It’s hard to resist the boutique feel and personalised service the micro gym has to offer. For the fitness newbie you’re in safe hands and away from what’s often perceived as the intimidating glare of the large gym environment. For the more advanced fitness fanatic you leave the corporate gym chain behind in exchange for something a little more specialist, tuned into you and your goals. With the UK economy continuing to recover traditional gym members are looking closely at what micro gym alternatives have to offer. Good news for Personal Trainers ready to take that next career step setting up their own facility.
Reduced overheads give more flexibility to these small micro gyms and many come without the financial commitment of monthly corporate membership fees. This coupled with niche offerings that have the potential to increase user experience temps customers to try something a little different. With many towns full of empty shops crying out to be let at favourable rates, is it any wonder we expect to see more micro gyms popping up across the UK over the next few years?
1 – Sketch it out
Micro gyms are all about offering something special and a little bit different fitness wise. Don’t be shy here, develop your ideas with your customer type in mind and don’t try to cater for all. Decide on a fitness niche that suits your passion, skill set, strengths, customer base and catchment. Great examples are; personal training for seniors, a weight loss specific facility, cross fit, body building and Pilates.
2 – Set a budget
Options for finance include; savings, loans, startup grants and crowdfunding. Take care not to over commit yourself and consider lower cost alternatives that enable you to ‘test’ the market. For example, renting a space on a monthly payment basis with a short term contract that includes an option to extend will help keep costs down and manage cash flow in the early days.
3 – Find a venue
Rental offers a wide range of choice here from a small garage or lock up shop to mews style workshops and adaptable office spaces. If you’re a home owner are there options for a garage conversion or building a garden summer house or cabin? Whilst the space needs to be of a reasonable size there’s no need to go crazy here and typically 100-200 square foot offers sensible proportions. After all you don’t want to be paying for unnecessary space and can always size up as your business grows.
4 – Minimal kit – maximum service
The good news especially at the startup phase is that minimal kit is required. Micro gyms like personal training are about a unique experience, driven by first rate client care, high standards and sharing your expert skills and talent. All of this combined takes exercise prescription to another level. NutriFit Clinic based in North London, Middlesex is a personal training orientated micro gym set up by our founder, Peter Lemon. Peter uses a range of swiss balls and medicine balls, kettle bells, free weights, a fully versatile cable system, stretch mats and foam rollers. Here the focus is on improving body shape through functional strength training.
5 – Promote, promote, promote
A great website, free leaflets, social media and local business clubs – need we say more? Get out there and spread the word. Once you’ve your first few clients, if you’re doing a good job they’ll spread the word for you.
T – 0845 270 1990
E – info@aofp.co.uk
W – www.academyoffitnessprofessionals.com
