6 Hard-Earned Lessons From Running an Open Gym

January was our biggest revenue month yet at our open gym, Live Fit.

But if you think it was because of some fancy marketing campaign or viral social media post—you’d be wrong.

Open gyms are tough. High foot traffic, constant equipment maintenance, and trying to keep margins healthy without cutting corners.

Here’s what we've learnt operating a low-ticket membership gym:

1. Design Your Gym Like a Smart Business, Not Just a Cool Space

Your gym’s layout isn’t just about aesthetics. It directly impacts member experience, retention, and even revenue.

• Keep high-demand equipment easily accessible

• Separate cardio from strength training to avoid congestion

• Designate dedicated areas for stretching and recovery

A frictionless floor plan makes workouts better—and happy members stay longer.

2. Budget More Than You Think for Equipment Maintenance

Think you’ve planned for wear and tear? Double it.

Machines break. Dumbbells get dropped. Benches wear down faster than you expect.

• Weekly maintenance checks keep things running smoothly.

• Keep spare parts on hand so small fixes don’t turn into major problems.

• Members notice broken equipment, and it affects retention more than you realise.

3. Set Rules (and Actually Enforce Them)

Nobody likes the “rules guy,” but consistency matters.

If you expect members to re-rack their weights and wipe down machines, you need to enforce it every time.

4. Rotate Offers to Keep Marketing Fresh

Running the same promotion for months? That’s why your ad costs keep creeping up.

We cycle through:

• No joining fee

• Free trial periods

• Join now, pay later

When leads slow down, it’s time to switch it up.

5. Serve the 90%, Not the 10%

Every gym has members who want “something different.”

But you can’t redesign your entire gym to satisfy a handful of people.

• If 90% of your members use free weights, invest in better racks, not niche machines.

• If strength training is your gym’s core, don’t pivot to HIIT because a few members ask for it.

Stay focused on the majority, and your business will be stronger for it.

6. Get Serious About Failed Payments

Here’s how we handle overdue payments:

1. Day 1: Friendly email reminder

2. Day 3: Follow-up email

3. Day 7: Final warning

4. Day 14: Account sent to collections

No chasing. No awkward conversations. Just a system that ensures we get paid on time.

Final Takeaway

January’s record revenue wasn’t an accident—it was the byproduct of systems that actually work.

If you want an open gym that’s profitable, stop focusing on surface-level fixes and build strong foundations instead. And be prepared to tough it out.

We’ve been diving deep into a new sales process that’s already showing some incredible results. In this episode, we break down how switching to online consultations has helped us hit a 100% show rate and an 89% close rate — all on Zoom.

Here’s what we cover:

• Why we moved consultations online: The core reasons behind the shift and how it’s impacting our bottom line.

• The results so far: How we hit a 100% show rate and an 89% close rate (and why we didn’t expect it).

• Challenges we didn’t see coming: The hidden downsides and how we’re tweaking the process.

• Scaling potential: Why this process could make opening future locations faster and easier.

• Maintaining the personal touch: How we’re keeping consultations engaging, even over Zoom.

You’ll also hear about the small tweaks that made a big difference—and how you can use the same strategies to improve your own sales process.

Or listen to the audio only

Want to launch your own fitness studio?

We recently introduced our coaching programme for new studio owners: Launch Kit.

It’s designed to help you launch and fill your studio to capacity before you open your doors. It’s the exact process we’ve used to fill both of our own studios—and now, we’re sharing it with a small group of clients.

We’re keeping this programme limited to just 10 spots, so if this sounds like the right move for you, join the waiting list to be the first to know when spaces open.

That’s it from us. Reply any time…

Cardy Brothers
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