Poorly written
First, this book is tough to sit down and read. Lou may be a very good gym owner, but he's not a very good writer, so the publisher should have had someone more heavily edit and fix up the text before this ever went to print.
Also, who designed this book? It made me laugh out loud that every single image throughout the entire book was of huge, rippling-muscle body builders, and yet the text constantly reiterates that you don't want to advertise your gym with body-builders. So then why include them throughout your book? I understand this book was put out by MuscleMag, but the people who buy the book aren't necessarily going to be MuscleMag fans, and the images completely contradict what the book says. I mean, if they're the smallest percentage of people who attend your gym, why are they the only ones you show in the book? And I noticed at least twice that on the same page where it says, "Don't use an image of a huge muscle-man in the logo of your business because it will intimidate people" a man was shown wearing a shirt with a gym logo on it that had...a huge muscle-man image in it. ?????
I've never owned a gym. It's an idea that I'm considering for a bit in the future, and I bought this book to kind of give me an idea of what owning a gym entails. What are the pros and cons? What are the real challenges, and what are the real rewards?
Here is the advice I gathered from this book:
* Having a telephone in your gym is good, because then people can call you.
* Make sure your gym has gym equipment.
* Have an office in your gym (how could you NOT have an office? Where would you keep all your paperwork? Staple it to the walls???)
* Try not to have ripped, broken equipment.
If any of these tips helped you, you should seriously NOT consider ever opening a business.
Also, the entire book is obviously geared toward the big muscle men that it tries to tell me not to gear my gym toward. Women are mentioned as cursory afterthoughts--creatures who sometimes come to the gym wearing leotards and big hair. And all they do there is step aerobics, with their "shapely" step aerobics instructor. Or maybe they take "martial arts" with their "Oriental" martial arts instructor (yes, he actually says "oriental" to refer to a person).
Anyway, other than mildly offending me, this book really had no effect. It told me nothing that anyone who has ever worked out a gym wouldn't already know. I didn't really gather any pros or cons about owning a gym, or feel like the book taught me any insider secrets. So...skip it.
Really too basic
If you are buying this kind of book and are serious about investing some money, this is not the book for you. It is too light and is very shallow. Nothing is wrong with the book, but there is not much too it.
I suspect it is being marketed at the same people who buy fitness magazines. That is fine, I buy them too, but if you are really going to put some serious cash into a business, get more serious than this.
WOW THIS IS COMPLETELY AMAZING!!
I wayyyyyyy love this title. I love the picture format and the simple easy to read, uptone enthusiastic descriptors. I LOVE the magazine format, which I had my doubts about when the book arrived.......however its an AWESOME publication by Muscle Mag International, which is why its in glossy magazine print.
I have extensive business training, and work for a business consulting firm, and own and run a gym as an aside; so needless to say, I was looking for a more grass roots, bread and butter instruction manual on gym specifics, and more of the how-to's of other successful individuals, and not so much business advice. This Magazine/Book did it, it rocks!! It gave me lists of gear, and policy topics to write company policy on, as well as tips on member retention...I could go on, and on!!
I do suggest, though, that if you have LITTLE TO NO business experience, that you read this book first, THEN buy and read the Thomas Plummer books, as they give specific hard stats. The 2 of them will set you up amazingly.
Gym Biz REALLY is your guide to setup, kind of your, "Simple success manual here you go Start!" Everyone needs to read this!!
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