Before you can open a virtual gym, you should find your fitness niche. Will you focus on weight training, yoga, spinning, or something else? Or will you have several focuses? Will you work exclusively with seniors, youths, or marathon runners? Whatever you choose, use it as a basis for your business model. You will have a better idea of startup costs, location requirements, staffing needs, and merchandise opportunities once you decide.
Create Your Content
Nearly 36% of all regular exercisers participate in a fitness class, which means that you may want to create your content with this in mind. Virtual fitness classes will make up the biggest part of your business, so come up with exciting content to capture as many gym memberships as possible. A good way to keep things fresh is to have a theme, such as mindfulness movement week. You can invite guest instructors to teach special classes or even offer an equipment rental program. You should also decide if you will have live virtual instruction or on-demand videos, virtual one-on-one instruction or group classes, or workbooks and downloads.
Market Your Idea
Perhaps the most important step to opening a virtual gym is to market yourself to get new members. Try an email campaign and get active on social media to reach people. You should create a professional website and maybe even a blog. Offer incentives, such as a buy-one-get-one-free class to stimulate interest or a refer-a-friend program. You can also ask friends and family to spread the word.
Get Health Club Management Software With Check In Systems for Gyms
You will have a lot of information to keep track of once you open your gym — member names, emails, addresses, phone numbers, fitness assessments, medical histories, workout preferences, program enrollments, and attendance, for starters. Online gym software will help you keep it all organized. This software also has features that members expect, such as check in systems for gyms, online bill payment systems, and account overviews. Check in systems for gyms can also benefit you, even in a virtual setting, because you will be able to keep track of your members’ attendance. Online bill payment systems will make selling merchandise and sending monthly bills easier. You can also schedule your employees, pay them, and use the check in systems for gyms to make sure they’re on time or available. You can even get monthly accounting reports.
Make Videos
The final step to starting your virtual gym will be to make videos — lots of videos. Nowadays, people expect ample content for them to choose from. You should have tutorials on your website, snippets of a virtual class, and even demonstrations of how to use your merchandise. You will want to invest in quality audio-visual equipment, good lighting, and find a good space to film. Making multiple videos will ensure that you always have content available for your members and to post on your social media page and website.
You might be nervous about starting a virtual gym, but now is the perfect time to take the risk. People need to exercise more than ever right now, and many of them are stuck at home and looking for ways to feel good about themselves. Utilize these six steps, and you’ll be on your way to having a rewarding and successful business in no time.