To run a successful gym, it’s essential to stay informed about what’s happening across all areas of the business—from membership trends to financial health. The right reports can give you insights to boost member retention, optimise resources, and increase revenue.

Here are the top five reports every gym owner should be running, complete with a guide on how often to review them, what each report offers, and how they can make a difference in your gym’s success.

1. Member Movement Report

What it is:
A Member Movement Report provides a breakdown of membership changes, covering members who have recently joined, cancelled, or suspended their memberships.

How often to run it:
Weekly or monthly, depending on your gym’s size and frequency of membership activity.

How it benefits your business:
Tracking membership movement over time allows you to understand patterns in member behaviour and engagement allowing you to adjust marketing, retention, and re-engagement strategies effectively. For example:

  • Identify churn trends: If cancellations spike after a specific time of year, like the post-holiday season, you can pre-emptively introduce retention campaigns, such as exclusive class offers or member challenges, to increase engagement during those high-risk periods.
  • Growth Opportunities: Understanding when and why people are joining your gym allows you to tailor your marketing efforts. For example, if you see a surge in new memberships in January, you can prepare targeted campaigns well in advance to capitalise on this trend.

Example Action Steps:
If you notice a trend in member suspensions, you might want to implement a “Stay Fit Anywhere” digital workout option for members on a break. By providing value even during periods of inactivity, you increase the likelihood they’ll return.

Consider conducting regular feedback sessions with new and cancelling members. This can be done through surveys or personal outreach. Understanding their experiences can provide insights into areas for improvement and help you develop loyalty programs that resonate with your members.

Use Trends for Targeted Campaigns

Tip

When you notice a spike in new memberships or cancellations during certain periods, tailor your marketing efforts to pre-emptively engage members. For example, send targeted emails or offers ahead of peak times to capitalise on trends.

2. Daily Sales Report

What it is:
The Daily Sales Report gives you a daily summary of income generated through memberships, personal training sessions, retail sales, and other revenue streams.

How often to run it:
Run this report at the end of each day.

How it benefits your business:
Daily sales data helps you understand revenue consistency, seasonal sales patterns, and peak spending days. With this knowledge, you can create offers to maximise profits:

  • Spot and address revenue fluctuations: Daily tracking highlights any sudden drops, allowing you to investigate immediately. For instance, if retail sales are unexpectedly low, you could assess stock, pricing, or product placement.
  • Boost underperforming areas: If weekday revenue is significantly lower than weekends, consider weekday-only promotions, such as discounted classes or retail deals, to attract more members during quieter times.

Example Action Steps:
Use the data to introduce a “Midweek Motivation” promotion if sales dip on specific days. Offering retail discounts or free trial classes on slow days can encourage more foot traffic.

Engage your team in regular debriefs to discuss sales performance. This can foster a culture of accountability and allow you to brainstorm immediate actions to boost sales, such as flash sales or social media promotions.

Monitor Sales by Hour

Tip

Track revenue by time of day to pinpoint your busiest and quietest hours. If certain times are underperforming, introduce special promotions or discounts to draw more members in during those off-peak hours.

3. Defaulted Members / Members Overdue Report

What it is:
This report identifies members who have missed payments or whose memberships are overdue, helping you keep track of revenue owed.

How often to run it:
Weekly, to stay on top of outstanding balances.

How it benefits your business:
Managing overdue payments allows you to address payment issues before they become significant, maintaining steady cash flow. It also gives you the chance to re-engage members who may be at risk of leaving:

  • Proactive follow-up: Promptly reaching out to overdue members demonstrates commitment and can prevent further payment issues. You may offer solutions such as flexible payment plans or special incentives to re-engage them.
  • Retention opportunities: Members with overdue payments often consider cancelling. Use this as a chance to offer them tailored membership options or special rates to stay on board.
  • Financial Health Monitoring: This report helps maintain a clearer picture of your gym’s cash flow, allowing for timely adjustments to budget and expenses.

Example Action Steps:
Personalised outreach can make a significant difference; a simple customised email can help re-establish connections and encourage them to get back on track.

Automate a friendly reminder email sequence for overdue members with links to update payment information, making it easy for them to catch up and maintain their membership

Automate Payment Reminders

Tip

Set up automated, friendly reminders to reduce overdue payments. Personalised messages with a simple call to action, such as “click to pay,” can encourage members to settle their balances swiftly without extra effort on your part

4. Cancellation Report

What it is:
This report lists all members who have formally requested to cancel their membership. It’s essential for tracking cancellations and taking steps to prevent them where possible.

How often to run it:
Weekly or monthly, depending on membership volume.

How it benefits your business:
Addressing cancellations quickly offers you a final opportunity to engage with departing members and gain valuable insights into why members choose to leave, helping you to proactively improve retention:

  • Identify common reasons for cancellations: If several members list similar reasons (e.g., lack of time or cost), you can adjust your offerings. For instance, introducing shorter, more intense classes could appeal to members with time constraints.
  • Refine retention strategies: Use this report to reach out to members with tailored offers before their cancellation goes through. Offering a “pause” or discounted rate may help retain members considering a temporary break.

Example Action Steps:
Set up an automated message to reach members who’ve submitted cancellation requests, asking them to reconsider with a special offer, like a month at a discounted rate or a complimentary personal training session.

Create an exit interview process for members who cancel. This could be as simple as a follow-up survey or a direct conversation. Gathering detailed feedback can illuminate areas for improvement and foster a sense of community, even as members leave.

Offer Flexible Retention Solutions

Tip

For members requesting cancellations, offer flexible retention solutions such as a temporary pause in their membership, a discounted rate, or a complimentary service like a personal training session to entice them to stay.

5. Bookings Report

What it is:
The Bookings Report provides a comprehensive view of all past and upcoming class, personal training, and amenity bookings. It can cover a variety of activities within your gym.

How often to run it:
Weekly to keep track of demand and optimise your resources effectively.

How it benefits your business:
Analysing past bookings shows which services are most popular, while future bookings help you plan and manage resources and schedules more effectively, increasing member satisfaction by meeting demand and improving operational efficiency.

  • Understand peak usage: Knowing when your gym sees the highest bookings enables you to prepare for peak times, ensuring staff availability and optimising room use.
  • Adapt class offerings: If certain classes have consistently low attendance, consider adjusting the time, instructor, or content to better meet member needs. Conversely, classes with waitlists might benefit from additional sessions to capture demand.

Example Action Steps:
If you notice that early morning slots are consistently booked up, consider adding more sessions during that time or create a “Waitlist Priority” feature, where members on a waitlist get notified if new slots open.

Review class bookings with your team each week to spot trends and refine schedules. If certain classes are consistently popular, consider adding additional sessions or reserving more space. For classes with lower attendance, experiment with different times or formats, and leverage social media promotions to boost interest.

Adjust Based on Booking Trends

Tip

If a class or training session consistently has a waitlist, consider adding additional slots. For classes with low attendance, assess member feedback and experiment with different times or formats to keep the content fresh and appealing.

Wrap Up

Running these reports consistently can dramatically transform how you manage your gym. By gaining insights into member movement, sales performance, and financial health, you can make informed decisions that drive growth and enhance member satisfaction.

Remember, the key to leveraging these reports is not just to generate them but to analyse and act on the insights they provide. Regularly review your data, involve your team in discussions, and be prepared to pivot your strategies based on what you learn.

When armed with the right information, your gym can be more than just a fitness centre; it can be a powerful, profitable community hub where both business and member success go hand-in-hand.

With the right tools, like Xplor Gym’s comprehensive reporting, you can effortlessly track key metrics, helping you make informed decisions and keep your strategies aligned with your goals.

See Xplor Gym in action – book a demo today!

  • First published: 05 November 2024

    Written by: Xplor Gym