Club Insider

The Club Insider Archives: March 2021

Ben Midgley and Crunch Franchise
Overnight Success is Not Over Night

By: Justin Cates

Justin CatesJustin CatesOver the years, I have made a habit of periodically rereading Jim Collins' Good to Great. The book covers many concepts. But, for me, one of the most interesting is the Overnight Success. When discussing this and the representative companies studied to write the book, it becomes clear that the overnight success is really an illusion as perceived by those on the outside looking in. But, inside, the one being defined as an overnight success has been clawing, fighting and grinding to achieve that success. In most cases, the overnight success is not over night. This month's cover story, featuring Ben Midgley and Crunch Franchise, runs right along these lines. Read More

Rebuilding Your Member Base With Direct Mail
By: Nelson Rodenmayer

Nelson RodenmayerNelson RodenmayerIn the wake of the pandemic, many people have been forced to alter the way they work out. Temporary lockdowns created a spike in at-home workouts, and the introduction of more virtual options caused a permanent change in how people are choosing to exercise. Despite this disruption in the fitness industry, many clubs have since reopened and are facing the next challenge: Rebuilding their member base. Read More

Sales Leadership
Getting Back to the Basics

By: Gary Polic

Gary PolicGary PolicClose your club, open your club, close your club again... This has been a pandemic roller coaster of uncertainty for thousands of facilities in our industry, affecting millions of people who work in and utilize our industry's services. Finally, some real hope has arrived in the form of multiple vaccines. We all hope the kinks in the distribution of the vaccine will be worked out as soon as possible, because the sooner the people who want the vaccine actually receive it, the better it is for our industry. Because of these optimistic changes, it is time to switch gears related to sales expectations, along with continuing the strong drive for customer service and cleanliness. Read More

Business Finance Depot Video Series
Six Key Areas to Prepare for Underwriting an SBA Loan and Equipment Lease

By: Paul Bosley

Paul BosleyPaul BosleyIn this article and accompanying video, we focus on your personal credit, which is the first area listed in the six key areas to prepare for an SBA loan and an equipment lease. Read More

The Ultimate Guide to Gym Funding
By: Jim Thomas

Jim ThomasJim ThomasWith 2021 here, there has been great headway made towards ending the pandemic. Experts estimate that this Summer could be when our first return to normalcy happens, but what does that mean for your business? Consumers will hopefully be out in droves, spending more than ever. To capitalize on this, your gym will need to have the newest gear, technology and other resources to get consumers to come to your gym instead of a competitor. Investing in your business after a lengthy recession may not be the first thing you are thinking about. If you aren't sure about how to go about Gym Funding in 2021, keep reading this guide to ensure your business is able to expand safely and efficiently. Read More

You Are Where You Eat
Eating at Your Own Restaurant

By: Jeffrey Pinkerton

Jeffrey PinkertonJeffrey PinkertonI imagine that a lot of families have a favorite restaurant. Ours is a Mexican restaurant just around the corner. Even before the pandemic, we were regulars of the weekend dinner order for pickup. Now that our children are in college, the idea of voluntarily choosing to eat dinner adjacent to tables of screaming children and 10-year-old sports teams is... less than ideal. In January, with our college kids home for an extended holiday break and nothing on the calendar but a backyard night around the fire pit, we decided Mexican food would be the perfect addition to the night's no-plan plans. Read More

IHRSA and REX Roundtables Agree on Strategic Partnership
BOSTON, MA - The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) announces a strategic partnership with REX Roundtables for Executives on various initiatives. The partnership aims to enhance the business, leadership and management skillset of fitness industry owners and operators to strengthen the overall industry. Read More

FlexIt, Leader in Virtual Personal Training, Partners with Ebenezer Samuel, Men's Health Fitness Director
NEW YORK, N.Y. - FlexIt, the fitness app that enables users to seamlessly access fitness facilities and live one-on-one virtual personal training with leading, certified trainers, announces that Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., veteran fitness trainer and social media fitness personality, will join the company as Head of Training Innovation. Samuel will be advising the FlexIt team on the direction of its Virtual Personal Training (VPT) product, including training innovation, training-optimized features and overall client success. He will also offer training and related services to select FlexIt clients exclusively on the brand's proprietary platform. Read More

Greetings to Clubs and Fitness Facilities from "The Court People"
This letter represents our desire to work together and to partner with club/facility owners, managers, and employees, to create win-wins: increased profitability for your businesses and preservation of resources you offer that are vital to the survival of court sports, both indoors and outdoors. It really comes down to this: Handball and Racquetball (and others) need you, and we want to do our part to support you. What can we be doing to increase court play, in multiple variations, to justify court retention? Read More

Norm's Notes for March 2021
By: Norm Cates

Norm CatesNorm CatesHello Everybody! This is your Club Insider Founder and Tribal Leader Since 1993 checking in with our 327th monthly edition! Yahoo, folks! This month, JUSTIN CATES, my son, partner in and Publisher of Club Insider, and I are very pleased to be bringing you a terrific Cover Story featuring CRUNCH Franchising and an in-depth update on what BEN MIDGLEY, CEO of Crunch Franchise, is doing as he leads JIM ROWLEY'S Crunch Fitness through these perilous pandemic times. Read More

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Crunch Franchising