Strategic Planning: Limiting Class Schedules for Online Workouts During COVID-19

In response to COVID-19, many gyms throughout the country are looking for ways to continue to engage their communities through online classes. This move to virtual fitness classes is beneficial to trainers who continue to earn a salary, gyms who continue to bring in revenue, and customers who want to stay active from their homes. In the move to virtual fitness classes, one of the most important decisions is how many classes to schedule each day and how to ensure that those classes have high enough attendance to be worth the investment.

One critical consideration is how easily adaptable each class you provide is to customers without equipment at home. To mitigate this factor, it may be beneficial to limit participation in group classes to smaller groups, allowing coaches to more easily customize workouts to the items individuals have in their homes. Another approach that has been taken by some smaller gyms is to rent equipment to customers for the duration of the closure. This method has allowed gyms to continue to serve its customers’ needs by giving them access to equipment at home. Not only does this provide customers with the resources to participate in online classes with equipment, but it also brings in additional revenue for the gym and can even be leveraged to guarantee future membership. However, it is important to look into the legal ramifications of this approach before implementing it.

Even if your program is completely adaptable to an online format, there are many customers who can no longer take on the economic burden of a gym membership, especially as free programs continue to become available. As such, it is important to limit class schedules accordingly and possibly adjust your pricing model. Class schedules should be limited to more popular times and the classes that balance popularity and adaptability to a virtual format. As the company transitions to a virtual format, staff and coaches should reach out to customers personally to inform them of virtual offerings. Accordingly, studios should begin with very few classes, building up as demand grows. 

With fewer class options, it may be beneficial to shift toward a class-by-class payment rather than a monthly contract in order to better accommodate financial hardships that customers may be facing.

As a social impact initiative, Rem and Company also offers free consulting services and resources to small businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. Our pro-bono consulting teams provide small businesses with the opportunity to identify and prioritize issues facing their business, propose innovative strategies, and facilitate execution. If you are a small business or nonprofit in need of assistance, learn more about how we can help.