How to Start a Gym

It might sound counterintuitive to seek out clients before you even have a full-fledged business, but in this case, that's exactly what you need to do. Before you open your gym, start offering sessions as a personal trainer. This way, you can slowly build up a network of clients and gain credibility. As you work with clients and get to know more and more people, you will develop a group of committed customers who are likely to join your gym when it opens and refer all of their friends to you.

You can get your first clients by doing simple things like spreading the word at work, or among your friends. You can also spread the word on Facebook and encourage your friends to share your posts with their friends. Word-of-mouth is free, and for someone who is just getting into personal training, it can be the most effective method.

An obvious step on the road to opening your own gym is to pick a name. Choosing the right name for your gym takes some careful thought and creativity. When you are trying to come up with a name, try to think of something that reflects the values of your gym. The name might also be one that reflects something unique about your local area.

Once you've decided on a name, you should do a quick Google search to make sure that no one else in your city or state has already used it. After this, you can do a formal search with your state's small business office to see if anyone else has claimed the name. If not, you can pay a small fee and officially register your trade name. You will also want to find out if the domain name is available so that you can buy a website address that matches that name of your business.

With a trademark, your business name is legally protected. You can obtain a trademark on the USPTO website, www.uspto.gov.

The four basic legal entities for a business in the United States are:

• Partnership.
• Corporation.
• Limited Liability Company (LLC).
• Sole Proprietorship.

An LLC is the most affordable option and would likely make the most sense if you want your business to bear the liability in case of an accident or lawsuit. If your profits increase greatly you can change the structure as necessary.

To form an LLC, all you need to do is file Articles of Organization with your Secretary of State. The filing fee is usually between $100 and $150.

No one is going to lend you money or invest in your business unless they know exactly how you plan to use the funds. For example, you should know exactly what your break-even point is. This information should be included in your business plan.

Small business loans from a bank are a convenient option for many entrepreneurs because banks offer a variety of loan options and usually have competitive rates. You can meet with loan officers at several banks and fill out loan applications to see what you will qualify for and who will give you the best rate.

SBA Loans are also a great option for new gym owners. SBA Loans are guaranteed by the government, so they are easier to obtain from lenders.

Leasing is more affordable because you only need to worry about covering your monthly cost and you don't need to scrape together a downpayment.

On the other hand, a disadvantage of leasing is that you will be subject to restrictions that the landlord may impose on your space. If you want to customize your gym layout and add special features, these limitations could hamper the growth of your business.

• Is there ample parking space?
• Is the business visible from the street?
• Are there other services in the area that draw people in?
• Is the location safe and well lit?

To operate your gym, you will need to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). In a lease, the CO is typically the landlord's responsibility. Essentially, the certificate states that you have met all of the applicable building codes and that your building is safe for public use.

A Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the local government, so you should contact your municipal office if you need to obtain one.

Popular gym equipment includes:

• Training benches.
• Barbells.
• Dumbells.
• Kettlebells.
• Pull up bar and frame.
• Treadmills.
• Ellipticals.
• Stationary bicycles.
• Fittness balls.
• Squat racks.
• Rowing machines.

You should contact a wholesale gym equipment supplier if you are purchasing a lot of equipment all at once. This way, you will be able to take advantage of the best prices and manufacturer's warranty offers.

The top gym equipment suppliers include:

• Life Fitness.
• Hammer Strength.
• Cybex.
• TechnoGym.
• Precor.

An injury in your gym could lead to all kinds of liability issues. You can negate this risk to some extent by making it mandatory for all members to sign a waiver stating that you will not be held responsible if they are injured while exercising on the property.

Since gym businesses rely almost exclusively on their physical property for revenue, you should also purchase commercial property insurance. A disaster or accident that damages your property could quickly drain all of your financial resources if you don't have property insurance coverage.

For a gym to grow, it is necessary to have employees. As dedicated as you may be, you will have a hard time operating a business and working round the clock interacting with customers, offering training sessions, cleaning the facility, and so on. Typical gym positions include:

• Personal trainer.
• Fitness instructor.
• Janitor.
• Gym assistant.
• Wellness coordinator.

To streamline the hiring process, you can use hiring software to post jobs and organization applications as they come in. Once you've reviewed resumes, you can schedule interviews and narrow down applicants until you find the best people for your open positions.

You can start by creating a website for your gym. Whether you hire someone to design a site for you, or you use a website builder to create one yourself, your website should be easy to navigate and include all of the information that people need before physically coming to your gym. Items to include are:

• Operating hours.
• Description of the facility/equipment.
• Photos of the gym.
• A breakdown of membership fees.
• Details about membership benefits.
• Details about fitness classes and personal trainers.
• Contact information.
• An embedded Google map with your location.

To complement your website, you can create social media accounts for your gym. With these accounts, you can post photos of your gym. You can even post pictures of people working out and use hashtags to get more views. Posts like this are easy to share and they generate lots of interest in your gym.

Many gyms set up corporate rates with local businesses. These discounted rates incentivize employees to sign up for a membership. Even though you might not have as much profit margin with these clients, you will get more people coming through the door and boost your overall revenue.