The Club Insider Archives: June 2014
Michael Olander
The O2 Fitness Experience
By: Justin Cates
Justin CatesThink back a few years to the Great Recession. During that time, did your health and fitness club company thrive or merely survive? What did you learn during that time, and what would you change prior to the recession if you could go back? These are very important questions because, as history will attest, another recession will eventually come. Will you be ready? If the answer is, "I don't know," I hope the following cover story will help. Regardless of the answer, though, read on because the story of Michael Olander and O2 Fitness is an exciting one and a refreshing approach to fitness.
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A 25th Anniversary Tribute to The STEP Company!
By: Norm Cates
Norm CatesRich Boggs and Ray Irwin are the two great American entrepreneurs who brought the idea of The STEP to the world on June 19, 1989, marking the beginning of what has now been an amazing 25-year run for the Marietta, Georgia-based company. The STEP Company and The STEP came from a series of special events... events, that had they not happened, would have left a void in the health and fitness world that might have never been filled.
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"Insider Speaks"
The Evolution of Club Insider - Part I
By: Justin Cates
Justin CatesWelcome to Part I of an important 3-part article series that I am both proud of and excited to produce and bring to you. As you, our loyal readers know, we continually try to improve Club Insider, from ease of use in print and online to continuing to provide valuable content that can help the health and fitness club businesses you own and operate become better and better. Some improvements come unannounced, as many are minor. We take the Red Lerille approach and try to improve something every month, no matter how small; however, there are some big improvements coming in the next few months that we have been working on for a while. Today, we begin the process of sharing those improvements with you and announcing when you can expect them. Hold onto your hats!
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The Connection Between Employee Love and Profitability
By: Stephen Tharrett
Stephen TharrettIn the quest for sustained business profitability, employee empowerment has become a topic of significant discussion and commentary from some of the brightest minds in the business world. Employee empowerment has been a foundational block of business success that has been espoused by leading business minds for decades. Not until recently has it garnered such luminary status and become a form of "Holy Grail" for businesses desirous of distinguishing themselves in the vast karaoke business environment of the 21st century.
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Summer is the Time to Focus on Member Retention!
By: Deneen Laprade
Deneen LapradeSummer time in the fitness industry is notoriously slow for some club operators. Most of us are just delighted to see the sun and will prioritize time outdoors over just about everything else. So how do you, as club owners and operators, deal with this challenge? Focus on Member Retention!
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You Want Me To Do What?
A Quick Look At The Top 3 Personal Training Killers!
By: Ron Alterio
Ron AlterioThere isn't a club or studio owner out there that doesn't realize how critical it is to drive more Personal Training (PT) revenue in today's hyper competitive markets. The days of making profits simply from membership dues have been extinct for years. Moreover, in most markets, you not only have a smaller prospect pool than ever before, but you also run the risk of losing your existing customer base to emerging fitness solutions.
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Programming For The "Fun Of It!"
To Charge Or Not To Charge?
By: Laurie Cingle
Laurie CingleThat is a question many managers ask when planning new or revising existing group programs: Is it Small Group Training (fee) or a Group Fitness class (free)?
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24 Hour Fitness Acquired by AEA Investors, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Fitness Capital Partners
SAN RAMON, CA - 24 Hour Fitness USA, Inc. announced that AEA Investors, a leader in the private equity industry; Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Canada's largest single-profession pension plan and one of the world's largest; and Fitness Capital Partners, a fund organized by Dean Bradley Osborne and Global Leisure Partners have completed their acquisition of the Company from Forstmann Little & Company.
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Industry Leaders Go Tribal at IHRSA 2014
SAN DIEGO, CA - Dave Logan, Ph.D., co-founder and Senior Partner of Culture Sync, addressed industry leaders on the topic of his book, Tribal Leadership, during the Global Leadership Summit at IHRSA 2014 33rd Annual International Convention & Trade Show.
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Calling All Personal Trainers
Life Fitness Begins Its Search for Top Global Trainers
ROSEMONT, IL - Life Fitness, one the top global leaders in commercial fitness equipment manufacturing announced its call for nominations for the world's best Personal Trainers to Watch, in partnership with the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals (ICREPs), EuropeActive, Life Fitness Academy and the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Now, in its fourth year, the Personal Trainers to Watch program recognizes and rewards elite trainers around the world who embody the same passion and commitment to the profession as Life Fitness. Nominations will be collected throughout the month of July, and the top 10 finalists will compete in a live global competition this fall to determine the winner.
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Teaching Healthy Lifestyles to Children is Fun With Active from A to Z
BOSTON, MA - When Jay Ablondi, IHRSA Executive Vice President of Global Products, was reading to his daughter Elle, now 3 1/2, he noticed there were plenty of alphabet books but not necessarily many that had a message of exercise.
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Norm's Notes for June 2014
By: Norm Cates
Norm CatesHello Everybody! This is your Club Insider Publisher and Tribal Leader Since 1993 checking in!
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