DENVER, CO Oct. 2, 2014 — Zen Planner, an all-in-one software solution for fitness business owners, announced today it was ranked #6 in this year’s OUTSIDE’s Best Places to Work 2014. Each year, OUTSIDE recognizes the top 100 companies in the United States that help their employees strike the ideal balance between work and play. These companies encourage employees to lead an active lifestyle, are eco-conscious, and prioritize giving back to the community. The entire list of winners appears online at www.outsideonline.com/dreamjobs.

“We are thrilled to be recognized as one of the top ten places to work by Outside’s Best Places to Work for the second year in a row,” said Jeff Gardner, CEO of Zen Planner. “Our team is committed to providing the best fitness business software solution and resources to our customers. Our team is made up of passionate fitness fanatics who are obsessed with customer success. We’ve been very deliberate in creating an environment that provides work and life balance because happy employees are the cornerstone of Zen Planner’s continued success.”

Zen Planner supports employees through a variety of initiatives including company-paid fitness memberships, yoga classes, fresh fruit, outdoor team events, a bike-commute-friendly workplace and beer on tap. In addition, each week an employee is recognized with the “Kettlebell Award” which is given to an employee who best demonstrates the “OHANA” values such as service and agility that exemplifies Zen Planner.

To find the best places to work in the United States, OUTSIDE conducted a rigorous eight-month vetting process in partnership with the Best Companies Group to assess the policies, practices, and demographics of hundreds of companies, and went straight to the employees to hear about factors like corporate culture, role satisfaction, work environment and overall employee engagement. The Best Places to Work list represents the cream of the crop: companies who cultivate a comfortable and collaborative workplace, enable their employees to enjoy the great outdoors and take pride in their roles in the community and the environment.

“If you’re considering a career change or searching for your dream job, OUTSIDE’s Best Places to Work list is the first place to look,” said OUTSIDE Executive Editor Michael Roberts. “These companies set the standard for workplaces that really value their employees and offer an experience that’s fulfilling inside and outside the office.”

About Outside

OUTSIDE is America’s leading active lifestyle brand. Since 1977, OUTSIDE has covered travel, sports, adventure, health, and fitness, as well as the personalities, the environment, and the style and culture of the world Outside. The OUTSIDE family includes OUTSIDE magazine, the only magazine to win three consecutive National Magazine Awards for General Excellence, The Outside Buyer’s Guides, Outside Online, Outside Television, Outside Events, Outside+ tablet edition, Outside Books, and now Outside GO, a revolutionary, 21st-century adventure-travel company. Visit us online and on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

About The Best Companies Group

Best Companies Group works with national and local partners around the country and internationally to establish and manage “Best Places to Work,” “Best Companies,” and “Best Employers” programs on a national, statewide, regional and industry basis. Through its thorough workplace assessment, utilizing employer questionnaires and employee-satisfaction surveys, BCG identifies and recognizes companies who have been successful in creating and maintaining workplace excellence..

About Zen Planner

Zen Planner’s all-in-one software solution gives fitness business owners everything they need to turn their passion into a successful business. With integrated payment processing, scheduling, membership management, workout tracking, email automation and website templates – business owners have what they require to thrive in the fitness community they’ve worked so hard to build. Customer support, available seven days a week, separates Zen Planner from the competition by delivering a user-friendly platform for business operations. Zen Planner is backed by a team of like-minded fitness fanatics, which is why one out of every two customers refers Zen Planner to a friend – making the company’s satisfaction rating 99%. For more information, visit www.zenplanner.com.