Health Clubs

Fitness industry specialists Stephen Tharrett and James Peterson present the most comprehensive blueprint ever created for developing, leading, managing, and operating a successful health fitness business.

The book is separated into seven distinct sections representing the primary skill sets needed to succeed as a leader and manager in the health/fitness club industry. Each section contains these and other key topics: Introduction to the Health/Fitness Industry (history, current practices and trends, attitudes and attributes of the consumer/club member); Membership in the Health/Fitness Club Industry (defining the differences between a member and a customer, types of memberships, packaging of memberships, pricing strategies, branding, marketing, sales management); Membership Retention in the Health/Fitness Club Industry (the value of a membership and retention, variables known to influence attrition and retention, creating and defining positive club-based experiences, defining and creating a service culture, programming for health/fitness clubs); The Health/Fitness Club Business (legal business structure, business operating models, getting started, financial models and tools, budgeting, forecasting, and driving profitability, buying, leasing, selling, and raising capital); Staffing Issues in the Health/Fitness Club Industry (employees versus independent contractors, compensation, benefits, education and skill competency, organizational alignment, team building and recruitment); Facilities and Equipment in the Health/Fitness Club Industry (designing and construction, cardiovascular, selectorized/variable resistance, free-weight, purchase or lease equipment); Operational Practices in the Health/Fitness Club Industry (risk management, operating practice, front-desk, child-care, fitness, aquatics, tennis, locker rooms, laundry, housecleaning, accounting, types of spas, spa facilities and features, space requirements, financial parameters, spa staff).

Also includes sections on the international health/fitness club industry, the future of the health/fitness club industry, case studies, and eighteen thoughtfully organized appendices covering everything from the various industry associations and organizations to sample job descriptions and member satisfaction surveys.

Students and young professionals can rely on the most current and up-to-date information available in the industry contained in this text, and seasoned industry professionals who wish to expand their knowledge into areas where they may not have as much experience will find Fitness Management an invaluable resource.

Fitness Management: A Comprehensive Resource for Developing, Leading, Managing, and Operating a Successful Health/Fitness Club