Running a gym as a business can be a very lucrative venture, particularly at this time of year when everyone wants to balance out the indulgences of the festive season. While you might be happy to see new members sign up to work out at your gym, you do need to make sure you are taking all of the right steps to keep them and your staff safe. Below are some quick tips to help you keep your gym in the best condition for safe exercise.
1. Test Your Fire Alarms Regularly
Hopefully, you will never experience a fire in your gym, but you do need to be prepared for this danger nonetheless. You will be obliged to have clear fire exits in your gym as well as a working alarm system, so make sure you are testing this regularly. While the sounds of alarms might be irritating, you need to know that they work properly to keep your clients and staff safe from this risk to life. Do this out of opening hours, where possible, to minimize disruption and irritation for your members.
2. Invest in Quality Security Systems
You should also make sure that you have invested in a quality security system for your gym, as this will help to protect your business equipment. While a lot of items might not be easy to move for thieves, there will be other pieces of equipment that could be stolen, and alarms and CCTV can act as a deterrent. Footage picked up on CCTV can also be used for your insurance claims or any police investigations, should this be necessary. It could also help settle disputes if there is an issue with any of your members or staff.
3. Safety Flooring
When people are moving quickly during an exercise class or lifting heavy weights, they need to have a good grip on the floor to reduce the risk of injury. If your gym floors have seen better days, it could be time to invest in getting some new ones put in. You could also purchase new gym floor mats as extra protection from weights and equipment.
4. CyberSecurity
Securing the physical gym building is important, but you should also be wary of online threats that could damage your business. As you will be handling data regarding personal details for your members, you must take the necessary steps to keep this information safe. You may also be storing details of your employees on your business networks, so do invest in good cyber security to keep your business computers and online networks secure. You could hire an external IT support service to assist with this.
5. Get a Safe for the Office
While many people might prefer to use contactless payments these days, if you do still allow gym members to pay for classes with cash or you run a pay-as-you-go system for non-members, then you might want to consider investing in a safe for your gym office. This can be a good place to keep petty cash when it’s not in the tills, as well as other important documents or items that you use as part of your business management. If you run a gym and you want to make sure you are protecting your members and your staff, consider the tips above and see how you can make improvements.
