Benefits of Owning a Group Fitness Business

In recent years, there’s been lots of noise within the fitness industry regarding the disruption of group training facilities. In this day and age, most people know at least one person who is a member of a group fitness facility who lives and breathes the product, and let's be honest, have tried to convince you to join. Weekends have swiftly transformed from being a guaranteed quiet period at a gym to Saturday morning group classes being the highlight socialisation of each week with sessions full to the brim!

Investors and business owners love group fitness, consumers are fanatical about them and the general public knows about their increase in relevance - but why? Easy. Group fitness addresses previously underserved needs of providing a simple business model with great cash flows, creating a strong, insurmountable community of members and a product offering that is forever changing and enticing. 

With this in mind, we’ve compiled the top 6 reasons as to why group fitness is the way forward:

1. Personalised service without the price tag

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We live in a society where if we want things, we want them now with complete accessibility and personalisation (yep, thanks Netflix). This is also true for the fitness industry as people no longer want to wait and pay a premium for their PT sessions; they simply expect a personalised service as a given. They want a routine that will make them stronger, fitter and better as soon as possible - without needing the knowledge and know-how to plan their session. 

At Fitstop, personalised service is a key retention strategy entrenched in our team; we educate the importance of brand standards and what it means to know each member by name, their training capabilities and goals - causing members to come back for MORE. 

2. Familiar (and stronger) community
 

Every gym has the potential to create a community on some scale. Group training fosters communities that are incredibly strong and profitable as they have the structure to positively impact members on a physical AND emotional level. No longer does the community just derive from the physical gym itself and a singular manager as per traditional training facilities. Instead group training allows members to see familiar faces, interact with and support fellow members and consistently feel part of something bigger. 

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Fitstop’s key success can be attributed to the relentless loyalty and attraction of our community. A strong community really sells itself; referral rates sky rocket, retention for members and employees increases and upcoming Fitstop locations benefit from this reputation. 

3. A simple, proven structure 

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Owning a group training business is much less arduous and labour intensive than regular gyms. Particularly when buying into a proven franchise model like Fitstop, you pay your PT’s to teach a session, bring their best energy and focus solely on the members instead of paying them excess to construct, verify and test each class format (we do the hard work for you). The mere structure of group training allows for one PT per class instead of requiring multiple PT’s that each train one client at a time - enabling critical cost savings.

The other side of structure relates to members; instead of your members needing to be self motivated and attend the gym, you create a routine for your members, and this desire for routine encourages loyalty and retention. 

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4. Sustainable business investment 

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Put simply, the way the world and trends are moving towards connection, routine and prioritising physical health, investing in group fitness is aligned to consumer trends. As Fitstop’s group training deliverables centre around community, progression and performance, this creates a very appealing business model and commodity for consumers. Despite initial concerns regarding the higher membership prices of group training facilities, Fitstop and the broader market are a testament to the fact that health is deemed as an investment that consumers are more committed to and want to see value from. 


Group fitness is a segment of an industry that is growing and predicted to remain prevalent due to the unmatched consumer value it provides - this is a truly exciting business proposition.

5. Cheaper overhead and equipment costs 

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Less space = less cleaning, less equipment, lower staff levels and rent. 

As group training prioritises personalised service and a tight knit community, the physical dynamics of the training facility is very different from traditional gyms - a smaller location is often desired. The smaller space and class format requires minimal staff which cuts down a key expense within the industry. 

The most beneficial cost reduction is equipment cost. Group training often utilises body weight movement whilst incorporating a variety of exercises that makes dynamic use of one piece of equipment. At Fitstop, not only do we maximise multi-purpose use for our equipment, we provide more competitive prices than other group training businesses by aligning ourselves with an extremely high quality and aesthetic Australian equipment provider which provides upfront cost reductions to each business owner. 

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6. A clear, concise and STRONG message to market 

Group training is becoming the new norm, however, the true value resides in the hands of purely group fitness business owners. In any market, there is significant value in being the best at what you do - and group fitness is no different. Group fitness provides the platform for a clear and strong message to market as consumers know what they are signing up for - they know they will be with others, in a group environment and with a trainer supporting them. 

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At Fitstop, we have created a strong message to market; functional group training centred around performance, progression and community. It’s easy, simple and distinct. It’s allowed for the invaluable Fitstop difference to reach and positively impact communities whilst providing outstanding returns for business owners - driving the incentive to be multisite owners! 

Why now for group fitness? 

Now’s the time to make a strategic investment in the group fitness industry. Combining the increased awareness of group fitness, strong perceived value and industry growth trajectory with the unparalleled Fitstop brand, allows you to truly capitalise on an incredible opportunity. 

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If you’re ready to take the next step in your business career and invest in a Fitstop, enquire with Fitstop today - download our info pack at fitstop.com/franchise.