Owning and managing a gym is the dream of most personal trainers and exercise buffs. While this is a noble goal, few have given much thought to what it takes to building and managing a successful gym. A gym is first and foremost a business and as with any business, starting out requires a ton of work. Before starting your gym, here are a few things you need to do;

1 Research: To have your dream come true, you'd want to do a lot of research. Yes, you know a lot about coaching and exercise but do you know how to draw up a good business plan? How about getting insurance? Equipment? Checked out the competition? What kind of gym layout are you considering? Payroll taxes? All these and more are things you need to consider.

There's an amazing lot to know so be prepared to dig out your books and start reading up. One easy way to avoid mistakes while considering this is to meet with established gym owners and pick their brains! Ask a lot of questions while building a strong network.

2 Finance: A lot of money goes into starting a business and opening a fitness facility is no easy feat. Gym equipment, flooring, rent, utilities are a few of the expenses you'd need to take care of, and except you have a ton of money stashed somewhere, you'd need to source for funding.
It is advisable to get professional help while doing this to ensure you get only the best deals. Also, you should have saved up a good amount of money to avoid borrowing heavily as starting a business while being in debt puts a lot more pressure on you.

3 Management: Even though you're just starting up someone needs to manage your accounts and see to the running of your gym; keeping track of clients, their schedules and bill payments. You know who that is? YOU! Be prepared to act as secretary, accountant, manager and whatnot as you begin this journey to having a successful gym. Already you'd be keeping odd hours as a personal trainer, and it might all seem overwhelming having to balance accounts as well. Not to worry there's the MIS.IO software to help relieve this burden and grow your business.

It has features that'd help you manage your client database, schedules, draw up agreements and waivers, ensure easy management of member invoices while also helping you keep track of member bills among others. It helps to greatly simplify your workload freeing up your time to take care of other needs. Click here for more information

4 Certification: Getting certified as a personal trainer before starting out is a plus as it helps you get a feel of the business before you eventually take that leap. It also helps lend credibility to your brand and makes it easier to get funding. You should also be prepared to pay to renew your employees certification
Opening a fitness facility is no walk through the park and can be very exhausting. Ensure you're well informed and be prepared to devote your time to it. It's a tough journey but well worth it in the end.