As a fitness franchise owner, you may think it’s challenging to find the right person to help you manage your gym franchise. While we understand that it can be a difficult and overwhelming task at first, it is important to remember that hiring a gym manager is meant to make your life easier, not harder! That being said, the F45 Training team put together this list of five qualities we feel you should be looking for in the next manager of your fitness business.
When looking to hire a new manager for your new gym franchise, it is important that you seek out someone who is interested in the work you are hiring them to do. Ultimately, a manager who is passionate about fitness and genuinely enjoys managing a gym will have a greater chance of thriving as your new manager than someone who is treating it as “just a job.”
For example, a person who comes to work in a good mood will project more positive and radiant energy than someone who is simply there to clock in and cash checks. We encourage you to find a person who is not only willing to do the job, but wants to do the job.
When it comes to the satisfaction of both you and your clients/customers, communication is key! Your manager should know how to clearly communicate to his or her subordinates (delegate tasks or clearly define expectations), to you as his or her boss (relay any feedback or information from the staff or clients) and to the clients (about pricing, services, events, etc.). A lack of communication can lead to a lack of trust between you, your manager and your customers, potentially resulting in a loss of clients. If your clients are feeling neglected and would like to voice their concerns or make a suggestion, it is important that your manager passes on that feedback. Make sure your new manager knows the right (and wrong) ways of communicating professionally to ensure a smooth exchange of information and ideas.
The main purpose of a fitness studio manager is to take the day-to-day gym management responsibilities off of the owner’s shoulders. The individual you hire should have the ability to not only earn or win your trust, but keep it over time. As the studio owner, you likely do not have time to worry about menial tasks that the manager should be handling. If you are interested in keeping your head out of daily business tasks, we highly recommend hiring someone who will be the eyes, ears, and brains of the operation on a daily basis in order to make your life easier. If your manager is causing you stress and isn’t allowing you to fulfill your duty as the owner of the gym because you are too busy helping them or worrying about them, you may have hired the wrong person. Don’t waste your own time, energy, resources, and money—hire the person who you trust.
With any business venture, there will always be a few bumps in the road along the way. One of the benefits of hiring a manager to help run your fitness business is that he or she can be there to help solve the problems—without also exacerbating the problem. The ideal candidate will have experience in problem-solving, resolving conflicts with clients or customers, and will have the right attitude needed to fix issues swiftly and effectively. Your manager should act as your ‘right-hand man/woman’ on a daily basis, but especially when there are issues that need to be handled in your fitness studio or gym.
It’s safe to say that there’s a lot that goes into the maintenance of a successful fitness business! Every day brings new tasks that need to be completed correctly. Hiring a manager that has an eye for detail will benefit you in the long run because things will stay sharp, crisp, and on-brand. For example, if your manager sees that some equipment in your facility may not be up to the brand’s standards or your expectations, he or she may take the initiative to clean up the equipment or order new pieces. You are doing yourself a favor in the long run by hiring someone who will pick up on the smallest things that can snowball into something that may put your business at risk.
Although these are only a few characteristics of a high-quality manager, we hope they will help you on your path towards hiring a successful manager for your fitness studio! Keep in mind that while each person has different things to bring to the table, you should objectively look for the person that checks all of your boxes and will make your life as a business owner easier. Most importantly, we hope that you enjoy this process of expanding your team and business, as this is an exciting time in your life and business and should be celebrated as such!
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