All-Star Killing Small Gyms?

[tumbleyoda]

In both gymnastics and cheerleading, the lower the level the higher the profit. However, the higher the level, the bigger the marketing opportunity. To be successful, you need to balance both. Have a Sr L5 team at Worlds, or Elite level gymnasts that compete at Visa Championships or higher to use as your "showpiece", then have an amazing staff to teach the lower level gymnastics classes and tumbling classes. That's the Golden Ticket.

You hit the nail on the head. This is why it frosts me to see the lower level kids get the untrained tumbling coaches or coaches who have no clue as to how they play a part in the bigger picture of the gym. If you dont teach the foundational tumbling skills well you will always be fixing something. They may not be the levels that are exciting and get all the coverage but they will make or break any gym for years to come.

 

[ACEDAD]

The last week of every month ACE coaches wear bright yellow neon shirts that say "Gym Fees Are Due".

No parent can ever say they didn't know.

 

[ctgatormom]

In both gymnastics and cheerleading, the lower the level the higher the profit. However, the higher the level, the bigger the marketing opportunity. To be successful, you need to balance both. Have a Sr L5 team at Worlds, or Elite level gymnasts that compete at Visa Championships or higher to use as your "showpiece", then have an amazing staff to teach the lower level gymnastics classes and tumbling classes. That's the Golden Ticket.

Agreed!!! This is exactly why if you look at the "bigger" gyms ( Stingrays are the perfect example) you will find that nearly all of them are great on every level 1 through 5....not just the higher levels.

 

[cheeromgbre]

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Cheer_Explosion_Coach]

The last week of every month ACE coaches wear bright yellow neon shirts that say "Gym Fees Are Due".

No parent can ever say they didn't know.

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! I love this idea ) might have to use it next month

 

[yojaehs]

Didn't every gym start small? I feel the keys to a successful gym are...
Location
Balance of Cheer/Business (amazingly they should coexist) or just all around professionalism
In my mind, most IMPORTANTLY - STICK TO YOUR GUNS!!! I believe most small gyms fail bc they feel they have to "chase the $" and bend to satisfy "suzie" (who seems to be a popular girl lately) but eventually will bite ya.
In listening to the NACCC meeting, hearing what came from Green Bay Elite I think would be the absolute BEST thing for ANYONE interested in opening a gym. She was adamant about concentrating on her young teams and having her program grow with them. Setting a STRONG foundation for her structure as a coach of her teams AND business.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Iamshannon]

In both gymnastics and cheerleading, the lower the level the higher the profit. However, the higher the level, the bigger the marketing opportunity. To be successful, you need to balance both. Have a Sr L5 team at Worlds, or Elite level gymnasts that compete at Visa Championships or higher to use as your "showpiece", then have an amazing staff to teach the lower level gymnastics classes and tumbling classes. That's the Golden Ticket.

I really like this point!! Whether a gym has 3 teams or 15, the success of your gym is directly related to the effort and organization you put into it. The more effort you put into coaching and helping your athletes, the better they become. When your teams start winning Cheersport and NCA and Worlds, even if it is one of 4 teams at the gym, people WILL notice success and come running to signups! Every large gym starts off small. Stingrays didn't start with 14 very successful teams... they had to work their way up from the bottom too!

 

[championprincess]

I'm in the Chicago area...if you pm me the gyms that have ruled themselves out, I'd be happy to provide you a few more that you may not be familiar with but are still great environments.

 

[Cheer_Explosion_Coach]

Hey gym owners...<hint>...kids who need tumbling classes are your bread and butter. Some families will spend a few hundred extra dollars a month on tumbling. So even a kid who can't tumble very well can be a great asset--partly because their poor mom will pay tons of money to get them to tumble, and partly because they're probably pretty good at some other stuff that your awesome tumblers/flyers are too busy tumbling and flying to do--like base.[/quote]

No kidding. My gym is very small... 2 teams with 34 team kids. BUT I have over 130 recreational tumblers. Most of which are levels 1/2. I coach a lot of them. I'm not too important to teach a 11 year old a back bend kick over or 5 year old a cart wheel. They keep my lights on and gas in my car )

Little fun fact as a business owner it takes 10 times as much expense to gain 1 new customer as it does to retain an existing one. Sometimes you have to bend just a little to keep them happy )

 

[championprincess]

Didn't every gym start small? I feel the keys to a successful gym are...
Location
Balance of Cheer/Business (amazingly they should coexist) or just all around professionalism
In my mind, most IMPORTANTLY - STICK TO YOUR GUNS!!! I believe most small gyms fail bc they feel they have to "chase the $" and bend to satisfy "suzie" (who seems to be a popular girl lately) but eventually will bite ya.
In listening to the NACCC meeting, hearing what came from Green Bay Elite I think would be the absolute BEST thing for ANYONE interested in opening a gym. She was adamant about concentrating on her young teams and having her program grow with them. Setting a STRONG foundation for her structure as a coach of her teams AND business.

Just my 2 cents

I would also find it hard to argue that anyone is as passionate about her kids as Cherokee at GBE. I wish more coaches had half the heart that she does for her program!

 

[Cheer_Explosion_Coach]

Seriously?

I hope so because I just ordered my tee's for my coaches... haha jk

Love this idea tho. I use auto draft. It's an absolute must to be on team or you can pay all tuition /fees upfront This helps a lot with keeping accounts current. Tumbling classes we use auto draft or 3 month sessions.

 

[ACEDAD]

The last week of every month ACE coaches wear bright yellow neon shirts that say "Gym Fees Are Due".

No parent can ever say they didn't know.

Seriously?

Very.

 

[MissBee]

I wonder how many of these gums have business plans?

 

[ACEDAD]

I wonder how many of these gums have business plans?

Or spell check?

 

[Cheer_Explosion_Coach]

Business plan? What's that?

We just want to have 100 team kids the first year, win worlds the second, and then retire on our yacht in about 15 years. Who has time for a business plan?