News of restrictions easing has given gym goers worldwide a reason to rejoice and gym owners, some much needed relief. You’ve managed to keep your fitness business afloat through the Covid-19 storm with your online classes and constant engagement with customers and now it’s time to set sail for the reopening of your gym. Clubworx is here, as always, to help you navigate with our list of key essentials to consider while you take on this journey.

Reconnect

Now is the time to really ramp up communications with your customers. Send out emails and text messages, update your social media pages and even put a sign out the front of your gym with your reopening date. Be loud. You want the world to know that you’re back in business and that you mean business. We’ve included an email template below to help kickstart the process.

Target your communication strategy on existing customers, those who’ve stuck with you through the lockdown. Consider thanking them with a free class or training session.

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Communication strategies must include your staff too. Many have been on leave since the lockdown began and need time to refresh and recoup. A team-building exercise just before D day might help get your staff up to speed and motivated. Use the few days before reopening to engage with staff, allow them to train and educate themselves on any new programs or classes you might think of launching. This brings us to our next point of focus.

Reflect

The lockdown has changed the way people exercise. Think about what that means for your business moving forward. Is it a good idea to continue online classes? Do you need to change your business hours?

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How will you manage admission during peak hours? This needs planning and information from your customers. Send out a quick survey to understand your customers needs and preferences and use that information as a guide for your relaunch plan. Are there new classes you were thinking about introducing before Covid-19 but didn’t have the time to plan?

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Well now is the time. Look at latest fitness trends and consider how you can include these in your relaunch plan. Keep staff informed and get feedback from them too. There are plenty of cheap and easy to use online survey tools. Capterra has a useful comparison table to help you choose the right one for you. We’ve also included a sample survey below that you can send out to customers.

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Relaunch

Your relaunch plan and communication should be ready at least two weeks prior to reopening. Ensure your staff and customers know that your number one priority is their health and safety. Let them know of all the precautions you will undertake regarding hygiene and sanitization during this time. And like we mentioned before, focus on existing customers first. This will ensure you have a strong headstart when you reopen.

Once you’re back stronger than before you can shift focus to new membership sales and acquisition. This may take time as life after lockdown may not get back to normal for a while. Don’t be disheartened by this, instead look at it as an opportunity to reset and start from scratch, having more knowledge and resources than you did when you first started. This learning curve is a once in a lifetime opportunity to re-evaluate and grow your business and it all depends on a solid, fool-proof relaunch campaign.

Sample Email Template

Dear (customer’s name),

We are happy to inform you that we finally have a reopening date!
Monday, 22 June, 2020

We have missed you and hope you are all staying safe and fit during these trying times. The team at (your gym’s name) has been working hard to safeguard the health and well-being of our customers. Closer to the opening date, we will send out information on any changes to our operations and procedures to keep our gym safe for all.

We understand that these changes may include business hours and limitations on the number of customers allowed into the gym at any particular time. We want to make this process as easy as we can for you which is why we need your help.

Please fill out the quick survey at the end so we are able to accommodate all of your needs by improving our timetables and class structures. All your information will be kept anonymous and confidential. The survey should not take more than five minutes and will really support us and our gym community to adjust to life post lockdown.

Thank you for your constant support and patience during these times and we look forward to having you all back at the gym/studio.

Sample Survey

Welcome back and congratulations for making it through lockdown! We understand that many of you have had major lifestyle changes and we want to know how we can adapt to accommodate your needs. Thank you for your participation

1. Which would you prefer going forward?

a. Classes at the studio
b. Online classes
c. Both options so I can work around it
d. I’m okay with either

2. When we reopen, what will be your preferred times for classes(online and in-person)? Select all that apply.

a. Early (6:00 - 9:00)
b. Mid day (9:00 - 17:00)
c. Evening (17:00 - 20:00)
d. Late - online only (20:00 - 23:59)
e. I’m indifferent

3. Are there any new classes you’d like us to include?

a. Yoga
b. Animal flow
c. Zumba
d. Other (please specify) _____

4. Do you have any known allergies to cleaning supplies and disinfectants that we should know about? (please specify brand name/ingredients)

______________________________________________

5. Any additional feedback or suggestions?

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