Our goal here at 321Go Project is to continually place solid affiliate info in front of owners and potential box owners. Here is a great read from an article posted by Nicki Violetti.
Here is a small excerpt:
What advice would you give to the boxes you’ve seen who in your estimation need the most help?
If you are an affiliate owner or microgym owner, you need to ensure you have a complete business plan. We love training clients and helping people reach their goals and reach their athletic potential. But, we cannot focus on that if we do not have the business backend in order.
Here are some questions that come to mind based on what I have seen at struggling affiliates: What is your plan for improving client retention? Do you have any metric for client attendance and class size? How are you controlling the quality of your coaching staff? Are you creating your own niche or subject matter expertise that sets you apart from your competitors? Did you require your trainers/coaches to sign Independent Contractor agreements? What are you going to do if your trainers leave and open up a competing affiliate down the street from you and take many of your clients with them?*
*I have seen this happen several times. This is one reason (out of many) why enlisting the services of attorney for all business matters is so important.
Another question I like to ask affiliate owners just to assist in creating a business plan is:What are you going to do if CrossFit no longer existed tomorrow? How would you market your business and your services in that situation? I have seen a lot of affiliate owners fail to consider how they may operate if they were not a part of the CrossFit community or wanted to separate and be a non-affiliated microgym. This usually helps get the wheels turning and allows the owner to better conceptualize his or her ultimate vision for the gym (which can be a daunting task when first starting or when struggling).
If you are currently struggling, evaluate why you are struggling. Ask yourself difficult questions. Talk to other affiliate owners and microgym owners and ask for advice. If possible, have someone neutral take a look at your business model or your books. Study the business models of successful microgyms and businesses. I think improving a struggling affiliate can be similar to the progression one follows in improving their abilities and skills as a coach/trainer. It starts small and continues to develop overtime as the coach/trainer improves through continuing education, seminars, experience, etc. Start by looking at the basics your class schedule, your clientele, your rates, etc. and then expand from there.