Starting a club

[Onward & Upward]

I am thinking of opening my own club for the average joe. Does anyone know anything about The Blitz? www.timetoblitz.com

[lxorl]

looks like a pretty cool concept... but you would also want to have free weights and such...

while a circut work out would be cool to do some times... i would want the other options....

[speedracer59]

Originally posted by lxorl
looks like a pretty cool concept... but you would also want to have free weights and such...

while a circut work out would be cool to do some times... i would want the other options....

Exactly what I was thinking as I watched.

[sana]

you're better off opening a curves. women are going to be more comfortable doing this type of work out b/c most men are going to think they're too tough for "curves for men".

[trip]

seems like it is a takeoff or copycat of curves, ie, I may have read an article on this company in a biz mag, and if I remember correctly sales were no where near what they need, could be wrong though

[pudgy]

dip n dots !

[Onward & Upward]

They seem to be growing. They have over 100 locations in a little over a year. Investment is small. I know this is not a fit for body builder clients but for the average joe who needs to be in and out it could be a fit.

[sana]

still think you're better off opening a curves. if space limitations is the issue - the only reason i see to not opening a full size gym - then curves already has a name established. their franchise fee would be worth that much more than a business model which isn't sold.

imho - idea won't last long.

[trip]

Originally posted by Onward & Upward
They seem to be growing. They have over 100 locations in a little over a year. Investment is small. I know this is not a fit for body builder clients but for the average joe who needs to be in and out it could be a fit.

Growth and profitability and sustainable growth and profit are all different things.

No. 1 Reason why all small business fail is due to lack of sales.

Four out of five small business's will be out of business in five years.

If you do not have a sales background or are very self promotional it will be hard.

Fairly positive this is company read about, again if correct, you have to be in an extremely concentrated populus area with the correct demographics, ie, and again sales were not good.

[trip]

Sana is right about curves, it caters to the soccer mom who wants to do something yet not go overboard with it weights and stuff, this is huge demogrpahic market, ie, probably 60% of females over 25 . They are overweight and embarresed to go to co-ed gym, women like comfort, they feel comfortable with other women talking and bonding all the time.

[Onward & Upward]

Dont you think the same thing is true of men who are over 30 who are out of shape and hesitate going into a coed gym and working out in front of everyone. They may need a simple workout seeing that they dont know the proper use of the equipment or are nervous about a personal trainer? I think there are as many men who fall into the same catagory with The Blitz as there are women who fall into the same demographic as Curves.

[speedracer59]

I would have both mabey two sides if possible. It easier to make money if you cater to everyone not just men or women or old people.

[trip]

Originally posted by Onward & Upward
Dont you think the same thing is true of men who are over 30 who are out of shape and hesitate going into a coed gym and working out in front of everyone. They may need a simple workout seeing that they dont know the proper use of the equipment or are nervous about a personal trainer? I think there are as many men who fall into the same catagory with The Blitz as there are women who fall into the same demographic as Curves.

In theory you would think so, yet, in reality not really.

Best way for you to determine it though is to talk to people one on one in person, ie, doing surveys, and find out what they did, not what they say they will do. There is a big difference here.

I'm sure if you asked guys question like above they would respond yes.

Yet, as any wife knows, men are as stubborn as mules.

Typical male does not go to the gym and do something about weight until the pain of thier out of shape bodies becomes unbearable. At that point the emotional pain of living in their own body far outweighs any looks that you get in gym. And then when they finally go to gym, even though the looks are there, they feel good about themselves, so they get over that hump.

Focus on what people do not what they say.

Plus, even an out of shap guy like to look at a cardio bunny, hey, might as well kill two birds with one stone.

One place you might talk to folks about is at country clubs, like golf clubs, I bet they are male only gyms there, wonder how much they are used.

[lxorl]

I agree.... I think the cardio circut sounds more like a class that should be offered at a full scale gym. i think it would be more successful as an option... not as the only option.

if you only offer the cardio circut you would be looking at smaller numbers as if you offered, full weights, cardio.... of course this would increase the initial investment and overhead. not to mention you would now be competing with other large clubs.