The Club Insider Archives: November 2015
Franciscan Omni Health & Fitness
It's not how you feel when you get here... It's how you feel when you leave.
By: Justin Cates
Justin CatesThis month's cover story, featuring Franciscan Omni Health & Fitness, concludes our 22nd year of publication and is our 263rd monthly edition! At this time in our industry's history and potential future, I can think of no better topic than the successful integration of health, fitness and wellness services. In fact, as I think back on some of this year's cover stories, this topic has been a very common theme this year, specifically.
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Club Insider Celebrates 23 Years and Counting!
By: Norm Cates
Norm CatesThe thoughts that we've finished our 22nd year of publication of Club Insider, and that this is our 263rd monthly edition, are special ones that are hard to believe! But, at the same time, these thoughts drive my son, Justin, and me to keep at this with a passion and a deep dedication as if we had started last month! Way back in November, 1993, when I started Club Insider with the help of my Faust Executive Round Table #1 Group, there were a few who thought Club Insider would not last even one year, much less 22 years.
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"Insider Speaks"
Back Office Traps
By: Melissa Knowles
Melissa KnowlesProbably the number one back-office trap we see a lot of fitness businesses making is failure to keep consistent and accurate financials. It's amazing how many businesses don't keep them at all! In this article, John Lewin, who has 30 years of experience, will share his top five financial musts. Some of these may seem obvious, but there is value in achieving the most basic of principles...
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Direct Mail Is Still King!
By: Jon Butts
Jon ButtsFor the last decade, it seems that certain people have been claiming that print is dead. More times than not, the same people who are trying to make that inaccurate and false case are people who work at a digital marketing company and are trying to get you to allocate your entire budget towards their particular marketing offerings. I fully understand the world is becoming more digital as each year passes. As technology continues to grow at a rapid pace, many people are starting to wonder if direct mail still works. When done the right way, the answer is a resounding YES!
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Are You Playing the Game "In the Trenches?"
By: Jarod Cogswell
Jarod CogswellThe alarm sounds off at 4:30AM. It's a Saturday and almost game time. The facility opens at 6AM, but before my feet hit the floor, I must complete my pre-game ritual to increase my chances to win the day. I have to be the source of positive energy for every member that I encounter and the ritual to give me "my edge" looks like this...
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Maximizing Sales In This Hyper Competitive Market
By: Casey Conrad
Casey ConradHere's the most common question I get from club owners/operators these days: "What can we do to get more traffic through the door?" Maybe you've found yourself asking the same thing lately? It's no secret that the marketplace has more competition than ever before. Between the big box chains, the independent club operators, 24-hour key-card facilities, the boutiques like CrossFit, yoga, Pilates and spin studios, the non-profits and the low-price clubs, the space is very, very crowded. Add to this situation the reality that marketing is just plain difficult. Traditional marketing doesn't work well anymore, yet most haven't seemed to unlock the magic of online mediums.
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Bill McBride's Club Industry Leadership Track Update
By: Bill McBride
Bill McBrideClub Industry 2015, October 7-9, was the best Club Industry Show I've attended in recent memory. The energy and buzz were palatable, and I, personally, was thrilled for Club Industry as an organization and our industry at large. Everyone who knows me knows that I bleed IHRSA in every way, yet I also love Club Industry as the show I started with in my career as an attendee working at a small club in Fayetteville, North Carolina and the first show I presented at on a national basis.
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Why Country Squires are Important for Your Marketing Success
By: Robin Schuette
Robin SchuetteCountry Squires, Big Fish, Small Pond or Upward Bound. Are any of these lifestyle clusters represented in your market? Here's why you may want to know more about Prizm segments from Nielsen to discover the types of households with your best customers.
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Commit or Not Commit - Long-Term Contracts vs. Short-Term Contracts
By: Stephen Tharrett
Stephen TharrettThe question of whether a health club operator should build his value proposition around offering long-term membership contracts (minimum of 12-month duration) or short-term contracts (month-to-month) has been around since the inception of the modern era in 1947 when Vic Tanny introduced the modern health club and the long-term contract. Early industry pioneers such as Vic Tanny and Ray Wilson, and later, their protégés and colleagues who operated U.S. Health and Tennis (later becoming Bally Total Fitness) and other regional firms, were strong proponents of long-term contracts.
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Programming For The "Fun Of It!"
Small Group Training Management Success Wrap Up
By: Laurie Cingle
Laurie CingleSuccess with Small Group Training (SGT) is based on 7 Keys: (1) Leverage Your Offerings, (2) Hire and Retain Champion SGT Trainers, (3) Define Metrics, (4) Identify a SGT Manager, (5) Create a Space, (6) Outline a Marketing Plan and (7) Develop a Budget. To wrap up the discussion of Small Group Training Management, here is a list of all ten articles in the series that were published monthly between January 2015 and October 2015.
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Planet Fitness To Take Over Times Square With 'Judgement Free' New Year's Eve Celebration
NEWINGTON, N.H. - Planet Fitness, one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States, announced that the brand known for its Judgement Free Zone, non-intimidating atmosphere and affordable prices, will be the presenting sponsor of the Times Square New Year's Eve Celebration. In cooperation with Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, Planet Fitness will ring in a 'Judgement Free' 2016 with over one million attendees in Times Square and more than one billion television viewers worldwide.
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World Gym Expands Into Greater China
LOS ANGELES, CA - World Gym International, the iconic global brand for bodybuilding and seriously fun fitness, has entered into an agreement with World Gym Taiwan to begin developing World Gyms in Greater China, to include China, Hong Kong, Macau, and of course, continued growth in Taiwan.
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Honor Yoga Starts "Wellness And Recovery" Division of Yoga Programming
NEW JERSEY - Honor Yoga, the leading family of the mind-body connection through yoga, is excited to announce the further expansion of their yoga programming to include "Wellness and Recovery," a program designed to use the many aspects of yoga including meditation and psychology to increase the overall mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of individuals who may be living with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and/or addictions.
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Norm's Notes for November 2015
By: Norm Cates
Norm CatesHello Everybody! This is your Club Insider Publisher and Tribal Leader since 1993 checking in with our 263rd monthly edition and the last edition of our 22nd year of publishing!
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