Every gymnastics studio has to provide certain essentials or it won’t consistently attract a student base that can pay the bills, let alone provide a tidy profit. However, as a gym owner, don’t let the essentials fall into the “bland” bucket. Sure, every gymnastics school needs a changing room, but that doesn’t mean the one you provide can’t impress the socks off potential families and students.

Everything in your gymnastics school is an opportunity to differentiate yourself from your competition – even the basics. You just need to get creative. Here’s a list of ideas you can use to jump-start your own brainstorming session.

Establish a brand

Every gym has a name and logo and a color scheme. Having a brand is much bigger than that. A brand is a deliberate, cohesive strategy that defines what your gym stands for — what it offers and what promise it makes. An effective brand means people start associating your gym’s name with the exact idea you want them to have. Are you running an uber-competitive gym that prepares athletes to test their Olympic potential? Are you all about taking a “healthy minds, healthy bodies” wellness approach? Once you define your brand’s strategy, you now have the framework within which you can recast any gym essential into your unique way that distinguishes you from the pack.

Equipment

Everybody has equipment. What’s the most important selection criteria you use when buying equipment? Do you like to have the most cutting-edge endurance or strength training equipment? The most innovative or extensive collection of training aids? What choices do you make regarding equipment maintenance? You can even distinguish your gym by how you organize your equipment. Perhaps you want to highlight your equipment maintenance schedule or that no piece of equipment is older than X number of years.

Other spaces, like changing rooms and parents viewing area

Does your target family value styles and trends? Have the design and layout of these areas reflect that – with your branding, of course. Think about ease and comfort that make parents and their kids want to be in these areas and which look sharp when prospects are touring your gymnastics school. Forget about cheap card chairs. Padded folding chairs are inexpensive and mobile. How about a little parents’ lounge corner with a couple more comfortable chairs? Create a place where parents can connect to your secure WiFi and get some work done.

Help parents manage their gym responsibilities by streamlining and simplifying them

Initial registration and class enrollment processes can be time-consuming for parents, or you can make it super-easy for them through an online enrollment portal. Make it easy for parents to see new classes, enroll their kids, and check their schedules, at any time of day or night and from any device, including their phone.

Understanding their monthly bill ranks right up there with class enrollment headaches for parents. Don’t make parents work to find out how much they currently owe. For example, the Jackrabbit Class parents’ portal clearly shows parents if they have any outstanding balance, and provides easy links where they can update their payment information or search through their complete payment history, including everything from tuition fees to meet fees to uniforms costs. Make your gymnastics school the easiest one to work with. Parents will appreciate how you value their time.

Class selections, names, and descriptions

You need to offer the core gymnastics classes parents in your market expect. You don’t have to give them boring titles and descriptions. Your class descriptions page on your website is a prime marketing opportunity. When it comes to what types of classes you offer, consider what you could offer that’s unique or really resonates with your local market. Perhaps you offer a class in mental skills class for your student-athletes. You may provide specific times for combined-level student workouts, where beginning students can see up close the work ethic and attitudes of more advanced students.

Everything is an opportunity to stand out

When you design routines for gymnasts, you don’t include any wasted movement or action. Take the same approach with your gymnastics school. Every service, class, and amenity you provide is an opportunity to provide students and parents a stand-out experience. Make sure you maximize those opportunities to build a growing stream of families loyal to your business.

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