Flipping into Success: How to Start Your Own Gymnastics Club

How to Start a Gymnastics Club

Opening up a new gymnastics club is an exciting adventure, but it’s not always easy or simple to figure out how to start your very own club. This blog will tell you what your first steps should be in order for you to run a successful gymnastics club for kids! Let’s get into it.

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[.pink__text]Your Unique Selling Point[.pink__text]

The first thing you’ll want to do is find out where your gymnastics business fits on the market. That is: where are the gaps in the market that your club could solve? So, how can you find that gap? The answer is, you’ll need to start by doing some research.

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Find out what other gymnastics clubs are operating in your area, and what makes them unique. Then, figure out how you can compete and stand out in the crowd. With some research into the market and your competitors, you’ll be able to find your unique selling point, or USP for short.

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But, why do you need a unique selling point? And how can you differentiate yourself on the market? Your unique selling point will help you pinpoint what your gymnastics club is bringing to the market, and how your club differs from other clubs in the area. Once you’ve decided what your USP is, you should use that to drive the business forward and make sure that everyone knows what your USP is.

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[.blue__text]Some examples of how you can differentiate your gymnastics club include:[.blue__text]

• [.blue__text]Offer one-to-one classes[.blue__text]
• [.blue__text]Offer a new or unique form of the activity - maybe competitive gymnastics or performance gymnastics![.blue__text]
• [.blue__text]Offer specialised classes for certain age groups - for instance for mums and babies, or for teen groups![.blue__text]
• [.blue__text]Offer lower prices than your competitors[.blue__text]
• [.blue__text]Offer classes at times that no one else is[.blue__text]

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[.green__text]Top tip: The key for finding your perfect USP is to look for a part of the market that has high interest and low competition.[.green__text]

[.orange__text]A Financial Overview[.orange__text]

Next, it’s time to crunch some numbers! You’ll need to find out more about financing your gymnastics club. Will you finance it on your own? Will you enlist investors? Will you need to take out a loan? However you decide to go about it, you’ll need to figure out how much, roughly, you’ll need to start your club. When you’re creating a financial plan for your gymnastics club, you’ll want to try to predict the rough costs for the first year of operating.

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[.pink__text]Worried about financing your new club? Read our blog on 7 ways to secure kids club funding![.pink__text]

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[.blue__text]Here are some of the initial costs you’ll want to consider in your financial evaluation![.blue__text]

• [.blue__text]The cost of your space - is it more efficient for you to rent or to own your own gym? Checkout a few different spaces and try to estimate the costs versus the convenience of each.[.blue__text]
• [.blue__text]Equipment - where can you get it from? And what equipment will you need? Perhaps one of the venues will let you rent the space and equipment together.[.blue__text]
• [.blue__text]Utilities -  what are the costs associated with keeping your club’s lights on?[.blue__text] 
• [.blue__text]iPads, computers, speakers and other types of tech - what tech equipment will you need to run your gymnastics club with confidence?[.blue__text]
• [.blue__text]Insurance and legal help - it’s important to keep the kids safe and happy, so check out what options there are for insurance and legal guidance.[.blue__text]
• [.blue__text]Booking and Class Management Software - have a look around to find an online system that meets your criteria and fulfils your needs. Read more about the ClassForKids features here.[.blue__text]