January is always the busiest time of year for gym and fitness studio owners.

If you haven’t already started prepping for the influx of new members (or existing members who are recommitting to their fitness goals) who will soon be breaking down your door, it’s time to get started.

This blog features some practical tips you can use to prepare for the new year’s rush and set your gym up for success in January and beyond.

Inspect and Repair Equipment

Go to a gym in December, and you’ll have no trouble finding an open treadmill.

Go to the same gym on January 1, and every treadmill will be taken. You’ll also see people lingering nearby, waiting to jump on as soon as a machine becomes available.

Your gym will feel even more crowded if you have several pieces of broken equipment taking up space on the floor. To keep your members happy and ensure they can have productive workouts, inspect your equipment and make as many repairs as possible before the new year’s rush.

When all your equipment is functioning correctly, you provide a better experience and ensure people will continue returning even after January ends.

Start Sharing Promotions Early

Don’t wait until January to start sharing your New Year’s promotions. Start getting people excited now and encourage them to join your gym instead of another one in the area.

Speaking of promotions, if you haven’t already thought of them, consider how you can entice new members and push them to join in the new year. Perhaps you can offer a special discount to those who sign up in January or even incentivise them to sign up now and beat the January 1 rush.

Offer Affordable Entry-Level Memberships

Another way to encourage people to join your gym in the new year is to offer low-cost entry-level memberships to those who have never worked out at your facility before.

When you provide an affordable option for new gym-goers, you increase their chances of taking the plunge and signing up for a membership. This approach lowers the barrier to entry and helps them ease into the workout world.

If you make it easier for them to join, they’re also more likely to continue working out with you even after their entry-level offer ends. By that point, they’ll have become accustomed to the gym environment and will want to continue attending regularly.

Create Programs for New Members

In addition to offering memberships specifically for new gym attendees, you can also create programs to help them navigate the gym and get the most out of their workouts.

For example, you can provide new members with a free personal training session.

A free session allows them to take a tour of the gym with an employee and learn some basic exercises they can incorporate into their training sessions. It also gives them a chance to learn how common pieces of equipment work so they feel more confident on the gym floor.

You could also offer an introductory group class geared toward new members with limited gym experience. This class can go over important concepts like proper exercise form, how to use different pieces of equipment, how to warm up and cool down properly, etc.

Don’t Forget About Existing Members

It’s normal for gym owners to focus most of their attention on new members during the January rush. However, you shouldn’t forget about your existing members.

To keep your current members coming back to your gym, consider offering a special new year’s promotion for them as well. For example, you could create a loyalty program to encourage them to stick with you through the January crowds.

Here are some popular loyalty program options:

Points-Based Program

Consider a customer loyalty program that lets members earn points every time they check in for a workout or participate in a personal training session. They can then trade in their points for rewards like gym merchandise, free sessions, a free month of membership, etc.

Tiered Program

You can also encourage loyalty with a tiered program.

The first tier might give members one free group fitness class for every five personal training sessions they purchase. The next level might offer one free training session for every two months of membership.

Loyalty Competitions

Try turning member loyalty into a competition. For example, you could reward the member who visits the gym the most during the month of January. Give them a free month, a free piece of gym merch, etc.

Encourage Referrals

Referral programs bring new members to your gym and reward your existing members for their loyalty.

In January, consider launching a referral program that rewards members for every new person they refer. Perhaps they get a discount on their membership or a free group fitness class for every referral.

You can also turn your referral program into a competition and reward those who refer the most people in a set period.

Make Post-January Plans

Most gyms receive a ton of new signups in January. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to market your business all year round.

It’s good to focus on your new year’s marketing plan but make sure you’re also making plans for the rest of the year. Consider additional holiday promotions or loyalty incentives, for example, and think of ways you can keep the new members who recently signed up coming back.

If you start prepping your marketing strategy now, you’ll experience less stress as the year progresses. You’ll also have more time to focus on other essential aspects of running your gym.

New Year, Better Gym

Don’t let the new year’s rush overwhelm you and your staff. Use the strategies discussed above to prepare for an increase in new members and ensure everyone has a positive experience.

Maybe you don’t have a gym yet, but you’re thinking about opening one in the new year.

If you’re interested in getting into the fitness industry, consider opening a Stepz Fitness franchise.

Contact us today to learn more about our model.