How to Start a Gym Business? From Vision to Fitness Empire

Are you a fitness freak and love to live a fit lifestyle? Well, that is your hobby, but it could be your profession if you plan to cover the dumbbells to dollars path. However, before beginning the story, you might be interested in knowing how to start a gym business. Or how much does it cost to open a gym?

Let’s uncover the answer. We will share the ultimate guide in this blog and uncover everything from scratch i.e. understanding the target market to capital management.

How to Start a Gym Business? Let’s Go Through the Journey

A gym business might be your dream, but you must climb the correct stairs to reach your destination. Here are the crucial points of those stairs.

Identify Your Niche

The fitness business is highly competitive at present. There are chances that your competitor offers better and more services than you.

In such cases, it is compulsory to track your niche. Keep yourself different from your competitors while choosing your niche. Always try to give something different and better service than your competitors. In this way, you can strengthen your business.

Find a Name for Your Gym

Once you’re done with niche identification, it’s time to decide on the name of your gym. Does it sound easy? It is not as easy as you think when you discuss how to open a gym. While naming your gym, keep the following points in mind.

• The name should be unique.
• Your gym name should be highly relevant to your business.
• It should be memorable for your customers and catchy.
• Avoid trendy names because they get outdated quickly.
• Always check the trademark and make sure your chosen name is not already registered in it.

Register Your Gym Business

When you are done with a business name, go for business registration with the local or state government. This process will depend upon your business structure and location.

The registration can be online or through emailing to the business agencies. LLCs, general partnerships, and corporations types of business structure are applicable to this activity.

You need to follow the process called filing a business under a (DBA) name. Under this, you need to do business name registration with the state or local government. This condition is applicable when you choose a business name apart from your personal name.

Also, it is good to obtain a tax registration certificate and open a business bank account and credit card.

Choose the Location for Your New Gym

Select the appropriate location that is convenient for you and your clients. Your gym should be in an approachable location that people can easily navigate to.

Opening gyms in residential areas is allowed in some states, but in some places, it is restricted. So, you must choose the location accordingly.

Choosing a gym location also depends on the type of service you offer. You must ensure that the chosen location is accessible by public transport. Additionally, ample parking space is required.

Acquire Fitness Certificate

Earning certificates from accredited health agencies is also an important point to note. There is a good impression when you share your certificates in your new gym. It also adds trust in front of your clients when you gain a certificate.

ACE (American Council on Exercise), NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) or ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association) are popular organizations to consider for certification.

Gym Licenses and Permits Documents

A gym license and other permissible documents are necessary to run your gym smoothly. However, it varies as per local and state authorities.

You should apply for a license and other permissible documents from the legal authorities of your state.

Heavy penalties can be applicable in the case of not acquiring the license and permits. It could lead to the permanent closure of your gym.

Moreover, you need to register for tax. Approach to IRS to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN). This will help in registering for tax at the state and local level.

Choose Fitness Insurance

It is crucial to choose an insurance plan when you start a gym business. This provides high financial support in case of any mishap. You can consult an insurance advisor for this purpose.

Choosing insurance means integrating legal and financial protection into your business. Keep in mind that insurance plans should be according to your budget and needs.

Capitalizing for Your Gym Start-up

The investment in initializing a gym business may hinge on multiple factors. The general budget is between $10,000 and $500,000.

It is easy to invest when you have a good amount of money. However, you can also take a business loan if you have insufficient funds.

An extensive business plan is very helpful in acquiring a successful loan.

Buy Standard Gym Equipment

Remember that your gym equipment can also make or break your gym’s reputation. You must invest in equipment according to your budget but always prioritize quality.

Also, you can lease gym equipment if budget is a concern. It is a less expensive option that could give you a chance to acquire high-standard equipment.

Decide the Pricing Plan

Finalizing a price plan for your gym service is another important strategy. In this case, performing marketing research is the best way to get an idea about a price plan.

You can get insight into your competitors’ activities. It will help you to get a rough estimate of the price. If your gym offers something different and a high standard of service, then keep the price according to it.

Choose a Proper Invoicing Software

The invoicing process is crucial for every business. Similarly, you should choose the best invoicing software for your gym business. This enhances your invoicing process and makes it possible for you to focus on other crucial tasks. Good invoicing software can strengthen your gym business by streamlining the invoicing process.

Moon Invoice is the right platform to achieve this. The one place that puts forward numerous invoice templates to satisfy your needs.

Just choose your gym invoice template, fill in the details, save it, and the invoice is ready. It helps to acquire accuracy and speed.

Hire Staff & Build Your Team

At an initial stage, you might be the one who operates a gym and gives training to your customers. But afterwards you will require more people when your business grows.

Teamwork acts as fuel to ignite business success. For your gym business, you will need trainers to run your gym. When hiring a trainer, you must check their qualifications, knowledge, and experience.

Market Your Gym Business

When you settle on the entire thing, marketing is the next crucial step. You can opt for offline marketing and online marketing. For offline marketing, you can go with the following.

• Market your gym within your friends’ circle
• Advertisement in the newspaper to reach the maximum number of audience
• Attracting customers by offering discounts

For online marketing you need to do

• Creating a website and social media accounts and doing their online promotion
• Influencer marketing
• Choose paid promotion for your business

Create a Fitness Community

Remember that it’s your starting point, and you need to create your community for a long-term race. For this, you should implement a strong customer relationship.

The incorporation of social media is favorable for developing a community. Your gym brand can be the talk of the town if you regularly post attractive content about your gym on social media. You can perform the following activities.

• Post eye-catching images and videos of your gym
• Feature your customers to make them happy
• Always reply to coming inquiries

Use Social Media Platforms

The power of social media is not a hidden gem for any business success. Every business is opting for social media to achieve success. In the case of the gym profession, it could be a boon.

Posting images and reels is the right promotion for your gym and gaining new customers. You need to post on numerous platforms to gain reach. Consider the listed points before using social media.

• Optimize your social media accounts
• Always post attractive images
• Posting reels and stories is important for the gym business
• Post the content when your audiences are active to gain maximum reach

How Much Does it Cost to Open a Gym?

After unwinding the answer to how to start a gym business, it’s now time to know the investment in it. The cost of investment depends upon the type of gym, location, and size of the gym.

The average estimated value of starting a gym business is $10,000 to $50,000. This amount can become higher from $500,000 to $1,000,000 as per the gym type.

It is a good option to keep a cash reserve to cover other small expenditures. Let’s see cost bifurcation for gym business here.

Location Cost – The location cost could vary as per your city. It could be $10,000 to $50,000 annually. An annual expenditure of $24,000 is applicable for a 4000 sq ft location in a mid-tier city.

Equipment Cost – This is another crucial investment for a gym business. The average investment in gym equipment is around $30,000 to $50,000 for equipment like machines, cardio, and weights.

Marketing Cost – The marketing cost can be split into two types of marketing you choose.

1. For online marketing – The investment in website building could be from $2,000 to $10,000 as per the website type. The cost of email marketing and social media promotion can be around $100-$500.
2. For offline marketing – The cost can be around $5,000 for offline marketing. It includes local traditional advertisements, flyers, and sponsored events.

Operating Expenses – This includes the following expenditures.

• Facilities – The gym facilities include water, internet, and electricity could cost around $10,000 per year.
• Cleaning – For the clearing service, the budget is around $6,000 per year.
• Employee salaries – The average salary of employees can range from $50,000 to $200,000 per year.
• Insurance – Insurance is important to shield your business. The insurance costs can be around $2,000 annually.

Gym Licenses and Permits Cost –

There are certain licenses and permissions necessary for opening a gym.

• Building Permit – The building permission includes permission for renovating the building. $1,000 can be the cost for this purpose.
• Business License – The business license cost can be around $50 to $400 annually as per the city and state.
• Fire Permit – You may need permission to meet fire safety regulations as per local laws. It includes a cost of $100 per year.
• Health Permit – There are some localities where health permission is needed for the gym to ensure sanitary conditions. It could cost around $2000 per year.

Miscellaneous Expenses – Apart from all the above costs, miscellaneous expenses will be the applicable cost of opening a gym. It includes furniture, a TV screen, and a sound system that costs around $3,000.

Monthly Cost of Running a Gym

The monthly investment cost of running a gym is $12,160 (approximately). However, this depends upon many factors like location, gym size, and pricing strategy.

We here take a rough monthly estimate of the monthly expenditures.

• Rent – $2000
• Employee Salary – $8,500
• Facilities – $800
• Maintenance and cleaning – $500
• Insurance – $160
• Software – $200

Total cost for a month – $12,160

Final Words

So here we wrap up our words on how to start a gym business and how to own a gym. At the initial stage, you need to sweat blood. However, with time and dedication, you can achieve success.

Like any other business, the gym profession also needs dedication, investment, and technology integration.

Adopting a gym invoice template from Moon Invoice can be another plus point for your business. It strengthens your invoicing and financial transactions management.

FAQs