This was certainly the case for me. So, I decided, after personal training for three years out of a large commercial organisation, to build my own private, high street, personal training gym.
For the first time I felt that I was truly a self employed personal trainer and was free to make all my own decisions, such as, what pieces of equipment to install, what was the best use of space, what music to listen to, what uniform to wear and what prices to charge per session.
I think the greatest benefit though, was the personal touch that it gave to my clients’ sessions. They knew they were the only clients training at the gym at any one time, so were free to train without any restricting insecurities. This was a great way to attract new clients, who were new to training and may not like the idea of training close by experienced gym members.
Another equally amazing benefit to the private gym was I could use whatever piece of equipment whenever I wanted. This meant I could quickly adapt to my clients’ needs. If they came into the session with a specific injury, for example, I could go straight to the machines I wanted and train continuously, jumping from one piece of equipment to the next without having to join with, or wait for, other members.
This meant I could cover more exercises within the same time frame thus achieving quicker and more quality results.
Also, the high street location and sharp shop front advertising meant that I had numerous daily enquiries either through walk-ins or by potential clients taking down my phone number or website when they drove by or were sitting on a bus. I did not need to spend vast sums of money on advertising. All I needed was my website and business cards, as the shop front drew the custom in for me.
If you can relate to these points then this is the service for you, a personal trainer who dreams of running their own gym or personal training studio, where you and your clients will not have to battle for equipment and where your clients can train in a private setting free from the thought of on-lookers’ opinions.
You may not have seen many personal training studios on your high street. The reason for this is there are not many shop fronts with D2 use, which will allow you to run your business as a gymnasium.
This is where I come in!
In order to get a change of use for your premises you need to speak to your local county council. They will ask if you would like to apply for pre-planning advice or go right ahead and apply directly for a change of use. You will then be required to write a statement explaining your proposal.
This must contain how the change of use fits in with local planning ideas for the area, how your gym will benefit the area in terms of street scene or local economy. Also you will need to explain if the gym will take away the chance for other local amenities that might benefit the local area better, such as local shops. Also, explaining the gyms impact on traffic, highways and the environment and how it would contribute to green transport. The list goes on and on!
On top of this you will need photos, and three scale maps clearly illustrating any proposed works or changes.
If the premises are a shop front then the likelihood of it having a residential property above will be high. Thus, you will have to speak with an environmental health officer who will ask you to commission a full noise assessment. They will check to see if the roof and walls are insulated enough against any noise, that you make, that could affect local residents.
If there are no further complaints a change of use will be granted. However, you will need to speak with your solicitor who will check the lease is up to standard and that there are no hidden maintenance costs. Also, to see if the lease if fully repairing or not and who picks up the bill for any works, you or the landlord.
You will need to decide how long the lease will run for (usually 6 years) and if there is a break where you can exit the lease, usually after three years. You will need to negotiate rent, if there is any rent free period to be had, to help you get set up, and what instalments the rent is to be paid in.
If all this sounds like too much to take on alone, then this is where I come in!
I have been there and done it, so know exactly what will be required of you. I found a suitable site on a high street that was great for advertising which, brought in a steady stream of new clients and helped generate interest. I was successfully granted a change of use after completing what was required, including the noise assessment.
I designed and built the gym. (See photos) An electric shower and cubicle had to be installed and a speaker system put in, so music played in all three rooms at the same time. Bespoke mirrors were also required. I sourced the equipment and built the equipment as well as designing the shop front, webpage, business cards, and the rest of the decor, i.e. seating area, water cooler, pictures and other finishing touches.
So, I know exactly how much work is involved when setting up, what works, what is necessary and what is a waste of money!
I can also provide help when you are looking to sell your gym. I know all about negotiating a lease transfer, as well as knowing how to price the gym and how to negotiate good-will for your client base.
This template can also be used to set up a gym where you would have paying members and self employed personal trainers, that would pay you floor rent. I was asked many times if my gym was accepting paying members or would allow other personal trainers to work there.
These ideas can easily be incorporated into your designs, and would take into account planning issues, like the size of your premises, available parking and impact on traffic and local residents.
Bespoke gym consultancy services for the fitness professional include:
A price for the service would be calculated after the consultation, prior to any commencing research.
This price would be calculated on an individual case basis, factoring in the size of the gym to be designed, the amount of planning research and amount of assistance with equipment installation, gym set up and advertising.
