» Programming
How to add the family component to your club
1. Organize a focus group of parents, with childcare, coffee and snacks for the par- ticipants, and present the proposed plan to upgrade your facility, programs and approach to better satisf families. Ask what they like and dislike, and tweak your plan accordingly.
2. Get smart with your marketing. Be sure the person designing your program is a parent who understands the demands and lifestyle of your target market.
3. Visit your competitors. There’s no reason to go incognito; introduce yourself, take a tour, ask questions, be cordial and complimentary, and invite them to visit your facility. The idea isn’t to pinch ideas, but rather to understand their approach to welcoming families, if any, and then to differentiate your club.
4. Confide and confer with colleagues at non-competing facilities that are similar to yours. Ask for financial and administrative details about their policies for kids and teens, successful and failed family-focused programs they have offered, re- sources, childcare, etc. Of course, reciprocate with the same depth of informa- tion and ideas regarding your family programs. Do this on an ongoing basis.
5. Be inspired by marketing, renewal and promotion campaigns at other fitness facilities and membership-based organizations. Borrow ideas, then rework them to make them your own.
6. Keep your eyes and ears open. Hear what members say about family-focussed programs at other clubs they’ve visited, policies they’d like to see changed, in- structors they have strong feelings about, etc. When you’re not hearing anything at all, organize a focus group, send out a survey, or buy lunch for a few key mem- bers and pick their brains. Work to keep everything about your club current and interesting for families.
7. Don’t compete with yourself. Instead of filling your spaces with multiple kids programs or multiple adult programs, match up a kids program with at least one program that appeals to moms and/or dads. Make it easy for kids and parents to exercise at the same time.
8. Keep it fun with family pasta night, family movie night and special full-day pro- grams during school holidays.
34 Fitness Business Canada November/December 2013
“Our kids tennis and karate programs are huge. And after the
family’s finished their programs, the kids will say, ‘Let’s stay here for dinner.’”
“It’s the ‘easy button’ approach for
parents who typically are driving in multiple directions taking kids to les- sons and programs,” says McCarrol. “If you add up all the programs that kids do, it’s the same price to come here - plus they can use our club all year round. While the parents do a workout the kids participate in their programs.” The ORC also provides two hours
of free childcare each day as part of its family membership program so par- ents with children too young for pro- grams can be cared for while parents work out. “We find that kids love it here, and
they sell the club to their parents. The ORC’s biggest competitors are large facilities, many with family member- ships, whose brands revolve around their vast size and impressive array of equipment. “We’re a lifestyle club not a facil-
ity. Here we know your name at front desk, at your tennis game and in the restaurant. We’re not a big warehouse. It’s a place where busy working par- ents have opportunity to spend time together as a family.” FBC
Photo by Kristin Muller
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