The Club Insider Archives: August 2017
Thanks and Appreciation to Bill Higgs As He Retires After 35 Years of Service at Shula's Athletic Club
By: Norm Cates
Norm CatesBill Higgs, 66, has set a high standard for health and fitness club General Managers everywhere to learn from and apply to their own careers. The lessons this man has learned over his 35-year career as GM of Shula's Athletic Club in Miami Lakes, Florida, are numerous, and Bill has shared some of them with you here in this special Club Insider Cover Story, which is being published in honor of Bill Higgs and his retirement. The lessons he's learned and experiences he's had don't just apply to being a manager of a club business; they're lessons that, if applied to your life, will help you succeed in all of your endeavors. In short, Bill Higgs' story is a tale of 35 years of success that was caused by his dedication, his hard work, his flexibility and his consistency, to name just a few of the positive traits that Bill has applied to his career.
Read More
Exercise IS Medicine!
By: Shannon Malooly
Shannon MaloolyThe beautiful attorney in pink, Elle Woods, from the movie Legally Blonde, said it best when she said, "Exercise builds endorphins, endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don't shoot their husbands!" I mean, if that's not reason enough to get exercising, I don't know what is! In all seriousness, the word "medicine," the thought of medicine and the effects of medicine have always had a very negative effect on my psyche.
Read More
Properly Utilizing Facebook and Instagram Ads
By: Jillian Curl
Jillian CurlIncorporating Facebook and Instagram ads is a great way to effectively market to prospects in your area... when done properly. I put an emphasis on "when done properly" because Facebook and Instagram are continually evolving, and something changes in their platform almost every week. It is a full-time job to keep up with all of these changes and to understand how the changes affect you. Unfortunately, the majority of club owners and GMs continue to underutilize the power of Facebook and Instagram ads.
Read More
Key Components of an Effective Compliance Program
By: Paul R. Bedard, Esquire
Paul R. Bedard, EsquirePolicies and procedures, including but not limited to those prohibiting sexual harassment and discrimination, or those detailing how to respond to sudden emergencies or handle issues of confidentiality, are ultimately useless if they cannot be consistently complied with. Whatever the policy or procedure, an effective compliance program will help to ensure that theory translates into practice. An effective compliance program requires clearly articulated written policies and procedures, designated oversight, ongoing education and training, internal auditing and monitoring, reporting mechanisms, active enforcement and discipline and demonstrated response and prevention.
Read More
Maximizing Your Member-Guest Events
By: Karen Woodard-Chavez
Karen Woodard-ChavezDoes your club host a monthly Member-Guest event at the club to showcase the club to prospects as well as utilize the event as a tool to increase participation and retention with members? If so, KUDOS to you. If not, you are missing out on a simple event that should be part of your monthly marketing mix. Years ago, I wrote an article for Club Insider featuring tips to hosting a profitable party at the club. The tips in that article absolutely apply to a successful Member-Guest event. However, there are some additional points in this article that serve a different purpose than simply having a party for members and should not be missed.
Read More
IDEA World Fitness Convention Celebrates 35th Anniversary!
By: Angie Pattengale
Angie PattengaleThis year, the IDEA World Fitness Convention celebrated its 35th anniversary, and it was exciting and inspiring to be part of it! Each year, IDEA World brings 10,000+ fitness enthusiasts and industry professionals to one place for high energy, impactful education, inspiring sessions and events and a ton of trainer support products and services. And, of course, there is the personal favorite, the nutrition section of the Expo Hall! Sampling the goodness of healthy new eats was a fun food adventure.
Read More
Tapping the Niche Market
By: Casey Conrad
Casey ConradI was introduced to the slogan, "You get rich in the niche," in 2006 while attending a 3-day marketing course in Los Angeles held by Mark Victor Hanson. If you don't recognize the name, he is the co-author of the brand, "Chicken Soup for the Soul," which started out with a single book that offered inspirational stories submitted by others and put into a collection. That book became a series that has now sold more than the Bible! The books morphed into a brand that included food items, pet items, clothing and more.
Read More
Attracting Outdoor Enthusiasts Indoors
By: Nancy Trent
Nancy TrentSoon, outdoor enthusiasts will be looking for a warm place to blow off steam and stay in shape. Chilly weather can heat up profits in the fitness community. Here are a few ways you can capture the attention of an audience that is about to head indoors.
Read More
Planet Fitness and its Franchisees Award $50,000 in Inaugural Judgement Free Generation Scholarship Program
HAMPTON, N.H. - Planet Fitness, Inc., one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States, announced it has awarded ten deserving high school students nationwide as the recipients of its inaugural Judgement Free Generation Scholarship Program. As the home of the Judgement Free Zone, Planet Fitness seeks to recognize young people who have promoted kindness, acceptance and inclusion in their communities, qualities that Planet Fitness and its charitable partner, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, strongly support.
Read More
Mountainside Fitness Partners With Sonora Quest Laboratories to Offer Customized Wellness Testing to Health Club Members
TEMPE, AZ - Mountainside Fitness and Sonora Quest Laboratories have collaborated to offer a select menu of wellness screens and health profiles to Mountainside Fitness members, empowering them to take control of their health by ordering certain lab tests on their own. These tests are available through Sonora Quest Laboratories' My Lab ReQuest service which, per Arizona law, allows consumers to order lab tests from a licensed clinical laboratory without physician orders.
Read More
Crunch Franchise Announces Its Newest State-of-the-Art Facilities In Tampa, FL; Colorado Springs, CO and Chamblee, GA
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Crunch Fitness has announced the planned openings of new state-of-the-art facilities in Tampa, Florida; Colorado Springs, Colorado and Chamblee, Georgia.
Read More
Club Industry 2017 is on The Horizon!
A Focus On This Year's Keynote Speakers
It's that time of year again; the 2017 Club Industry Show is on the horizon and will take place in Chicago, October 4 - 6 at the Chicago Hilton Hotel. We want to take a moment to inform you about this year's keynote speakers. Every year, the educational value of Club Industry cannot be understated, especially the lessons that can be learned from the keynote presentations, and this year is no exception. This year's keynote presentations include...
Read More
Norm's Notes for August 2017
By: Norm Cates
Norm CatesHello Everybody! This is your Club Insider Publisher and Tribal Leader Since 1993 checking in with our 284th monthly edition! YAHOO! Football is BACK, and I'm fired up waiting for the first college game kickoff! Rather than waste your time if you're not interested in hearing me yack about football, this month, I'm reincarnating a former column we've produced in past issues of Club Insider. It's entitled Norm's Personal Notes. And, as I've done in the past, we're placing this installment of Norm's Personal Notes at the end of these Norm's Notes.
Read More
