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It's Time to Prep Your Fitness Studio for the Holidays

By Denise Prichard

Doesn't it always feel as if the holiday season is a lifetime away and you have plenty of time to prepare? Until, suddenly, Halloween has come and gone and you’re hurdling straight toward Thanksgiving … talk about scary. This year, let’s flip the script and get ahead of the holidays—before you flip the calendar. Now’s the time to get your fitness studio primed and prepped for the festive frenzy that is the holiday season, and we’re here to help you get started.

1. Organize your calendar ASAP

The end-of-year holidays provide amazing opportunities to run themed promos and sales, host events and experiential classes, promote special intro offers, and more. But among all the seasonal fun, you still have to take care of business as usual—plus, factor in studio closures and holiday hours as well as staff schedules and vacation time. Altogether, it’s a lot to keep track of, which means an organized, accessible calendar is a must.  

The sooner you can lock in all the important dates, schedule changes, promotional timing, etc., the better off you and your team will be. You’ll not only give yourself a clearer timeline for what needs to be accomplished in the coming weeks, you’ll provide yourself and your staff the confidence to make plans, while limiting the chance of unforeseen surprises.

2. Plan your holiday promotions early

‘Tis the season of giving—and shopping. Capitalize on it! Get your customers hyped to make holiday purchases with your business by planning and promoting your specials early. From Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sales to New Year’s Eve promos, make sure your members know all your business has to offer before they finish shopping for presents (i.e., don’t wait until after Thanksgiving to spread the word about upcoming specials!).

Set up your promotions within your fitness management software by creating a holiday-themed email campaign with Mindbody's Marketing Suite to notify your clients of any promotions you’re running during the season. Create a plan to help promote these specials on your website, social media, and within your fitness studio—and make sure your whole team is on board as well!  

3. Address your inventory needs

As we mentioned before, many of your members will be shopping more this time of year than they typically do. So, position your business as a gift shopping (or personal indulgence) destination! Branded merchandise—like activewear, water bottles, or hats—as well as other retail items, such as yoga mats or dumbbells, are a great source of additional revenue and can help members continue to interact with your brand even when they’re outside the studio. 

Before the shopping sprees begin, take the time now to make a list of all your inventory (and check it twice, of course). This way, you have time to order any items that may be low in stock and you can identify what you have in excess. Pro tip: Clear out less popular items or those you have an overflow by pairing them with your best sellers when creating holiday retail bundles or gift packages. 

4. Don't forget about gift cards

Versatile and customizable, gift cards are the quintessential holiday present. Boost your bottom line this winter by leaning into your gift card promos. Make sure you have more than enough gift cards on-hand and that your staff is well-versed in selling them. (Bonus points if you make sure your gift cards are available to purchase online, too.) As part of your holiday selling strategy, you might even consider running limited time buy-one-get-one (BOGO) gift card specials—for example, buy a $100 gift card and get a bonus $20 gift for yourself.  

5. Give ClassPass a try

Last but never least, the winter holiday season is a wonderful time for fitness businesses to try ClassPass. As members travel out of town, classes may not fill up to typical levels during these busy weeks. On the flip side, your community may be welcoming folks home for the holidays. If your businesses is on ClassPass, you’ll reach a wide audience of fitness lovers looking for ways to get their fix—helping you keep classes full and fun. By listing your studio on ClassPass now, you’ll have time to get used to the platform and even start welcoming in new faces before the holidays hit. 

Is it just us—or doesn't it feel good to get ahead of the game when planning for the holiday season? We're just scratching the surface with these ideas, so check out our holiday calendar below to help you plan for your best holiday season yet! 

Kick off a stress-free season with the ultimate holiday planning calendar.

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About the author:

Denise Prichard

Manager, Marketing Content and Certified Yoga Instructor (RYT-200)

Mindbody

Denise Prichard is a certified yoga instructor (RYT-200) and an experienced content marketing professional with a penchant for writing compelling copy within the fitness, wellness, and beauty industries. When she isn't writing or editing, you can find her teaching yoga classes, pedaling her heart out at a spin class, or hanging out with her rescue pups. She currently serves as the marketing content manager for Mindbody.

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