starting a crossfit gym
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How to start a CrossFit gym
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Why you want to be a gym owner?
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“The best thing is changing people’s lives
and watching a community build."
— Chris Spealler, CrossFit Park City
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Things what you'll be doing• coaching, helping people to get fit
• running a facility
• managing payroll
• infrastructure planning
• filling purchase orders
• billing
• cleaning© Kisko Labs 2015
Get certified
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Find out your own mission and vision
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Make a high quality plan
Be realistic and prepared for surprises
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Questions to ask yourself• What do you have to offer? What makes your gym special?
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Core services• Think about will you offer just WODs and Open gym
sessions or will you also want to offer specialized classes like mobility, weightlifting etc
• Figure out how you onboard your new clients, we suggest doing On Ramp courses. More here
• Will you offer try-out classes? Maybe ask your current clients to bring in their friends
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Class scheduling and management• Figure out your ideal class size
• Do you need a booking system?
• Start small, don't offer too many classes per day
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Additional services• Maybe sell recovery shakes/protein/t-shirts
• Offer individual coaching?
• Think about seminars you could offer to your clients
• Private classes to companies near your gym?
• Competitions?
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Legal and GovernmentYou need to be sure that you factor in the costs of legal protection for things like contracts, waivers, and the like. Don’t do these things on your own unless you have a law degree.
Don’t forget that you have to pay taxes and comply with government regulations regarding your business as well.
You need to be aware of the regulations and other laws you will be facing, which is why having a lawyer can help.
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PricingWhat are your services worth? Do some research in your area to find out what kind of prices people are paying for similar services.
Don’t try to match the lower pricing of typical ‘globo’ gyms, as you’re providing much more than just a permission to enter a gym and use its equipment.
Too low prices may attract the wrong customers, meaning people that don’t appreciate your services enough and won’t engage. However, in the beginning or at times when getting customers is difficult, offering discounts makes sense. Everything depends on the demand in your area.© Kisko Labs 2015
BudgetingBefore going further, go ahead and play a little with some financial estimates based on your initial business plan. We created an excel sheet to help you, feel free to download it.
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Quick tips• Secure clients before you open the business so that you have experience as well as
a foundation on which to build.
• Get a mentor who you trust, who can guide you from his/her experience, and who doesn’t have any conflicts of interest.
• Develop your vision for a great CrossFit gym and then write it out. Combine vision with reality to reach a comprise that is attainable.
• Incorporate immediately to protect yourself and your business.
• Market and promote your business, your brand, and yourself. This step may be tough, but you have to get the word out if you want customers. Expect to talk to at least fifty people just to get one to show up.
© Kisko Labs 2015
“Only worry about the things you can control, which is what happens
inside your walls.”© Kisko Labs 2015
Do yourself and your community a favour, and focus on quality. Create a nice environment, attract the right staff, the right customers, build a tight community and develop your gym together.
© Kisko Labs 2015
More reading• Opening a CrossFit Gym - First steps
• Opening a CrossFit Gym - Services
• Benefits of offering Open Gym sessions
• Setting up a CrossFit Gym
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About WODconnectWODconnect is a product built by a Finnish company, Kisko Labs. WODconnect’s first customers came from Finland, but it now serves athletes and gyms from all over the globe. In addition to workout tracking, WODconnect provides gyms with booking, membership management, payment and billing solutions.
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ContactFor more information contact WODconnect’s co-founder, affiliate owner and head coach at CrossFit Herttoniemi: Antti Akonniemi ([email protected] / +358 40 505 1909)
© Kisko Labs 2015