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IHRSA has announced its annual list of Health Club Trends for 2012. By working with its global membership base of over 10,000 club and fitness businesses, examining industry research, and monitoring consumer fitness behaviors, IHRSA has identified the most significant trends health club goers will see over the next 12 months.
#1: More People Working Out in Clubs
Club membership has increased more than 10% over the past three years despite the poor economy...
#2: Specific Programming and Certifications for Baby Boomers
As people age, strength, balance and functional training become even more important...
#3: Youth Programming
Health club members under the age of 18 grew from 3.8 million in 2007 to 6.1 million in 2010...
#4: Social Exercise
People want to have fun, experience great music, share the group "high"...
#5: Small Group Personal Training
Over 91% of the IHRSA clubs surveyed offer personal training, however the growth in training has not come from one-on-one training...
#6: Technology
Whether you want to track your mileage, speed, number of workouts, calorie burn, or strength level, there is an app for that...
#7: Convenient Fitness Options
A gym visit is not the only to-do on most people's calendars...
#8: Corporate Wellness Benefits
Employers are increasingly aware that a fitness benefit creates a happier, more productive work force, reduces employee health care expenses...
#9: Body Weight Exercise
Body-weight leverage equipment has become a must-have in many gyms...
#10: Physician Prescribed Exercise
Physicians are just beginning to prescribe the real wonder drug...
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Free Freight Event on STOTT PILATES® equipment! 2012 is a Leap Year so this February you have one more day to take advantage of the annual Free Freight promotion from Merrithew Health & Fitness™. Whether you are just starting a Pilates program or want to refresh your current offering, we can help you choose equipment that is versatile and offers maximum programming to keep your Pilates program current, challenging, and adaptable to your changing member's requests. As an added bonus, place your order before midnight EST February 15, and receive a complimentary Cardio-Tramp™ Rebounder with your order! That's a $300 value for an innovative accessory board that transforms any STOTT PILATES reformer into a unique Pilates cardiovascular machine. Find out more about this great offer! Visit www.merrithew.com/freefreight for complete terms and conditions. |  | |
Fitness Business Canada contributing authors Paula Comfort and Alanna Turco interview Peter Twist and Julie Rogers, co-owners of Twist Conditioning Inc.
Fitness Business Canada: Twist Conditioning's strong corporate culture seems to be the foundation of your business. Can you describe it for us?
Peter Twist: Our corporate culture is based on giving out energy. It's also about being hungry and humble and being better every day. As a team, we have each other's backs. We extended all these feelings to our clients and customers too.
Julie Rogers: We've always found that the most positive aspect of our business is the people within it and their passion and enthusiasm. We often find that the people drawn to our organization come with this inherently – they don't learn passion and enthusiasm from us. Each time we add someone new who has these qualities, it brings more life to the brand, the company and our culture. We're very appreciative of all the people we've had the opportunity to work with over the years.
FBC: It sounds like you have a really loyal team. What are some of the things you do to retain your employees?
P.T.: We work a lot on leadership training and team building with ideas borrowed from my experiences in professional sport and from sport culture. A lot of businesses use sport buzz words, but I don't think they always understand what they're about. We've had the opportunity to live the words and to be sport coaches in formal team-building settings and to interact with athletes and people like Mark Messier and bring tons of these experiences into our business operations.
We're big believers in getting out of the office with our staff and using the power of nature and the outdoors. Being on the west coast, we're blessed to be surrounded by nature and locations where we can go whale watching and go hiking in the rain forest.
by Justin Tamsett, managing director of Active Management
Customer service statistics are so out dated! We used to say that an unhappy customer would tell 11 to 14 people and a happy customer would tell four people. Now when we have a bad experience, we got to Twitter, Facebook or an online forum. Today we can literally tell the world about our experiences.
More than ever we need to be continuously improving our customer service. Here are three tips:
1. Always call people back when you tell them you will call them back.
2. If you can't help a customer, be honest and tell them so. Then tell them what you can to help the situation.
3. Be prepared to say you are sorry. The Ritz Carlton uses the powerful phrase, "Please accept my apologies."
Finally, remember that studies indicate that 94% of customers don't complain, they just don't come back. So always try to exceed your customers' expectations and give them an unbelievable experience – so they can tell people on Twitter, Facebook and online forums
MYE Club TV Audio Receiver technology is featured in the world's leading cardio equipment including Cybex, Life Fitness, Matrix, Octane and Star Trac. Integrated into OEM cardio machine design, the standardization of MYE wireless TV receiver technology is driven by reliability, ease of installation and value for manufacturers and club operators, announced Tony Garcia, MYE founder and president.
"The MYE wireless TV audio standard is comparable to what Polar accomplished with heart rate monitoring integrated in cardio machines," states Garcia. "Wireless TV transmitters with cardio machine receivers continue to be among the top selling club entertainment systems.
TV audio transmitters are sold under various brands with several models offering over 100 frequency channels. MYE industry standardization eliminates installation compatibility issues because MYE receiver technology is universally compatible with all TV transmitter brands including MYE, Cardio Theater, BroadcastVision and Audeon.
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GTA Club(s) for Sale! If you have ever wanted to own your own fitness club (or add one or two clubs to an existing portfolio), you will want to take a look at one, or both, of these two terrific opportunities in the North-west GTA. Both operators are anxious to leave the club business and are listing their clubs at the bargain basement rates of $200k and $300K! They are 20,000 and 30,000 sq. ft clubs respectively, and both are fully-equipped, turn-key operations with solid membership bases. Both currently break-even, but with a little TLC and more aggressive marketing postures, could generate annual profits in the ¼ million range within 24 months of an acquisition. If one were to start either of these clubs from scratch, it would require capital investments over $1.0 million each – that being to equip, renovate and market. ClubTeamWorks, North America's One-stop Club Design, Marketing & Management consultants and Brokers are also providing 30 hours of free marketing and operational consulting to the new owners. Contact Mike at 647.828.3207 or clubteamworks@hotmail.com for more information. |  | |
by Robert Foster, President of Trainers On Site
Do you believe in branding? What is branding anyway? To some, branding can be summed up as "multiple points of advertising." To others branding is equated with spending large amounts of money that they could never afford.
But branding doesn't have to be all about spending advertising dollars. It includes lots of things - like your message, your culture, colour schemes, and more.
For example, here's s a short list of ways that Trainers On Site competes in the branding game:
- logos on uniforms
- e-mail signature includes company website
- company pens
- advertising car wrap
- business cards
- website
- social media
- custom workout journals
- custom toll-free number 1-888-269-1TOS(867)
Your brand determines how consumers perceive your product or service. If you put a magnetic sign on the side of your rusty 10-year-old Honda, it will be difficult to charge $80 plus tax per session. Now, if your company is Deep Discount Fitness it could work. Just make sure you're prepared to work hard since you'll be slugging away for peanuts.
This article is the fourth of a six part series originally printed in 2009, it has been updated and rereleased for 2011. By: Mike McPhee
In the previous article, we introduced the acronym T-EBITDA-Q (Times EBITDA Quotient). This is the mathematical tool we use to appraise a particular club's value, by applying it to the standard "6 Times EBITDA" benchmark - which is the maximum an club could expect to receive – assuming it's "running 100% (or close to) on all 8 cylinders". And as indicated below, these "8 cylinders" represent "8 key industry benchmarks" or quotients that cover a plethora of factors and/or variables that influence (for better or worse) the value of a club.
In this, and our final two submissions of this series, we will explain not only the merit of considering such factors when assessing a particular club's value, how we assess these factors and apply a grading mark for each, and most importantly, the actual degree (in dollars and cents) to which they influence the club's asking sale price.
These 8 key T-EBITDA-Q Factors are:
1. Location & Local Market Conditions (Weight 15%)
2. Physical Plant Condition (Weight 15%)
3. Quality of Assets/Chattels Onsite (Weight 15%)
4. PAP Revenue vs. PIF Revenue (Weight 15%)
5. Avg. EBITDA & Profit Margins over last 3 Fiscal Yrs. & Trending Direction (Weight 15%)
6. Current Membership Rates & Number of Members per Sq. Ft. (Weight 10%)
7. Current Membership Contract Terms (Ease of Transferability & Flexibility of Commitments for New Operators) (Weight 10%)
8. Ancillary Revenues as a % of Gross Revenues (Weight 5%)
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COME AGAIN FITNESS With Come Again Fitness On-Line Auction Site, buying or selling used commercial fitness equipment has never been so easy. Financing available for used equipment. Fitness equipment removal and installation assistance. Pre-certify the condition of your used commercial equipment. Visit: www.ComeAgainFitness.com |  | |
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) announced the results of a study it commissioned to examine the effectiveness of P90X™, a 90-day, bootcamp-style home exercise program that is a popular example of the interval-training style workouts identified by ACE as one of the top fitness trends to watch in 2012. The study found that the program meets or exceeds recognized standards for improving cardiorespiratory fitness.
"P90X is among the most popular of the high-intensity, interval-style home workout exercise programs sweeping the nation, many of which promise to help individuals burn high amounts of calories in a short period of time," said American Council on Exercise's Chief Science Officer, Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D. "Our study results found P90X offers an effective workout, and, when combined with a sensible eating plan, we believe it can help many individuals achieve their weight-loss and fitness goals in the comfort of their homes."
Total Gym® recently announced executive team leadership changes including the appointment of Jesse Campanaro to president. Formerly vice president of sales, Campanaro carries on the family legacy of leading the San Diego-based company that his father, Tom Campanaro, founded more than 35 years ago. Total Gym is used in more than 14,000 physical therapy clinics, athletic training facilities, hospitals, universities, professional sports teams and health clubs.
Total Gym founder Tom Campanaro will continue to serve as the company's chief executive officer. In addition to the promotion of Jesse Campanaro to president, the company has made other key leadership changes and promotions including:
• Randy Bergstedt has been promoted from executive vice president to chief operating officer of Total Gym, to include overseeing marketing.
• Joy Campanaro has been named senior vice president of licensing and brand management; previously she was the senior vice president of marketing.
• Michael Steel, based in London, England, has been promoted from international business development to director of international business leading Total Gym's expanding global operations.
Total Gym is represented in Canada by Stak Fitness www.stakfitness.com
GoFit, a supplier of handheld fitness equipment, has partnered with B-FIT Distribution, a wholly owned division of Schure Sports Inc. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Schure Sports has been a supplier of products to the sports and athletic industry in Canada and around the globe since 1982. This new collaboration will launch B-FIT Distribution as the first and exclusive Canadian distributor of GoFit fitness products to Canadian retailers. Likewise the deal will put product and instructional content directly into the hands of Canadian at-home fitness consumers.
GoFit offers over 200 fitness products—ranging from stability balls, yoga mats, power tubes and kettlebells, to weighted resistance, balance and core performance products. GoFit also offers training methods with strategic partnerships from top experts in the industry through instructional DVDs and guides that accompany each gadget. B-FIT Distribution is an all-new branch of Schure Sports Inc and is dedicated solely to the lucrative yoga and home fitness markets.
"We've been working on really tapping in to the Canadian market for some time now." Says GoFit co-founder and owner Richard Davis, "Previously Canadian consumers would have to purchase online from U.S. e-commerce sites or import directly from U.S. retailers. B-FIT will make our products directly available to leading retailers across Canada and as a result, consumers will have the ability to walk down the street and purchase our fitness items at their favorite neighborhood sports or athletic stores".
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canfitpro Conferences Montreal - February 3-5, 2012 On-site registration is still available for the Group Fitness Personal Training and Aquafitness Conference and Trade Show in Montreal. Over 100 sessions are available in both English and French. Edmonton - February 25, 2012 The canfitpro Personal Training and Group Fitness Conference in Edmonton includes sessions from Michelle Felzmann, Claudette Rouisse (YogaFit ), Dean Somerset, and Mark Stone (C.H.E.K. Institute). Also available is a pre-conference workshop with YogaFit® on February 24, and certification courses in CPR Heartsaver Level A and AED. Toronto - March 3, 2012 Paul Check, an internationally acclaimed holistic health practitioner and author of numerous books and professional courses, presents at an exclusive one day workshop at the Allstream Centre, Exhibition Place in Toronto on Saturday March 3, 2012. For details on any of these conferences visit www.canfitpro.com/en/conferencesgeneralinfo |
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G.Y.M. Convention 2012
GET YOUTH MOVING!
September 29, 2012
G.Y.M. Convention 2012 is a charitable event to be held in Ottawa that will showcase exercise and nutrition presentations and their correlation with youth. This year's focus is on developing an awareness of the diverse ways in which exercise and nutrition are interconnected with youth. The event will feature seminars from industry and academic organizations. Food and beverage will also be available. Registration for this event is free and is open to the public.
Visit www.sgsfitness.com for more information.
Fitness Business Canada (FBC) is the trade magazine for owners, managers, directors and staff of health and fitness facilities in Canada. FBC is the primary trade publication for health
and fitness facilities across Canada. Since its first issue FBC has earned outstanding reviews and respect from facility operators to its first issue in January 2000.
To get your copy, call our office at 888-920-6537 or email us at fbc@fitnet.ca.