DECORATING YOUR GYMFor a new box with a tight budget, décor should not be a huge expense. At the same time, you are trying to attract a certain kind of customer/athlete that probably has their own set of expectations as to what a “gym” should look like. You will get a handful of people who walk through your doors and ask where the sauna and steam room are; warning: those people are probably not going to join and that’s ok. The décor of your box should reflect thepersonality of your gym.
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The biggest difference between gyms is #1, the cost and #2, the personality. You must decide what kind of gym you are looking to open.
Personality
Visit gym’s: watch a class, participate in classes and discover the “feeling” you get from the gym. Decide early on, what personality you want to promote at your gym and be consistent with that vibe from the time your doors open. Some gyms attract athletes training for the Games, some gyms attract people brand new to fitness, some gyms have a huge Kids program and attract a lot of families. The point is, decide what personality you would like to encourage at your gym and allow it to evolve into what it will be.
For instance, I set out to have kids classes going on while the adult WOD was going on. This was an idea that I thought was fool proof and would attract a very family friendly crowd. As my box grew, I noticed that I was attracting mostly couples and allowed the gym to begin to take on a personality of it’s own. I set out with one idea in my mind but was open to the possibility of change. One couple after the other started flooding in and very few kids ever came with their parents, so the personality of my gym changed but I was AWARE of that change. If you are not in touch with the type of clients that are coming through your door and do not have an idea of what you hope to accomplish by opening your gym, there will be an obvious disconnect between members, their progress and your relationship with them. Essentailly, the personality you decide on may change and that’s ok.
Interior Design
So, now that you have established what personality your gym is going to have, the next question you should ask yourself is what should your box look like? Check your COST ANALYSIS SHEET; if interior design has a big fat $0 in the collum, then you are looking at the bare minimum to get started (paint on the walls and some toilet paper in the bathroom). Hopefully you allotted around $1,000. This number could go up or down depending on how many of your friends are contractors and/or painters.
Most gyms have their name and logo largely painted/printed/spray painted/ airbrushed on one of the walls. It is recommended get to get a good couple of layers of paint on the walls to make it look fresh and check that cost analysis sheet to see if the rest of that "decor money" should be spent elsewhere. After all, people don’t come to a box for the graphic art on the walls (not saying it doesn’t look snazzy) so if you are short a rower or two, the money would be better spent on that.
Upgrade Ideas For $1,000 Or Less
So, let’s say you do have that $1,000 to play with, what are a few "luxury" items that would add to the value of your box? Here is a list of some valuable beginner items:
Personality
Visit gym’s: watch a class, participate in classes and discover the “feeling” you get from the gym. Decide early on, what personality you want to promote at your gym and be consistent with that vibe from the time your doors open. Some gyms attract athletes training for the Games, some gyms attract people brand new to fitness, some gyms have a huge Kids program and attract a lot of families. The point is, decide what personality you would like to encourage at your gym and allow it to evolve into what it will be.
For instance, I set out to have kids classes going on while the adult WOD was going on. This was an idea that I thought was fool proof and would attract a very family friendly crowd. As my box grew, I noticed that I was attracting mostly couples and allowed the gym to begin to take on a personality of it’s own. I set out with one idea in my mind but was open to the possibility of change. One couple after the other started flooding in and very few kids ever came with their parents, so the personality of my gym changed but I was AWARE of that change. If you are not in touch with the type of clients that are coming through your door and do not have an idea of what you hope to accomplish by opening your gym, there will be an obvious disconnect between members, their progress and your relationship with them. Essentailly, the personality you decide on may change and that’s ok.
Interior Design
So, now that you have established what personality your gym is going to have, the next question you should ask yourself is what should your box look like? Check your COST ANALYSIS SHEET; if interior design has a big fat $0 in the collum, then you are looking at the bare minimum to get started (paint on the walls and some toilet paper in the bathroom). Hopefully you allotted around $1,000. This number could go up or down depending on how many of your friends are contractors and/or painters.
Most gyms have their name and logo largely painted/printed/spray painted/ airbrushed on one of the walls. It is recommended get to get a good couple of layers of paint on the walls to make it look fresh and check that cost analysis sheet to see if the rest of that "decor money" should be spent elsewhere. After all, people don’t come to a box for the graphic art on the walls (not saying it doesn’t look snazzy) so if you are short a rower or two, the money would be better spent on that.
Upgrade Ideas For $1,000 Or Less
So, let’s say you do have that $1,000 to play with, what are a few "luxury" items that would add to the value of your box? Here is a list of some valuable beginner items:
- Storage compartments for members such as lockers, cubbies or shelving. Every member will have something to put somewhere when they are working out so every member would appreciate a place that wasn’t the ground. Just saying.
- A desk with a couple of chairs for new members to come sit down with you, fill out their waiver/release form, and get the right feeling of professionalism from the moment they start at your gym.
- A refrigerator: cold water for you, your trainers and the occasional client who forgot their water bottle.
- CrossFit Posters and or banners
- Whiteboards, Max Lift Boards, Hero WOD Board, Girls WOD Board, Gym Leaderboards
- Wall Ball Targets at 10’ and 9’ high on the walll
- A merchandise area
- A microwave for your hard working trainers
- Water Cooler and/or Coffee Maker
- Sanitary Wipes to wipe down equipment after WODs and keep your gym clean