Running a successful gym can be challenging and demanding, especially with stiff competition for new members and new fitness options for consumers. However, never in history have gym owners been in the position to significantly share in the growth of the fitness industry, with a projected growth rate of 9.61% until 2027.
In their favor, gym owners can access advanced automation tools to help optimize every aspect of their business. Automation leads the list of advanced technologies to help you position your gym to thrive in today’s fitness industry.
This is why this article shares these insights about the value of automation to gym management:
- What is automation?
- How does automation relate to gym management?
- What are the benefits of automation tools for gym management?
- How automation can optimize each area of gym management
Let’s get into it. 🚀
What is Automation?
Automation is a tool that uses different technologies to perform tasks that are typically done by humans, making processes faster and easier. It involves using software, hardware, and other digital technologies to streamline administrative tasks and high-volume routine business processes, reducing the need for manual intervention.
🤖 Unlike artificial intelligence (AI), which uses algorithms and machine learning to analyze data, learn from it, and make decisions, automation focuses on handling repetitive tasks according to set rules.
Automation’s purpose in gym management is to:
✅ Improve efficiency
✅ Reduce costs
✅ Support a gym owner’s success strategy
Why is Automation Valuable to Gym Management?
Operating a thriving gym or fitness center requires completing administrative tasks, such as:
- Scheduling classes
- Managing membership details
- Processing financial records
- Managing staff
- Maintaining customer retention
😓 Gym owners who manually manage these processes can get locked into a tedious and seemingly never-ending routine at the expense of losing time and money for growth. No wonder gym and fitness center owners/managers experience a high level of burnout.
Optimizing gym management and avoiding the added costs of manual processes are the primary reasons more gym owners/managers use automation tools like Gym Lead Machine. Without involving third parties and additional labor, they can use gym automation to reach peak performance in:
- Gym operations
- Financial management
- Maintenance
- Member services
- Marketing
⚙️ Automation allows you to provide service to your members quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively. So, instead of toiling over business processes, you and your staff can focus on more vital matters requiring informed decision-making and in-person contact.
Digital technology has heightened consumers’ expectations of speedy service, convenience, and personalization. For this reason, it is very challenging to meet the elevated demands of running a successful gym in today’s fitness industry, with old-school manual processes that can lead to disappointment and burnout. The good news is that automation can put you and your gym in the most competitive position to grow in this lucrative industry.
Benefits of Automation Tools for Gym Management
Here are some of the most impactful benefits of using automation tools for gym management.
Lower Administrative Costs
Automation helps your gym reduce costs in these ways:
✅ Automated gym management systems like Kilo can swiftly and accurately handle appointment scheduling, customer information management, payment processing, billing, and marketing activities. This feature saves you money by eliminating the need to add extra staff.
✅ Automation reduces costly repetitiveness and lack of integration between member data and other departments, such as member engagement, billing, and communications.
✅ It can lower overhead by minimizing waste, human error, and third-party involvement.
Since automated systems can reduce labor and operational costs, you can use the additional cash flow for more profitable objectives, such as enhancing member experience with discounts, new equipment, or special events.
Peak Efficiency in Service Delivery
Improving service delivery to your members is exceptionally challenging when your staff must spend precious time updating member files, scheduling appointments, and processing payments. By automating repetitive and high-volume administrative tasks, your staff will have more time and energy to do the following:
✅ Nurturing more personal relationships with the members
✅ Devoting more time to preparing for and guiding workouts
✅ Solving member problems
✅ Developing customized fitness plans
You can also ensure your members receive timely messages and service updates with automated notifications using a tool like Gym Lead Machine. As your gym grows, automation can scale your gym business processes to handle larger amounts of member data and administrative processes without compromising member experience or adding staff. Automation ensures your members benefit from optimized speed and convenience regardless of how large your gym grows.
Elevated Customer Experience
Automation tools can upgrade your members’ experience by providing faster, seamless use of your gym’s services and facilities. They can use smart fitness devices, mobile apps, and self-service kiosks to do the following:
✅ Use real-time connectivity to stay current with gym schedules and availability
✅ Make payments or change membership information
✅ Book training sessions, classes, or even attendance
✅ Take advantage of discounts and redeem loyalty reward points
To ensure your membership has the optimal personalized experience, you can use automated customer relationship management (CRM) systems to track and manage member activities, analytics, and preferences.
CRM’s centralized interface allows members to use your gym’s services and equipment effortlessly. By using this automation to provide a stellar customer experience, you can boost member loyalty, retention, and recruitment.
How Automation Can Optimize Each Area of Gym Management
The benefits of automating gym operations are possible because of the speed and precision it adds to every aspect of your gym business.
Let’s look at how automation positively impacts each component of gym management.📊
Membership Management
As your gym grows, manually recording and managing membership files can rob precious operational and labor time. It can also increase the likelihood of mistakes and lost revenue.
Gym automation drastically reduces the time required for these tasks:
✅ Registration and onboarding: Automated sign-ups allow members to register online, complete necessary forms, and pay for memberships without human assistance. Automation also reduces paperwork and errors by managing the distribution and signing of contracts and waivers.
✅ Reporting and data management: Gym automation monitors member insights, including member attendance, class participation, engagement levels, customized services, and promotions. It also processes automated reports on membership trends and other related metrics.
✅ Member communications: Automated communication solutions like Gym Lead Machine make it simple and convenient to send automated notifications to your members about special events, membership renewals, upcoming classes, and other developments. This technology is also excellent for gathering feedback to improve services.
Billing and Payment Processing
The traditional manual way of billing members is a task no one looks forward to. Still, billing is one of the most essential aspects of maximizing your gym’s profitability. It involves:
- Generating and sending bill statements
- Notifying members of delinquent payments
- Receiving and recording payment revenue
- Sending receipts
You and your staff can save a lot of time by letting an automated recurring billing system handle all billing and payment processes with amazing speed and accuracy. This system also minimizes costly billing and payment record-keeping mistakes. Luckily, Kilo gym management software has these features built-in.
Marketing
In today’s digital society, effectively competing for new members using the old manual processes is almost impossible. While other gyms are signing up members through their websites and cellphone apps, does it make sense to try to compete using generic emails and traditional sales calls?
📞 Cold calling for leads can be incredibly frustrating since 94% of unknown numbers go to voicemail.
With little human input, gym automation can transform your marketing processes into a fluid and effective revenue-generating asset in the following ways:
✅ Lead generation: While you tend to other matters, automation tools maximize every sign-up opportunity by sending follow-up emails or text messages to potential leads. They also nurture leads with targeted communications.
✅ Targeted marketing: Gym automation software can sort your member database into various segments, such as membership type, length, attendance frequency, or revenue levels. This capacity helps you launch more effective marketing campaigns. Automated systems also provide valuable analytics and insights into member behavior.
✅ Social media integration: Posting content on social media platforms can be challenging and time-consuming. However, automation tools can schedule and post content on your gym’s social media pages consistently and on time. In addition, the system tracks social media engagement to help you discover the most effective content and platforms.
✅ Referral programs: Gym automation can distribute referral invitations to members. This action can increase the likelihood of members referring to family and friends. The system can also track referrals and ensure members get rewards for their referrals. You can use the same technology for loyalty programs.
✅ Feedback management: You can use gym automation to send out surveys to get feedback from members via email, your website, or social media pages.
Access Control
Many people’s jobs or businesses require them to work past the usual 9-to-5 schedule. Other exercisers prefer early morning workouts to free up the rest of their busy day. These consumer needs are why providing 24/7 gym access is an excellent way to appeal to a broader market of current and potential members and increase your gym’s profit margins.
The conventional way of providing around-the-clock access involves hiring more staff to supervise and take on more operational costs. On the other hand, automation provides your gym with a digital latchkey system that gives your members 24/7 access without additional overhead costs or lapses in security.
With automated check-ins, members can access and check in to your gym around the clock using several options:
🔑 Cards or key fobs: This is a simple and quick way for members to access your gym by swiping a card or using a fob at access points.
📱 Mobile app: Your members can use a mobile phone to gain touchless entry into your gym with a QR code or Bluetooth.
👤 Biometric system: Automation also allows you to use fingerprint scanners or facial recognition technology to quickly and conveniently grant access to your members.
For accurate record keeping and performance tracking, gym management software like Kilo integrates check-in data with other gym software to update member attendance records and usage metrics.
Member Retention
Keeping members is a vital component of managing and growing your gym business. Poor performance on member retention metrics will eventually offset the revenue gained from new member sign-ups, not to mention that the easiest person to sell to is an existing member. So, it makes sense to maintain a vigorous effort to keep your members happy and satisfied.
Custom gym automation allows you to leverage software and new technology to:
- Enhance member engagement,
- Personalize interactions, and
- Improve member communications.
Here are the primary components of custom automation:
✅ Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems: By storing and organizing member information, CRM provides a mega resource for targeted emails, text messages, and notifications based on member preferences and engagement activity.
✅ Automated member communications: Gym automation empowers you to establish a consistent communication forum with your members through personalized email campaigns, SMS notifications, and push notifications.
✅ Fitness activity tracking and integration: You can integrate wearables and apps with fitness trackers and activity monitoring software to provide personalized workout evaluations and recommendations to your members.
✅ Scheduling classes and appointments: Online booking allows your members to schedule personal training sessions and book classes through their mobile app or the gym’s website. You can also use automated reminders of upcoming appointments to reduce no-shows.
Frequently Asked Questions (FQA)
🤔 Are there different types of gym automation systems for various kinds of gyms?
Yes, various types of automation cater to the specific needs of different gyms. For example, here are typical automation set-ups for three types of gyms:
- Fight gyms: Automation for fight gyms often includes scheduling software for sparring sessions and classes, biometric access control for off-hour entry, and a training performance tracking system integrated with wearables.
- Fitness centers: These gym businesses usually employ automation for quick, convenient, and efficient check-in. They also use automation for personalized workout plans, automated communication for marketing, promotion offers, and class reminders.
- Full-service gyms: Since these businesses offer a wide range of amenities, full-service gyms tend to have comprehensive CRM systems to manage data-driven marketing campaigns, member communications, and loyalty programs.
When you consult with a gym management software supplier like Kilo, you are more likely to design and implement the best gym automation for your needs.
🔧 Can a gym of any size benefit from gym automation?
Yes. Almost any size gym can gain a significant advantage from leveraging gym automation.
Suppose you have a small boutique gym or a specialized fitness studio. In that case, your business can benefit by using automation to streamline class booking, member check-ins, and payment processing, freeing your staff to devote more personal attention to members and their training.
If your gym is medium-sized, you may benefit most from allowing gym automation to manage complex schedules and high volumes of member information.
Using Automation to Reach Your Gym’s Goals
The fitness industry is quickly evolving and growing at a steady rate.
Automation can position your gym to capitalize on the increasing number of consumers wanting to make a healthy change in their lives. By allowing you and your staff to focus on servicing your members and promoting your gym, automation can be the transformative force that increases your chances of reaching the business goals for your gym.
☎️ Book a call with Kilo to learn how we can help you with your success story.
