Fitness Business Strategy: How to Create a Gym Business Plan

Whether you’re in the start-up process or creating your New Year strategy, creating a business plan for your gym is crucial for predictable, long-term success. Let’s take a closer look at how you can create an effective gym business plan.

How a Business Plan Helps

Creating a business plan for your gym has many benefits. To start, it will force you to think about your business in a strategic and methodical way. Too often business owners get lost in the day-to-day running of things and forget to take the time to be strategic. Before they know it, weeks, months and years have flown by with their business running on autopilot.

A business plan will help you step back, see the bigger picture and make a solid plan for the future. At the end of the process, you’ll have a record of your mission, vision, marketing plan, financial plan and overall strategy. Your business plan will also help you apply for funding or enter into partner or vendor business agreements. In all, a business plan will give your gym legitimacy and a road map for the future.

The Process of Writing a Business Plan

Since business plans cover every aspect of your business, it’s best to start by collecting all your business documentation early. Make sure to gather important information including:

• Bank statements
• Service contracts
• Insurance policies
• Certifications
• Anything else you can find that relates to your business

The more information you can gather, the easier your plan will be to write.

If you have key employees or investment partners, it’s good to include them in the process. The more your team is on the same page for the planning process, the better the finished plan will be. Plus, the more help you have, the faster the process will go, simply because other key people on your team have ideas and insight you need. You can make the process fun by planning an off-site retreat, or you can hold several shorter meetings and assign your group small tasks they can work on independently.

Download a Free Gym Business Plan Template Today

Key Elements of a Business Plan

Below is a brief rundown of the main sections in a business plan, just to give you an idea of what to focus on. Don’t let yourself feel overwhelmed as you first look at these topics. The process of creating your plan involves breaking things down into manageable pieces.

Executive Summary

This section provides a summary of the key points in your business plan. It serves as a quick overview for outsiders who may end up reading your plan.

Company Overview

Your company overview is a comprehensive description of your business, including who you are as a business owner and what your business does, or will do.

Market Analysis

Your market analysis section is a heavily researched summary of the competitive landscape.

Marketing Plan

The marketing plan is a roadmap that lays out all the ways that you will attract prospects and turn them into members.

Operations and Management Plan

Your operations and management plan is an outline of how your gym will operate on a daily basis.

Financial Projections

Your financial projection section provides a report of your finances to date, and then it builds a forecast of future revenue and expenses.

It’s important to take the time to think about your business strategically. You don’t build houses without a blueprint, bake cakes without a recipe or drive to a new place without some map-based direction. Make sure to run your business with the same level of thought and preparation by creating a solid business plan.

Get your fitness business plan template today!