The Best Locations to Open a Gym

Opening your own gym is an exciting, yet challenging venture. One of the most difficult aspects of starting up your own gym is finding the best location. The placement of your gym is a key factor in determining the long-term success of your business.

Here are the most important things to consider when choosing your gym’s location, both inside and out.

1. Neighborhood demographics
   
2. Ample parking space
3. Competitors in your area
4. Accessible location
5. Age and construction of the building
6. High ceilings
7. Adequate space
8. A qualified property manager or PEO

1. Neighborhood Demographics

Obviously, opening your gym on the bad side of town won’t attract many customers. Once you have a building in mind, research the area surrounding it. You should open your gym with a decent population and low crime rates. If you already have a large pool of potential customers, focus on attracting more of this demographic.

For example, if your clientele consists of middle-aged parents, find a location relatively close to the suburbs. Ideally, the gym should also be within walking distance. Most people find it easier to commit to going to the gym if it’s a few steps away from their home.

If possible, try to find a location for your gym amidst like-minded businesses. Putting your gym near a fast-food restaurant or liquor store can send your customers a mixed message. It might even prevent them from meeting their fitness goals, which may lead to them switching gyms.

2. Ample Parking Space

For customers that prefer to drive to your gym, it’s important to have enough parking spots. How many you need will depend on your location and your demographics. If most of your customers commute to the gym on foot, you won’t need many parking spaces.

However, if some of your clients are getting rides to the gym, those drivers will need spaces to wait. There’s also the potential to have such a successful gym that people may commute by car for a workout. If they don’t have access to parking, those are some potential customers that you’re going to lose.

3. Competitors in Your Area

Opening your gym too close to a rival gym is never a good idea, so do your research about existing facilities. Sometimes, an ideal location will be minutes away from a competing gym, but there are some ways to make your location unique. For example, you may offer a service that a nearby gym doesn’t, like CrossFit training.

Your gym’s membership prices should also be competitively priced. If your fees are too high, most people won’t mind driving an extra ten minutes to use a cheaper gym. Just make sure your prices aren’t so low that you can’t keep up with your gym’s operational costs.

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