FBP_Special Report_: UPDATED: Tips for Club Survival in Today's Economy

Fitness Business Pro



February.6.2009	SUBSCRIBE	UNSUBSCRIBE	PREFERENCES

***NEW CONTENT***
Included in this report are two new stories, one from 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov on advice from industry experts and the other from Editor Pamela Kufahl on how clubs fared in the month of January.

From the Editors
Whether the economy has caused your club operations a little hurt or a lot of hurt, you are undoubtedly looking for guidance right now about what you can do to keep from hurting even more.

That's why the editors of Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro magazine have put together a special section on the economy, focusing on steps you can take in marketing, selling, retention, ancillary revenue, financing and cost cutting to keep your business operating successfully — and perhaps putting you in competitive shape for when the economy turns around.

Visit our Special Report on the Economy page to read the following stories from the editors and experts in the industry and view links to additional articles that will offer further guidance.

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2009 State of the Industry: One Step at a Time
By Stuart Goldman, managing editor
As memberships decrease and attrition increases, clubs will need to do a lot of little things to improve their bottom line in 2009. Read the full story.

Now Is The Time!

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Marketing in a Tough Economy
By Casey Conrad, president of Communication Consultants
For almost a decade, our prospering economy created an environment where average club operators could enjoy a certain level of success regardless of what they did or did not do with their marketing. That has all changed now. Read the full story.

Selling in a Recession
By Karen D. Woodard, president of Premium Performance Training
No doubt, there is some shifting going on in the economy. That does not mean doom and gloom or troubles ahead. What it does represent is opportunity. Read the full story.

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Non-dues Revenue Is Key in Current Economy
By Stuart Goldman, managing editor
Fitness clubs all around the country are trying to find ways to stay profitable in this recession, and one of the ways they are doing so is through ancillary, or non-dues, revenue. Read the full story.

Ramping Up Retention
By Amy Florence Fischbach, contributing writer
Health clubs that focus on sales and neglect customer service may bring in waves of new members, but if their clients are sneaking out the back door as quickly as they came in the front door, their low retention rates may be chipping away at their bottom line. Read the full story.

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Cost-Cutting Solutions
By Rick Caro, president of Management Vision
Industry data indicates that expenses have crept up in recent years as club owners have increased their revenue. Now is the perfect time to examine each expense item on a line-by-line basis. Read the full story.

Financing in Today's Economy
By Pamela Kufahl, editor
No one needs to tell club owners that financing is tight right now, but that doesn't mean that good club operators with good credit and a strong history of success can't get loans today. Read the full story.