Preparing for the New Year: How Independent Gym Owners and Management Can Get Ahead of the New Year Rush during the Festive Period

Now that we are into December, we thought it was time to take a fresh perspective on a seasonal topic. How would you like to prepare for that busy New Year period? Every fitness industry member, from newcomer to veteran knows it is coming. The ‘January Starter’ ubiquity is such that even people outside the fitness industry expect to see gyms and fitness clubs full to the brim come January. So with these expectations, it is important that independent gym and fitness club owners and management put their right foot forward. Though people debate whether Churchill or Franklin said it, no matter which side of the pond it was said on, the saying is correct. “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail”. And given that the New Year/January rush is a reliable and predictable event, we are going to take a look not only at what independent gym owners can do to make the most out of this New Year but how they can start to lay the foundations for the New Years to come. Here at Ashbourne Membership Management, we have always advocated for a data-driven approach and seasonal events such as New Year represent a fantastic opportunity for independent gyms and fitness clubs to make the most of the relatively known quantity that is the New Year rush.

So as it continues to get darker and colder, what can gym owners and management do to ensure that their facility is prepared for that all-important time of the year? How can they prepare for one of the busiest and most active times for new members while keeping their existing membership engaged and content as December turns into January and the wave of New Year’s resolution members starts to rise for another year? 

We will be taking a look now, with nearly a month in advance to see what independent gyms and fitness clubs can do to prepare for the New Year rush over December and beyond. 

In this article, we look at how you can keep your members engaged throughout the holidays and how to prepare for the January rush. 

Why should Independent Gyms prepare for the New Year/January Rush? Why does it matter?

We have worked with thousands of independent gyms and fitness clubs over the years and most have taken the New Year rush very seriously. Occasionally however we run across some fatalism. “Well, the rush will happen no matter what we do” or “New members will sign up irrespective”. While it is not something we agree with, we can almost understand the logic. January 1st will come around every year, new members will join up. It can feel like progress. 

But this is the sort of complacency that we are always warning against. By being passive rather than active in the preparation for the New Year rush, independent gyms, and fitness club owners risk leaving a significant amount of profit on the table. Not only in the members that they fail to sign up, but in the members they fail to retain into the year. And make no mistake, it is a time of great opportunity. If we were to divide the year equally, it would be expected that about 8% (8.3% for you purists) of members would sign up during each month. It is generally estimated or expected that a typical independent gym will see that number in January go anywhere between 12% and 18%. That can be well over two months of custom in a month. In terms of value for effort, there are few times more vital than the January rush to get right. As people, both old members and new, return after an indulgent New Year, their motivation will not be guaranteed. There is a famously high attrition rate among New Year starters, and the numbers have shown time and time again that it doesn’t take much dissuasion to make their dropoff rate spike.

This is why a lot of our planned approach will focus on the key issues that damage retention and motivation for these joiners. While January is a prime time for people to join, most are not at their peak levels of energy or fitness at this time. Winter is in full swing, the days are cold and the sunlight is all too fleeting. There are plenty of reasons to stay indoors even for the most dedicated New Year joiner. This makes it all the more important for Independent Gyms and fitness clubs to understand what is getting their members out of their houses and into the facility. Addressing key reasons for the dropoff rate while making the gym or fitness club in question as welcoming, clean, well-equipped, and inviting as possible might be the difference between retaining 20% to 30% more of your New Year joiners. Even over the course of six months, that can represent a substantial amount of profit! 

So we all know and agree why the New Year rush is important for independent gym and fitness club owners and management. Now let’s take a look at what can be done to turn the tide as we prepare during yuletide. 

Set the Standard High: Preparing the facility so New Year starters see the Gym at its best

As we said above, a typical independent gym or fitness club will have more new and returning eyes fall upon it than at any other point during the year. This means that a well-prepared gym will pay dividends and make a lasting impression on significantly more people.

Many of the members who sign up in January are not looking forward to going to the gym or club they signed up for. It is not the most inspirational statement we have ever said, but it is true and it is important to recognise.

Whether it is due to gymtimidation, their personal confidence issues, or just fatigue, this is not a demographic we can assume has limitless motivation and drive. 

To put it cynically, some will be looking for reasons to quit and independent gym owners and management must prepare their gym over December in such a way that they don’t give these members additional reasons.  

From having witnessed thousands of feedback surveys from members, all it can take is a piece of equipment out of commission at the wrong time or an unclean or unsightly area and the seeds of doubt in a member’s mind can start to blossom. 

So using the festive period to make sure that every piece of equipment is well-maintained and recently audited. Make sure that cleaning rosters are refined, enforced, and regulated, as well as many advertised facilities and features as open and available as possible. 

Any Independent gym not putting their best foot forward in December is most likely leaving money on the table. In turn, any gym or club owner who puts in the hard work in December will be most likely to reap the rewards in April and May when they are looking at their retention and membership dashboards. Making a striking impression early on within the ‘lifespan’ of January members is a vital way to boost retention as the year drags on. The more members that can be retained, the greater the profit and momentum an independent gym can enjoy as the year progresses.

Keeping an active web presence and social media in preparation for the New Year

Just because the facility might experience a little bit of a December slowdown, doesn’t mean an independent gym’s web and social media should. In fact, it is a vital time, not only to increase engagement and attendance over the festive period itself but also to ensure that that momentum can be transferred into the New Year advertising and social media push. 

Sometimes December can feel like a period of hibernation, but for an independent gym or fitness club’s social media operation it should be anything but. The festive period is a ripe ground for engagement, with people in the mood for Christmas offers, engagement, and content. Add in the fact that a lot of people will be getting a lot more screen time as they visit relatives or take time off of work and we are looking at a period that independent gyms neglect at their peril. 

This is one instance where the data from previous years can come in very useful. Look back at the previous years' social media campaigns, look at what posts and offers had a high engagement, as well as what days those posts were made on. A key theme of this article will be encouraging independent gyms to use methodology from previous festive periods to better effect.

We certainly aren’t saying to repeat posts, but understanding what resonates with both members and prospective members is a great way to keep the social media accounts ticking over until the New Year media blitz. 

Another vital thing to promote is charity endeavours! Christmas is a time for giving and independent gyms are in a unique position to benefit from and contribute to the community they exist around. Talk to staff and members in November and December to understand the charity causes that are close to the hearts of community members. If our theoretical member come across an independent gym's social media page and see that the gym has spent the Christmas period supporting good causes that are close to their heart, it will increase the likelihood of them signing up (and perhaps even the chances of them staying!) 

This is an edge that independent gyms enjoy over their corporate chain competitors. The ability to engage with the community in a way that is considered genuine and organic cannot be overstated. Not only that, it is something that independent gyms should be drawing attention to regularly at a time when significant numbers of prospective members will be coming across their website and social media accounts. 

Independent Gyms: Data, Feedback and Secondary Spend

This might seem like a basic tip, but it is important to revisit the fundamentals. December can be a hectic time and sometimes stock refreshing can slip through the gaps. But with large numbers of new and returning members coming through, additional stock and secondary spend items will likely be under pressure.

Not only do independent gyms not want to leave additional money on the table, but they don’t want to disappoint new members by running out of stock.

This is another way where being able to harness the data from the previous New Year periods can be invaluable. With the appropriate integration, independent gyms can look at what was a bestseller and what got left on the shelf. 

In an industry where every item can make the difference between having the motivation and energy to continue and potential burnout and disappointment. Any independent gym that can maximise its sales will enjoy an advantage not only in immediate secondary spend profit but also potentially in retention.

Independent Gyms and tailoring events for the New Year rush. 

Just because the first few weeks of January can feel like a bit of a ‘dead zone’ in terms of events in our personal lives, doesn’t mean it should be in the fitness industry. 

These weeks represent the perfect time for a ‘host it and they will come’ mentality, especially when targeting these new joiners.

Events tailored around beginners and new joiners can help open up the gym, both socially and practically, in ways that can significantly benefit retention. Members are more likely to stay if they feel comfortable, integrated, and connected to the facility. If an independent gym can supercharge the process of members meeting one another, overcoming gymtimidation and learning to utilise the equipment around the facility, a key barrier to retention can be overcome early on. 

It also helps break up the pattern of apathy. If our theoretical new member merely attends the facility twice a week for four weeks and decides it isn’t for them, who can blame them? But if they notice an event that they’d feel comfortable attending, attend and then have a positive experience, perhaps even meet other members of the facility. This can have a tangible and lasting effect on retention. 

Data and Feedback

And to finish, we will focus on perhaps the most important part of this and the thrust of our article. The festive period and the New Year rush are repeating events, and any independent gym that attempts to understand and learn from these patterns will find itself in a much better position. 

So our concluding point can only be for every independent gym and fitness club to capture and record as much data and feedback as they can on the festive period and the measures we have suggested.

Every independent gym and fitness club is different, that is part of the beauty and part of the formula for their continued success in an increasingly corporate and franchised world. 

By building up a strong database and contrasting the data with the measures taken each year, independent gyms and fitness clubs can start to make the data work for them. This doesn’t just have to end at the facility and retention either, social media, secondary spending and sign-up deals can and should be monitored. 

By careful use of data, it is possible for independent gym owners and management to understand what events and measures worked and what wasn’t worth the effort. The goal for each year should be to use this data to maximise the number of sign-ups while minimising the attrition rate among New Year sign-ups. Any independent gym or fitness club owner who

can manage this will start to gain a significant advantage at this crucial time of year, preserving an invaluable momentum and steadily building the number of returning members throughout the year.