Childhood obesity is one of the many widespread health issues which are affecting countless people in the western world today. Not too long ago, however, concerned parents were pretty hard-pressed to find a gym that would allow children to use their equipment. This gave rise to the relatively new niche of young people’s gyms and fitness centers, which have been springing up more and more since the end of the noughties. This is just one example of a “niche gym”, a business model that has made a lot of people a lot of money! Here’s some advice on starting your own.
Know Your Niche
Before starting a gym that targets a specific demographic, you should be putting some work into getting to know them. If you wanted to start a gym targeting young people, for example, and you were the parent of a teen who was concerned about their weight, then you’d already have a pretty firm foundation for appealing to this demographic. If you didn’t have that much experience with kids and teens though, you may need to put a little more work into getting to know them, like volunteering as a sports coach. Niche gyms can’t stay afloat without a carefully crafted brand image, so make sure you have some extensive knowledge of the people you’re targeting before you jump in.
Get the Location Right
Again, because niche gyms target a specific demographic, you’re going to have to make sure your facility is as appealing to your target market as possible. Unless your brand enjoys a pristine reputation, no one’s going to want to travel too far just to use your facilities. Be sure to consider a range of locations, and carry out some detailed demographic research for each candidate. For instance, if you were planning to set up a kid’s fitness center, make sure the location you choose has a high concentration of families, as well as a higher rate of childhood obesity and weight issues. If you were planning on opening a gym for the disabled, choose a spot within convenient distance of care centers. Gyms and sports facilities are one of those businesses where location counts for a lot, so make sure you don’t neglect it.
Think About Your Amenities and Promotions
Aside from the obvious fitness equipment, you should be planning for your niche gym to offer other amenities and services which are targeted specifically to your demographic. All gyms and sports centers can use promotional items and offers. However, for your gym to be as successful as possible, you need to make yours a little more targeted. For example, if you’re running a gym for teens and college students, you might want to offer stress management classes on top of the regular services. You can even rent out sound-proofed study areas for those who like to work while they workout. No matter what kind of audience you’re targeting, there’s sure to be some kind of niche gimmick or promotion which you can build around them.
