Coral Springs Software

1440 Coral Ridge Drive, #145

Coral Springs, FL 33071

USA

Website:

https://www.healthclubsoftware.net

Phone:(954) 575-7160

Toll Free:(800) 827-2567

Fax:(866) 723-6864

Get in Sync with Management Software

These days, you can do almost anything with a cell phone. Check your email, update your calendar, play solitaire, take photos - all this functionality is crammed into a piece of technology so small that it fits inside your pocket. The best part is, it's an affordable gadget.

Getting Creative with Management Software

Your management software has incredible capabilities for collecting member data. And, fitness facility managers are using that data in creative ways to increase sales and improve retention.

Member Initiation Fees

How to set your member initiation fees, and why they can benefit your business. Setting feesThe question of initiation fees is even harder to figure out. There are no formulas to use, and no formal way of deciding how much to charge. The easiest way to set an initiation fee is to look at what other fitness centers in your area charge, and go from there. It's called market-based pricing. Tour other fitness centers, find out what they offer and what they are charging, then price your facility according to how your equipment, services, available staff, etc., stacks up. It's certainly not scientific, but some feel it's a good way to stay competitive.Caro says that the setting of fees is more art than science. "Intellectually, we think price is a higher obstacle than it really is," he explains. "But the higher the fee collected -- in particular, the higher initiation fee -- the more commitment from members you'll get." Consider the fact that country clubs traditionally have very high fees, yet the best clubs frequently have waiting lists. Also, people don't choose to let their membership lapse when they temporarily don't have time to use it or have an injury, etc. Initiation fees are the glue that keeps members committed. (But, remember, people also get excellent customer service and social interaction at country clubs. Do you offer the same benefits?)So, how can you actually determine what your prices should be? Hire a consultant who will perform an independent market analysis. Join a trade organization and network with other fitness center owners who have facilities similar to yours. Do your homework, and talk to others who have been successful and can advise you.One way fitness centers make additional money on top of membership fees and profit centers is the initiation fee. It may even be the primary way a fitness center's sales team earns their salary.Caro says the biggest plus of an initiation fee is the buy-in of members. Of course, the downsideof an initiation fee is that it can turn potential members away, especially if the fees are too heavy. Caro says, however, not to focus on price and fees when comparing your facility to the competition. "When potential members say, 'Gee, I'm not sure I want to join today,' and the sales staff starts comparing your fitness center's price to others as an incentive, it invites that potential member to consider the competition," Caro explains.Waiving feesWaiving fees can also cheapen your business. If your services are worth the fees you charge, why consider reducing them? This practice also encourages people to wait for your fees to be reduced before they join. Keeping fees the same is called price integrity.Facilities that do not use initiation fees at all will surely need to make up that difference somewhere else. One way to add additional profit to a fitness center is to have revenue centers such as beverages, clothing items, towels, etc. This helps to keep the business more stable, since you don't have to rely just on memberships.DIRECTORY OF BILLING COMPANIES

Software Stories

How four fitness centers are using computer software to turn their businesses around. New Lady Fitness, Indianapolis, Ind.Calvert hired ASF International, Highlands Ranch, Colo., to bring New Lady Fitness into the 21st century, and then steeled himself to meet any challenges posed by the transition. Surprisingly, though New Lady Fitness wasn't hip to new technology, its employees were -- and success was just around the corner. "Our customer service improved a hundred-fold," Calvert states. "But, more importantly, it allowed us to refocus back on the member." That attention to customer service helped New Lady Fitness grow from four to 16 clubs in five states from 2002 to 2003. "Without computer software, there's no way you can do that," Calvert says. "The whole billing process, simply issuing cards, without that technology in place, it stifles growth." By simply keeping pace with the rest of the world, New Lady was able to expand its business and improve customer service. It's exciting to imagine what's next.Tim Hewitt, owner of Socada Health-Fitness Studio, Fla., uses technology to focus less on member issues and more on actually running his fitness centers. Socada Health-Fitness Studios are entirely automated. "The buildings are automated, member check-in is automated, point of sale is automated," says Hewitt. "What I wanted [was a system] to be turnkey, so I could run this thing single-handedly." With the help of Affiliated Acceptance Corp., Sunrise Beach, Mo., all three Socada Health-Fitness Studio locations are successfully running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Two employees work in the back office entering contracts, managing corporate accounts, etc. "We're able to run this show with very little labor because of the technology," says Hewitt.For the last 12 to 24 months, the fitness centers have averaged 300 new members a month. "The growth is phenomenal, and now that it's automated, it allows me to do what I do best, which is marketing and sales," Hewitt says. "That's what gyms really need to focus on to grow their business and keep making it better. When you have to do it yourself, you have to manage labor, productivity. Through technology, it's an unlimited curve. I can grow as big or as fast as I want."Having a great fitness center is only half the battle; the other half is getting the word out. Clubs can spend thousands of dollarson marketing campaigns to attract new members, but Millennium Sportsclubs, managed by Salutary Sportsclubs Inc., Vacaville, Calif., advertises for next to nothing using the Internet. CheckFree Health & Fitness, Dublin, Ohio, software enables Millennium to send highly specific email blasts to inform members about new services, and also lure prospects into the facility.Getting the word out to prospective members is as easy as purchasing marketing lists and clicking "send." The main target market for the email blasts are new homeowners in the area -- and, the earlier Millennium gets to these prospects, the better. "One location has 13 different competitors within a 6-mile radius," says Salisbury. And the success rate is impressive -- out of 500 email blasts sent, 25 percent of recipients will either join or visit the facility.Gold's Gym International, Venice, Calif.Koenig is excited about the new technology, but is testing the waters before plunging in. "We're trying to take it slowly," hesays. "Before I replace a time-tested technology -- the analog and digital phone systems that everybody uses today -- I want to make sure that it's 100 percent." Avaya phone systems allow Gold's Gym to try voiceover IP technologyat the same time that the digital phone system isrunning. "I can run both of them on the same system side by side," explains Koenig. "If there are any problems, I have the tried-and-true digital system as a backup."

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