Author: Rick Mayo
We have done a number of articles and podcast episodes on COVID and how things started out for us when it hit Georgia. Everything from 3 Things Every Fitness Professional CAN Do During The COVID Shutdown where we talked about working on yourself and working on your business. Suzanne shared how to stay healthy during COVID. We also did a podcast episode on how things went for us reopening after COVID-19 and an update to follow up. Lastly, we did a small final update in May.
We would love to say we are on the other side of it but who knows really when that will be. What we can say is as we navigate through this experience and the ebb and flow of the changes being made in our industry, we are not discouraged one bit. Here is why:
New Franchise Disclosure Document Standards
As a franchise, there are already some long term changes that will be set in place moving forward. One of those changes being that everyone’s FTD is now going to reflect on how COVID-19 affected the finances of their business. Imagine, six to eight months from now we have a potential franchisee who is shopping for a new franchise venture – they like the idea of being in the fitness industry and owning a gym. They’re comparing us to a large box model or a Bootcamp model. They will be able to compare the revenue discrepancies during COVID. Reflecting how they were affected, unfortunately, in most cases, how negatively they were affected during COVID.
For our business model, we are encouraged by this. We want to show that data. Alloy is fortunate and grateful to be set up in such a way that benefited our brand, business, and clientele. Our numbers are great.
What helped us?
Alloy was able to pivot to the app and online easily because of what we had in place long before the virus became a thing. The transition for our team and our clients was very favorable and it shows on paper. We have all these digital assets that will allow our franchisees to pivot if needed again in the future. These assets will enable any franchisee to run a hybrid model, whatever that may be. They have the ability to do both virtual and in-person in a safe way for their community. Just by already having a tool that we used as an extra add on value and service turned out to be the perfect tool for this wacky time period that we’re in.
We’ve been open the longest since the shutdowns.
We were the last shutdown and the first open since COVID. That being said, we are probably the least impacted, which is to say that we have been very fortunate. Cases are spiking here just like everywhere else. So we’ll see what happens. However, we feel very confident that we have the tools and assets in place to pivot and go in either direction. Being prepared in this way allows us some flexibility.
Not only is our Alloy App a huge part of that but also our team. In previous articles and podcasts, we have talked about all of the benefits of our app. The accountability and all of the various ways to track progress are just some of the awesome features it offers. Our team is all in. Whether virtual or in-person we stay locked in to customization, personalization, and connection. We stay connected to our members in a personal way and that makes a huge difference in their success.
I think that’s where every gym needs to be right now. I’m very grateful that we are in a small studio model. We can pivot quickly like a speedboat, not a giant battleship. I think right now you can slide back and forth between digital and face to face. You need to be able to service both. The way things have been and the direction things are headed, this seems to be the most successful approach.
If you are interested to learn more about Alloy or our franchise options? Contact us today to request your free information packet.