How to Increase Your Health Club Mangement Strength
Everywhere you look, fitness professionals are warning clients to reduce their BMI (body mass index), but in terms of health club management, the opposite is true: you want to boost your club’s BMI (billing, management and member insight).
Consider this- despite the struggling economy, health club memberships grew 10.4 % from 2009 to 2010 (according to IHRSA). So it makes sense that a club firing on all cylinders will keep you at the top of that wave.
Examine all the areas of your business to see if you’re adding muscle to your health club management.
B-BILLING:
Your billing services should be the least of your worries, yet owners and managers everywhere struggle with EFT processing, invoicing glitches and delinquent payments.
Join forces with a health club software company that not only administrates all your billing, but protects your relationships with members as well. Even though some members may become delinquent, they might not always stay that way. A professional approach by a third party allows you to maintain a positive relationship with those people that do ultimately return to your fold in good standing.
M – MANAGEMENT:
The rush of daily operations can take a toll on your time and energy. How many times have you needed to build relationships with members or training staff only to be stuck with scheduling and calendars or checking people in manually when your system fails?
Health club management software is essential to simplifying processes and speeding up responses. Automated systems can keep all the areas of your club humming, including:
- Member check-ins
- Point of sale processes
- Electronic membership and personal training agreements
- Kids club operations
- Inventory and locker management
- Scheduling
In addition, the best software makes it easy to train employees on use. Then you can focus on finding new ways to motivate your staff and serve your members.
I – MEMBER INSIGHT:
The prospects are out there, so what are you doing to find them? Once again, using a full featured health club software system can propel your efforts forward.
Prospect marketing campaigns are labor-intensive projects. With outside help you can build your prospect base easily by:
- Providing referral rewards
- Conducting personal call campaigns
- Developing email blasts and targeted mailers
You can also stay more connected with your current members by providing text and email alerts on new events/classes. You can simplify registration with 24/7 online signups and get member feedback with specially designed surveys – giving you a more personal relationship with the people who matter most to your business.
IRHSA’s 2010 numbers are reminders that the health club industry is lucrative and vibrant. It’s also a competitive marketplace that calls for smart planning, creative programming and the ability to respond to changes 24/7.
Create partnerships and see where your business can better use your health club software. You’ll not only experience a higher club BMI, you’ll have more stamina to take your business to the next level.
