Your operations are the nuts and bolts of actually running a successful gym. Your systems are the processes that allow that to happen effectively and efficiently.
Of all the problems we see, poor or nonexistent systems are one of the major problems in gyms struggling to stay afloat. Your health and safety, KPI reporting and stock management are un-glamorous, tedious and time-consuming. They’re also 100% necessary.
Why have systems?
If you and your people are the heart and soul of your business, your systems are the skeleton, the muscles, the tendons, and the ligaments.
They lay out a blueprint for how things should be done, from the sales pipeline, to the programming and staff training, and all the way to the cleaning of your toilets.
- Systems make good people great
We recruit for staff who’ll be great in their roles, who have the drive, personal fit, and integrity to stand beside us as we push toward our collective goals. But people, it goes without saying, are human. With the best intentions, they’re still going to forget things, have ideas that don’t line up with yours, or have off days. Systems tell your staff what to do, when to do it, and how. Systems are the framework upon which your people can thrive. They help your staff direct their energy to the areas where it can have the greatest effect.
For a simple template to guide your systems creation, check out the JCV Operations Manual Framework
- Systems are integral to good branding
Your brand is the identity of your enterprise. It should sum up what you do, how you do it, and why. Systems are a key part of establishing a solid brand.
Imagine a client comes to the gym on a Monday. The staff are wearing red t-shirts, there’s drum and bass playing, your logo is black triangle, and you give them a wave as they walk in.
Now imagine they turn up on Wednesday. Your staff are wearing blue polo shirts, there’s motivational classical music playing, your logo wall shows a ripped couple in their undies, and you greet them personally and ask them how they’re doing and how you can help them.
Each of these elements is a part of your branding – and each of these two experiences are the expression of two very different business brands. And what creates the situation where these elements are achieved? Your systems. In order to create and maintain a solid brand, you need things to be done the same, and your systems are how you achieve this.
- Systems drive consistency and quality
If we look at the example above (OK, so it’s an extreme example, but you get the idea), it’s pretty obvious that coming to a gym whose systems changed from day to day would not be a good experience for the client. Your customer wants reliable, excellent service, every time they come to your gym, and your systems are the way to guarantee that this happens.
- Systems make your life easier
When you start out as a personal trainer, everything you need to get the job done is between your ears. But when you make the move to expand your vision, and it includes a wider sphere of influence, you’re going to need systems in place to replace you. You can’t be everywhere at once, although many owners of independent gyms do try and do this (and burn out as a result). Systems are basically a list of instructions for how stuff needs to get done. They let you focus on the tasks that only you can do.
- Systems make you money
For all of the reasons listed above, systems make the processes that underlie your operations more efficient and more effective. This saves you time, saves your staff time, and creates the best client experience possible. The result: you save money, and you attract and retain your customers more easily.
Systems: a caveat
As with most things in business (and life), you can have too much of a good thing. There are a couple of important caveats when it comes to systems.
- Systems simply replicate
They’re only a way of making what you already have, repeatable. On their own, they’re not going to create a successful product or service. However good your systems are, if your core product, your people, and your place aren’t up to scratch, you’re going nowhere.
- Systems should be simple
Time and time again, we see gym owners and fitness managers introducing systems for systems’ sake. When it comes to making your operations clean, lean, and effective, the sophistication lies in simplicity. Knowing what you’re trying to achieve is a vital first step, as it allows you to find the solution with the best cost-to-benefit ratio. If you’re spending more time on the system than you are on the product or service itself, you know you’re on shaky ground and need to reassess how you’re spending your energy.
- Systems aren’t fixed
Don’t just assume that you can create a system then leave it to sit gathering dust for years on end. Staff change, the industry changes, and your member demographic will also shift. Systems need to flex and evolve to accommodate these changes in the internal and external environment.
Want to systemise your business – but don’t know where to start?