is a hardcore bodybuild gym a profitable business?

[Palpatine Q]

A hardcore gym can be profitable, I have 5 of them, all 24:7 and open every day of the year.

You need to know who you are, what your brand is and stick to it. You also need to keep your gym clean and tidy, no matter how hardcore it is.

We are open for the 5% people that no one else wants or knows how to deal with. While the standard renewal rate in the industry is around 15%, ours is closer to 70%.

We don't have sales people or membership consultants. We do no mainstream advertising at all, just word of mouth and branding.

The right type of feel can attract all types, including elite athletes and celebrity guests. This in turn makes your regular gym goer want to be a part of something.

The best part is, if you build a gym that you would want to be a part of then you look forward to going to work every day.

All the best.

TD

www.dohertysgym.com

what are your dues ? seriously...do you charge a higher premium to offset the lack of volume ?

Because mainstream gyms have thousands of members that don't even use the gym..but good 'ol EFT bangs their card every month, and they keep the doors open for the rest of us

[apply85]

the idea of creating something that people want to be a part of is a big part of the business I'm planning on starting when I raise the capital, people want status, people want to be cool, they want this more than anything really. Whether it be gyms, music, books, it's kind of the most important part... you can talk about market share all day long, but things like cool and trust and other intangibles are key, at least in my experience

[Coach is Back!]

24hr fitness for example has filed banckruptcy 3-4 times in the last 7 years. They have a 1985 business model in todays times. Eventually most of the commercial gyms will fail.

[The Grim Lifter]

A hardcore gym can be profitable, I have 5 of them, all 24:7 and open every day of the year.

You need to know who you are, what your brand is and stick to it. You also need to keep your gym clean and tidy, no matter how hardcore it is.

We are open for the 5% people that no one else wants or knows how to deal with. While the standard renewal rate in the industry is around 15%, ours is closer to 70%.

We don't have sales people or membership consultants. We do no mainstream advertising at all, just word of mouth and branding.

The right type of feel can attract all types, including elite athletes and celebrity guests. This in turn makes your regular gym goer want to be a part of something.

The best part is, if you build a gym that you would want to be a part of then you look forward to going to work every day.

All the best.

TD

www.dohertysgym.com

So Messiah do you feel that advertising in your industry is a waste of money because the kind of people you would attract from advertising would only last a year anyway?

Or does the advertising not pay for itself?

[purenaturalstrength]

24hr fitness for example has filed banckruptcy 3-4 times in the last 7 years. They have a 1985 business model in todays times. Eventually most of the commercial gyms will fail.

so gyms are low percentage of success businesses?




my original life long dream was to buy a whore house and rent it to prostitutes but I looked it up in the criminal law books and it's illegal

[Tony Doherty]

what are your dues ? seriously...do you charge a higher premium to offset the lack of volume ?

Because mainstream gyms have thousands of members that don't even use the gym..but good 'ol EFT bangs their card every month, and they keep the doors open for the rest of us

Our fees are all on our website 12 months $795 or $65 a month on direct debit. Nothing to hide. Most gyms don't publish their prices which is a double edge sword, consumers like you to be open and honest. Most gyms try to suck you in to see a membership consultant before they tell you the cost. In my humble opinion, most experienced gym heads see straight through this approach.

Yes most gyms rely on having thousands of members that do not work out. To me this is dumb business and is the whole reason that their renewal rates are so low. If everyone uses the gym and you can get them to spend $5 for example, every time they come in, then the membership price is just one part of the puzzle. We have a proper coffee machine in each gym, plus a pro shop for drinks, protein bars, post workout drinks etc. On top of that, if your brand is cool, then they want to get the shirt. OUr merchandise is now it's own business and I am just a little brand in a far away country.

Check out my enbay store and get a shirt while you are there 

http://stores.ebay.com.au/dohertysgym?_trksid=p4340.l2563

[Raymondo]

so gyms are low percentage of success businesses?




my original life long dream was to buy a whore house and rent it to prostitutes but I looked it up in the criminal law books and it's illegal

LOL

which country are talking about here?

this sorta thing might be legal in amsterdam

[Tony Doherty]

So Messiah do you feel that advertising in your industry is a waste of money because the kind of people you would attract from advertising would only last a year anyway?

Or does the advertising not pay for itself?

Advertising is a waste of time if you are trying to target people that don't train. Better to concentrate on branding and the cool factor to make your brand something people want.
At our fitness expo, my booth is just in your face branding, choppers, hotrods or muscle cars and maybe a postcard with our prices. No specials, no sales just attitude branding.

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

Can't say for sure. I know he franchises out the Metroflex model. If you go to the site I think there's info on it.

How can you franchise the Metroflex???  Do they send someone into the place to urinate on the floors to give it the aroma,does he smear the front desk with hog guts, is there a complimentary ponytail nailed to the wall??  Do they help you locate shitty and broken equipment???

Ronnie may have made the gym famous but it doesn't make a difference.  I wouldn't train there without having a tetenus shot first

[Tony Doherty]

the idea of creating something that people want to be a part of is a big part of the business I'm planning on starting when I raise the capital, people want status, people want to be cool, they want this more than anything really. Whether it be gyms, music, books, it's kind of the most important part... you can talk about market share all day long, but things like cool and trust and other intangibles are key, at least in my experience

You have got it right there, the cool factor is what counts for the majority. A few celebs, gansters, athletes and cool cats and the people will come.

I like to use the nightclub example. There are two nightclubs next door to each other, one has all the glitter of gold but no people out the front. The other is a bit run down but has a queue out the front, then people want to get into the one with the people cause it will be cool.

I have manged to attract some of the best athletes in the world to my gym and that is a major factor. WWE wrestlers, UFC fighter, Elite footballers, obviously all the pro bodybuilders and even golfers. Tiger Woods has been training in my City gym for the last 2 weeks and loves it because he gets left alone.

If you have them wearing your brand then the credibility soars!

TD

[purenaturalstrength]

ronnie coleman's "on the road" was the best advertising ever ever ever

[Tony Doherty]

ronnie coleman's "on the road" was the best advertising ever ever ever

Yes we got some great shots of Ronnie wearing our kit.

[purenaturalstrength]

Yes we got some great shots of Ronnie wearing our kit.

I always wondered and you may be someone who knows....


Is the guy in the back related to ronnie? (family?)


lol I always wondered

[Tony Doherty]

Yes that is his cousin Markus.
He lives in Sydney, he graduated from NIDA, (acting school).
The white guy behind Markus is no relation, that is Gary Phillips from Flex mag.

[purenaturalstrength]

Yes that is his cousin Markus.
He lives in Sydney, he graduated from NIDA, (acting school).
The white guy behind Markus is no relation, that is Gary Phillips from Flex mag.

Thanks!

[el numero uno]

Messiah, dude you are an inspiration. I would like to have my own gym after some years, it's an idea that has been around my head for a while.

[Natural Man]

You have got it right there, the cool factor is what counts for the majority. A few celebs, gansters, athletes and cool cats and the people will come.

I like to use the nightclub example. There are two nightclubs next door to each other, one has all the glitter of gold but no people out the front. The other is a bit run down but has a queue out the front, then people want to get into the one with the people cause it will be cool.

I have manged to attract some of the best athletes in the world to my gym and that is a major factor. WWE wrestlers, UFC fighter, Elite footballers, obviously all the pro bodybuilders and even golfers. Tiger Woods has been training in my City gym for the last 2 weeks and loves it because he gets left alone.

If you have them wearing your brand then the credibility soars!

TD

lol at tiger woods finally wanting to become a man after leaving his mother 's influence that led him his whole life.

[purenaturalstrength]

so......

can tiger woods really bench 3 plates?


in that powerlifting movie "power unlimited" they mentioned it and said they thought it was a load of BS

[Tony Doherty]

so......

can tiger woods really bench 3 plates?


in that powerlifting movie "power unlimited" they mentioned it and said they thought it was a load of BS

He actually trains hard, his technique is flawless. I think he had some great coaching along the way.

I didn't see him bench. However he was doing front squats to the floor with 2 plates per side. This was the morning of the first day of the Presidents Cup. He likes to wake his body up, on major playing days. He was also doing hang cleans, snatches and back squats on other days, very strong and fast. Timer between sets, methodical and always great form.

[Raymondo]

Yes that is his cousin Markus.
He lives in Sydney, he graduated from NIDA, (acting school).
The white guy behind Markus is no relation, that is Gary Phillips from Flex mag.

LOL

he looks like Goodrum

[purenaturalstrength]

He actually trains hard, his technique is flawless. I think he had some great coaching along the way.

I didn't see him bench. However he was doing front squats to the floor with 2 plates per side. This was the morning of the first day of the Presidents Cup. He likes to wake his body up, on major playing days. He was also doing hang cleans, snatches and back squats on other days, very strong and fast. Timer between sets, methodical and always great form.

If you had to make an educated guess what do you think he benches tho?

[Tony Doherty]

LOL

he looks like Goodrum

Fuck that's harsh!

[Tony Doherty]

If you had to make an educated guess what do you think he benches tho?

At a guess..... I would not be surprised to see him press around 3 plates for a couple, 2 1/2plates  for reps.

[Coach is Back!]

If you don't mind me asking, what is the average square footage of your gyms?

[Tony Doherty]

If you don't mind me asking, what is the average square footage of your gyms?

I don't mind at all.

The smallest is 1000m2  (10763 ft²)
The biggest is   1800m2  (19375 ft²)