Tops Tips for Running a 24-Hour Fitness Center

You’ve determined that a 24-hour fitness center is right for you. Your customers want it, you can afford it, and you have the staff. But that’s not all you need. Running a 24-hour fitness center comes with its own set of rules and challenges if you want it to succeed.

Offer 24-Hour Membership Packages

Give your members the option of choosing between a basic membership and a 24-hour membership, as not everyone is interested in 24-hour fitness. Perhaps they’re casual members who don’t exercise as frequently or don’t want to pay extra for a 24-hour membership they know they won’t use.

To help members decide which membership is best for them, offer a free trial for 24-hour memberships. That way, new members can determine if a 24-hour membership is what they want, and current members can decide if they would like to upgrade. Members with a 24-hour membership will be given special tags that will help you keep track of who is who and allow them access to the facility during extended hours.

Restrict Access For Additional Security

The safety of your members during extended hours is very important—you don’t want just anyone to be able to come into your fitness center. Have staff available at all times so they can monitor the fitness center and be available for members should they need help.

Besides basic security like cameras, consider a hi-tech solution like key cards so 24-hour members can easily access the center outside of their normal hours. When their card is swiped to gain access, their member information and the time they checked in and out are recorded on a server. That way, if you ever need to check who was in the fitness center at what times, you have easy access to that information. In addition, anyone who is not a 24-hour member of the fitness center cannot gain access to the building during the specified extended hours.

Hire Professional Maintenance

Even though there will most likely be fewer people in the fitness center during the late hours, that doesn’t mean that you can slack on maintenance. Have an employee on-staff during these times to go through the center and make sure everything is cleaned and maintained. If you haven’t already, hire a professional cleaning service for your fitness center to keep it sanitary and clean during all hours.