Chris Brainard and my paths have crossed a few times over the years through online and business development courses.
Sports and training have always been a large part of Chris’s life. He played football competitively in both highschool and college.
He was inspired to give back; to help athletes be successful on and off the field.
Fast forward to today, his business APE Fitness and Performance is successful in training both athlete and adult clients.
Along his journey of business growth and success, Chris has taken away 3 top tips to manage gym growth.
1.) Your Journey is Unique
You are on your own unique journey.
And it’s never going to look like a cookie cutter plan to success.
You don’t have to know everything when you start.
It’s good to look at competitors and have aspirations to be like them. But you must also understand that you must grow on your own journey.
2.) Strategize Referrals
Referrals are one of the best ways to get new members into your gym.
But you can’t just sit back and hope for the best.
Set a strategy in action to capture and incentivise more referrals.
Chris likes to mail out 30 day “Gift of Fitness” certificates throughout the year to draw in referrals.
Whatever your strategy may be, be sure to create a plan and execute it.
3.) Train Your Trainer
When you’re ready to level up your gym to staffing trainers, it’s important to make sure your facilities training is cohesive.
You must train your trainers.
Chris likes to follow a 6 week training internship program before hiring. I follow a 90 day one.
Regardless, it is important to take the time to educate your trainers on your businesses values, langage, communication, etc.
This will make sure that you have the same expectations when training clients and representing your business.
