Jazz up the class timetable and introduce themed sessions that get people motivated, says Matt Sanderson


DAVE WRIGHT OWNER, FEELGOOD FITNESS


market than ever before. The sector is constantly changing and consolidating, along with the emergence of new operators, and clubs must adapt fast. Independents have the luxury of being able to implement new systems and procedures quickly, and without the red tape normally associated with bigger organisations. But we must remember that all the major multiples


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were at one point independent themselves – they simply honed their systems and procedures so they could replicate their model on a larger scale. This is one realisation that independents will have to face in times of adversity: just as the stronger species prevails in evolution, so in a competitive health club market independents must sharpen their systems and question how and why they do things. As the market gets tougher, what we end up with is a better independent club because there’s no longer any room for complacency.


he saying ‘it’s not the big that eat the small, but the fast that eat the slow’ is more relevant to our


PAUL BODGER OWNER, TIME FITNESS


out there: economy down, consumer confi dence down, a VAT increase that will impact on independents more than anyone. All that said, as always the independent club is able to react


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and proactively change focus and direction easier and faster. Whether that’s an increase in service levels or an aggressive pricing campaign, ultimately to increase membership you must either take members from someone else or tap into a new customer base. The biggest opportunity is the new consumer. Consolidation in the sector may make for a bland


message from the chains, but that’s no different from other industries. In any case, prospective members pay little to no attention to national advertising – it’s the local message they see and hear. It’s only us who look at the big picture; the public just wants a quality fi tness product they can join locally, where they feel valued as a member.


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’m not sure anyone could say that market conditions are playing into anyone’s hands. The market is tough


INDUSTRY INSIGHTS


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