HOTSEAT
PAY & PLAY
An idea whose genius lies in its simplicity, payasUgym allows customers to visit a range of gyms without paying membership fees. Co-founder Neil Harmsworth speaks to Kath Hudson
PayasUgym founders (l-r): Jamie Ward, Michael Blake, Neil Harmsworth
What is the background to the company? PayasUgym was created by me, Jamie Ward and Michael Blake. I trained in leisure management some years ago and then started working in the City. Jamie and I worked together at a couple of companies and bounced ideas around for a while until we hit on this one. We then asked Michael, an experienced web developer, to come on-board as we knew how important it would be to carry out all of the development in house.
How did the idea come about? Through frustration! Jamie and I travelled a lot with work and found it challenging not to be able to get to a gym on a regular basis. We felt there had to be a more fl exible way of using a gym – one that would attract more people to the market – and conversations with friends validated those views.
We quit our jobs at the end of 2009 and spent a lot of time talking to each other and to other people, carrying out surveys and doing market assessments to work out the rea- sons why people weren’t currently going to the gym, and what would make them go. We believe that using technology to better effect is the answer – using online booking for example, particularly via smart phones, as well as social media network- ing and marketing. From there, we’ve really refi ned and enhanced the idea.
The payasUgym iPhone app was launched in March
So what’s the concept? As a payasUgym customer, you can create a free account online and top up an e-wallet with credit, just like topping up a pay-as-you- go phone. The minimum upload is £10. Users then look at the gyms on the website and buy a pass to whichever one they want to visit. They’re sent a unique eight-digit voucher code, either by text or email. They then hand that over to the gym reception, where it’s validated. The pay-as-you-go concept of pre-loading an account has been there for some time; this concept brings it to the leisure industry using technology such as smart phones. The customer is required to complete a health disclaimer as part of the purchase process to ensure they’re fi t and ready to use the gym, cutting down on the amount of paperwork for the gyms. Once the customers have used a gym, they can leave feedback on their experience on our website. It gives the power of information to users.
Who is the target audience? I think there will be a couple of groups of users: those who live and work in different places, who might already use a couple of gyms, and those who want to use gyms occa-
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leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital ISSUE 2 2011 © cybertrek 2010
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