Membership at my gym is falling. I’ve been in business 2 years and have state of the art equipment. I’m actively advertising and have established a presence in a local community, but don’t seem to attract enough of the new members and in addition our rate of renewal from the existing clients has started to decline. How can I turn this around?

24 Nov Membership at my gym is falling. I’ve been in business 2 years and have state of the art equipment. I’m actively advertising and have established a presence in a local community, but don’t seem to attract enough of the new members and in addition our rate of renewal from the existing clients has started to decline. How can I turn this around?

While it sounds like you’re doing the right things to run a gym if you want to draw new people in, you need to do something unique. What kind of group fitness classes do you offer? Talk to your existing members or set up a suggestion box (if you don’t have one already) to see if all of their needs are met. There needs to be a reason to attend your gym that makes it different from any other in your area. Consider this question, are your members leaving and not working out, or are they leaving for another gym? If it’s the latter, consider why these other businesses are taking your customers. What do they have that you don’t? If it’s the former, what can you do that will convince people that working out is a smart investment? You might change your ads to focus on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, or sponsor events that focus on healthy living and how regular workouts can contribute to that. You need to research both internally and your surrounding marketplace.