reprinted from Fitness Business Canada magazine January 2018   By Kathryn Korchok A California company finds success by offering clubs a turn-key nutrition program based on a balanced diet and sensible portions Carolyn Fetters wants her company to be the Über of the diet world. “I’m intent on disrupting the diet industry,” says the 52-year-old CEO and founder of Balanced Habits, a California-based company that offers comprehensive nutrition coaching programs for fitness clubs and individual consumers. “I’m really intent on dismantling it, to be honest.” Fetters...

reprinted from Fitness Business Canada magazine, September 2017.     Develop a process to get regular member feedback. Can you really know how you’re doing from an experience standpoint without asking for feedback along the way? Think of how much time an operator spends on developing the operational guidelines to create an exceptional member experience. Does your team really follow these guidelines? How can you know if you don’t audit the process? Finding gaps in service, experience, sales and retention can dramatically improve your club. Make it a collaborative...

When I started my independent gym X Fitness from scratch in 2001, there was no social media. The World-Wide Web and cell phones were in their infancy.  Revolutionary changes have happened since 2001. Here’s my point – we had to adapt. We had to change. Adaptation and change are two major elements of business survival and growth. But there are certain elements of our gym operation that have never changed and never will. One element is our Core Beliefs. Here’s Real-Life Lesson #3,996 that I’ve learned in my previous professions that I’ve transferred to business – nothing endures without...

by Melissa Rodriguez, Senior Research Manager, IHRSA In 2017, health club membership topped 174 million consumers around the globe, according to The 2018 IHRSA Global Report, which was published last month. Industry revenue totaled an estimated $87.2 billion in 2017 and the club count exceeded 200,000 facilities. As leading markets posted strong performance, emerging markets—particularly in the Asia-Pacific region—showed potential for continued growth. THE AMERICAS Revenue, membership, and the total number of clubs all increased in the U.S. from 2016 to 2017. Revenue grew from $27.6...

TRIBE Team Training brings together the best of personal training and group exercise by Kathryn Korchok Who: Sue Richard and Haagon East co-founded TRIBE Team Training (www.tribeteamtraining.com) in New Zealand in 2012. As club owners and former executives with an international fitness organization, the couple recognized that combining sports team coaching with personal training could provide an opportunity for tremendous growth in their own business and for club owners everywhere. J.P. Richard (Sue Richard’s brother) is the president and director of marketing and sales for TRIBE Team...

Starting this June, FBC magazine will be moving from a bi-monthly (six issues per year) print schedule to a quarterly (four issues per year) print schedule with enhanced digital content available via our website (www.fitnessbusinesscanada.com) and monthly newsletter. For the balance of 2018, FBC will publish in June and October and then quarterly for 2019 and beyond. We look forward to continuing to serve the fitness industry in Canada with reader-driven articles, news and reports on the latest fitness equipment and trends.