by Ryan Freebing
Running a gym during the pandemic has been no simple task. Over the past couple of months, many small businesses have been changing the way they operate in order to obey new city guidelines while still maintaining a steady revenue stream as they pay regular rent, equipment and utility fees.
Currently, Nashville and Davidson County are in a modified Phase 2 environment of Mayor Cooper’s Reopen Plan which means gyms are allowed to operate at half capacity.
Even though keeping their members safe and healthy has always remained to be most gym’s #1 priority, regular cleaning and sanitizing have also increased and become a major part of everyone’s daily routine.
At Fit Factory Nashville, every member is doing their part to keep the gym clean during this time. “We ask all of our members to wipe down their equipment after class so that the next class coming in can start with fresh, clean equipment. We also have designated ‘boxes’ where individuals will workout and face regulations as you enter and exit the gym.”
With a half capacity rule in place, gym owners must ensure they are maximizing each class period throughout any given day.
“No gym owner likes to charge their members a ‘no show’ or late cancellation fee. We understand life happens and our schedules can change quickly, especially during this time. But the reality is when you don’t show up to a class you’ve signed up for, you are taking away an opportunity for someone else to workout. When we developed our ‘no show’ policy, we thought it would be a great idea to donate the collected fees to charity, instead of profiting from the scenario. It’s been really well received in the gym.”
“We started out charging $20 for ‘no show’ fees, but have recently dropped it down to $5. Our window to cancel a class is 12 hours and we do have a waitlist, so we feel as though there is plenty of room to make an adjustment should something come up and you have a last minute schedule change. We know the system isn’t perfect, but we are doing everything we can to foster a family-like environment that is helpful for everyone.”
“Overall, we have been able to donate $1,640 to Gideon’s Army and $3,240 to Love146 and we hope to continue to do so as long as we can.”
