Should Your Gym Be a 24-Hour Facility?
For customers who would like to be able to exercise whenever they want, 24-hour health clubs are a great way for them to accomplish their daily workout. With 24-hour gyms popping up everywhere and raising the competition, you may need to consider switching to a 24-hour operation. But, is it the best option for your health club? While on the surface it seems like a great risk-free opportunity, there are a few pitfalls you need to be aware of before converting your health club into a 24-hour facility:
Can You Afford It?
While staying open longer may give you more opportunity for profit, there is also more opportunity for expenses. Maintaining your facility for those extra operating hours can be costly. If you do not have enough members paying to utilize your health club, these expenses can get rather hefty. Take a look at all of your expenses and profit margins carefully before changing your hours to see if you can afford it.
Is It What Members Want?
Next, you need to know if your customers would utilize the 24-hour schedule. Hand out surveys to your health club’s members to get their valuable feedback before moving forward. If members at your health club would rather come to exercise during normal business hours and would not use the facility in the wee hours of the night, extending your store hours is just unnecessary.
Do You Have Enough Staff?
If you were to extend your health club hours, would you have enough staff to cover all of the added shifts? If you do, are they willing to work over-night hours? Find out how your employees feel by hosting a staff meeting. A small pay incentive for late night shifts would be a great gesture to entice more employees to jump on board if you decide operating 24-hours is right for you.