Another payday is upon us and this time around all coaches handed in their time sheet so it made the process a little easier. One thing to keep in mind is that one of the coaches, is a salary paid employee as he puts in the most hours. So regardless of how many classes he teaches, his pay is the same across the board. I am not sure as to why only one coach is on a salary basis, but it seems as though he is one of the only ones who does not have another job or a main job. Many of the coaches here at GSP do this part time because they love the sport and teaching others. No one coach is better then the next, but that all bring different vibes to the class. As payroll was completed, Val had asked me to run to the bank and deposit some checks she had in the cash register from a few of our supplement affiliates. Val told the bank I would be making deposits when I first started working with her so the Bank never gives me a hard time as long as I have ID with me and the account number. For some reason I find this a little strange, but if they say its okay then I will continue to do so.
Similar to last week, all of the GSP members who are submitting scores where welcomed to test out there first attempt at the open workout. Unfortunately, the DJ will not be attending as he had another gig and we couldn't find a replacement fast enough who charged us the same price. So we had the members input what songs they wanted to hear while working out on a list that was put on the front desk. These songs were downloaded and added to a playlist labeled "Friday Night Lights" so the coaches knew it was specifically made for these Friday workout sessions. Last weekend we ran out of the forms the judges/coaches rite on so I had to copy and print a bunch of copies. Many of the athletes try these workouts two and three times so we need about 100 copies made and placed on clip boards for easy usage when scoring. To help organize this event, the first six people who walked in to participate were in the first group and the same for the second. If more groups needed to be made then they would be arranged accordingly. For this event we made sure that all coaching staff was around so we had about 6 - 7 people who could score and judge each athlete. Friday is always a fun time to see everyone workout together and cheer each other on. I think this is what makes us unique and creates a fun and energetic atmosphere.
Now that I am familiar with how Front Desk HQ works I can start utilizing it to see the trends in sales over the last few months and which members are signing in when they walk in. Signing is a way for us to track when the members are coming and how often. However, not everyone signs in and even when they are asked to, they forget to do it on their way out the door. Although this is not a huge concern of ours, but it will negatively affect our statistics on member usage within the system. New items came in that we are selling as a trial, so I added these new items (shirts and recovery drinks) to our merchandise system within Front Desk HQ. Another open WOD viewing post was added to the Facebook and Instagram page to remind everyone that we are still streaming the announced WODs at the box. It is understandable that not every can make it to this viewing, but highly encourage everyone to come as it is good bonding time with everyone present. As mentioned in my post from yesterday, I mentioned creating an interactive website for our CrossFit GSP website and both Darren and Val loved the idea. Now, none of us are techies so we would have to find a member or someone one of us knows who is good with website designing. We will keep our eyes and hears open regarding a web design guru to help us improve our webpage.
While the open was being streamed I sent out some new emails to a few people who recently dropped-in to see how their experience was. In these emails I also ask if they have any suggestions on how to improve their first time experience. Asking them this type of question gives our team an idea on how to improve our class, coaches, and facility. Sometimes we get a negative response and more often then not we get only positive comments. We will continue to email in this fashion to show all clients that we care about their fitness experience within the GSP community. Today was a slow and quiet day at the box. Most follow up emails and phone calls have been done over the last week or so, so there wasn't many left to do today. However, daily postings on Instagram and Facebook were don't to remind members and potential visitors about yoga Wednesdays and Fundamentals. For some reason the box seemed a little messier then normal so I took my time to tidy up. I started in the women's locker room where toilet paper needed re-stocking in addition to the hand soap. Some members left weights and garbage lying around the main floor so I made it a priority of mine to clean up after them. The location of certain weights and workout accessories were changed around for a different look. New copies of liability waiver forms, class schedules and membership packets were printed as their piles were running low. Looking at different CrossFIt gym websites I noticed that there are so many options on how owners choose to advertise their facilities. One type of website that stood out to me is an interactive website. These types of websites are one continuous webpage where the information is layer out one after another. I will be bringing this idea and attention of detail to Val and Darren the next time we are all the box in hopes that we can incorporate this into our website so it makes us stand out.
After our mini DJ and competition session on Friday I knew there were still a good number of members who had not submitted their open score yet for this past weeks WOD. A reminder email went out to all members and it was written on our dry erase board that is found at the front of the workout area. Coaches were encouraged to get people involved in this event and to make sure that everyone posted their scores. Even though many of our members were not going to be at the top of the leader board, it is a good way for them to see where they stand compared to others in our box and outside boxes as well. Its all about competition and beating the person next you the next go around. Today I had about 5 people come in and sign up as new members and for fundamentals. One of the new members had tried CrossFit while she was out at see (Navy), but never officially took a class. Recommending her to take fundamentals was the smart thing to do so she could learn the techniques and become familiar with the movements. A new drop-in rate was used today as well. A drop-in normally cost $25 dollars, but the person had the opportunity to do that or pay $35 and get a t-shirt of their choice. Our apparel options are limited to t-shirts, tank tops and a few long sleeve hoodies. Other sweatshirts and zip ups are for members only because they are privately ordered. Almost every drop-in we have had over the last few weeks seems to do the $35 deal, I mean it is always hard to resist getting a new t-shirt right?! As inventory gets limited Val will reach out to an old contact she has in NYC who does our apparel. We try and switch up the colors and designs here and there so our members and visitors have a variety to chose from. As we noticed the decrease in options, Val and I started to brainstorm on some new designs and colors. Some examples of our Newest Apparel and what the shelves look like when our items become high in demand!
In an effort to maintain our community like feel at CrossFit GSP the coaching staff, interns and owners brain stormed an idea earlier in the week that seemed to be highly favorable. Friday/Tonight, there will be a DJ playing great beats as our members take on the third Open WOD. Our members will be broken down into a few groups so each participant has a judge and each member has enough room. This will create a competition like atmosphere, and lets face it who does't like listening to music when working out?! In an effort to pay the DJ when he was done, I ran to the bank to deposit money from the cash register and made sure we had enough left over to pay him and had some change for when members purchased items. The members were super happy to hear/see that a DJ was at the box because it does increase your adrenaline and some how helped them focus when it was their turn to try the Open WOD. We had extended the hours for Friday as many members hung around after they were finished eating and drinking. The times when the whole box is together truly does show how successful Val and Darren's business has become. Although it is hard to have every single member there, and the first two years of any business is the hardest, there are clear signs that the success for this facility is just getting started. There were a few drop-ins who wanted to give our 6:30 WOD a try, but unfortunately they had to try the Open WOD or come back at a later date. The reason for this was because all Friday Classes are doing the Open Workout even if they are not submitting their score.
As more members were signing up and we have been having more drop-ins, I suggested that we continue adding emails to the Mail Chimp server to increase the awareness of our new promotions and upcoming events. Most of the day was spent inputting emails received from new liability waiver forms and previous Groupon users. These were targeted because they are considered new potential members unless they individual is from out town. There were about 50 plus emails to enter, but I was able to get them all in. The email that was going to be sent out by Darren included information regarding a free 3-Day trial for all those interested in giving CrossFit a chance, this is a good way to see if its for them. Many boxes in the area do "1-Day Free Trial" or sometimes offer a drop in rate of $0. So by offering a 3-Day trial this gives us a slight advantage over other boxes in the area.
In the past CrossFit GSP has offered a body weight (Body GSP) class that consisted of stations and only body weight exercises. We have provided mobility classes on the weekend in addition to Olympic (OLY) Lifting classes run by our very own Olympic Weightlifting Coach. As we continue to grow and the demand for new classes is always a topic of conversation. Some classes that were suggested by myself were TRX classes, incorporating mobility sessions again and a barbell class. TRX has become the new leader in suspension and functional training for all levels. This type of training relies heavily on the human body and the power of the mind. These can help improve members squat, function while lifting and core. These products can be pretty costly for the amount we would order, but will be something the Owners look into and will consider later on down the road. OLY classes will begin to be incorporated once CrossFit GSP becomes an affiliate for USAW (USA Weight lifting). Our OLY coach and an OLY competitor (one of our members) will be the ones to lead this class on Sunday mornings in the next few months. The time line for this to being is waiting on the paperwork to come through from USAW. In regards to getting mobility classes back up and rolling a coach needs to be willing to teach it. unfortunately the one who has done it in the sat is not available on Saturdays so we will have to keep looking for outside talent to help us get this started again. Payroll is one day away, but the box happens to be closed tomorrow. So in an effort to pay everyone in a timely manner, I stopped by the box and made sure that all coaches submitted their time sheets for the last 2 weeks. For those who didn't I reminded them to get them turned in as quickly as possible and for those who did submit their forms, I double checked their hours with the actual coaching schedule to make sure everything was correct. I wrote out each coaches paycheck, took note in Val's binder as to which checks were used and the checks amount (like balancing your check book) and then placed each check in its own envelope. Saturday's only a few coaches are present so only two of the coaches were abel to get their checks today. However, an email was sent out to all the coaches informing them that their hours are due and that their paychecks can be picked up at the front desk if they had already done so. This keeps the coaches happy and shows an open line of communication at all times. While I was filling out the checks, I answered a few phone calls and was able to sign a few people up for our free Intro to CrossFit class that is held every Saturday morning for those who have never tried CrossFit before and want to see what it is all about. This is a great opportunity to show potential members that we are a family, a team and a community because Saturday's are usually one of the busiest days (since mostly everyone is off work).
Having a men and women's bathroom in our facility means that we run through toilet paper and deposable hand towels pretty easily. Some additional items that seem to always run out is our cleaning supply. Although we have a cleaning service that comes in every night, there are days that we clean up a little extra. Mostly because some members bring in food, pre/post workout supplements and they get spilled on the floor. We treat the box as if we are in our home, clean and always neat. When it comes time for ordering new supplies Val usually shops around to see where she can get the more bang for her buck. In her office, there is a folder that has old receipts and coupons that could be used when ordering if they are not expired. The reason why we keep these is to keep track when we have to order new items (perhaps there is a busier time of year) and to monitor how much we are spending each time. There has never been one company that has been used, but over the course of the last year a few different companies were brought into the mix because some had a better deal over others.
Two of the new coaches that will be brought on board have to go through an internship experience as well. They are new Level 1 coaches and have limited experience coaching a full class and maintaining the desk. So over remainder of my mentorship they will also be joining me behind the desk. Their internship is mostly based on the coaching aspect, but will be trained on how to use the Front Desk HQ web forum for new and old members. Although it may seem as though there is to much going on at the box, but there is always something someone can do regarding emails, making phone calls, checking to make sure all the equipment is working properly and is not broken, just to name a few. Tonight is another open announcement and this time Val and Darren decided to order pizza for those who will be huddled around our television. Pizza in a CrossFit Box is not really ideal because everyone its Paleo style (aka caveman eating), but when you have a craving it must be satisfied! Allowing members to workout after the WOD is announced has increased the time the box is open, but has increased our number of sales in post-workout/recovery drinks and creates a large group of competitors. The working hours for today was spent over the phone game planning with Val. Val and I set up a time to discuss new potential members and some aspects of class that needed to be addressed. Topics of discussion that Val wanted my input on twas the lack of stretching during the warm up. Many members stretch on their own, but feel as though they need to stretch a little more before the WOD actually starts and have been making comments on their way out the door. I expressed to Val that in my background of Athletic Training and being a College soccer player, I had to agree with the members, "stretching is super important and can be the reason why someone does or doesn't get hurt." She was going to make sure that she spoke to the coaches and recommend that they add stretching before each class. If these small side comments didn't stop then Val was going to have a sit down with the coaches as whole, but wanted to give them a chance to make the suggested additions to their class regimen. Overall Val was happy to have my input and highly accepts my comments. Within the next few days there was going to be a husband and wife who were going to be dropping by as Drop-Ins and she told them to ask for me in order to get their liability waiver signed and offer them out couples promotion. Among a few other potential Drop-Ins were also topic of conversation, all of which have been active in CrossFit for a few months/years so they were exempt from having to do Fundamentals, but wanted to keep in the loop as they may be asking for me when I am at the box next.
Some highlights we have at CrossFit GSP is the variety of classes that we offer. One class that seems to draw a lot of attention is our Wednesday night Yoga Classes. Every afternoon on Tuesday's a Yoga reminds via social media is created using picmonkey just like the ones for "fundamentals." Usually Val does these as I have been busy giving tours and doing some other jobs, but tonight she asked me to do as she got caught up in something. These posts seem to be working well as we get many phone calls shortly after they are posted and even the next day. Social media certainly is a new way to communicate in an efficient and fast manner and for CrossFit GSP we rely on it heavily. Not only do we use Facebook and Instagram, but group on deals have also been effective in the past. However, the group on deals are not always followed through. For example if 15 people bought them about five to seven end up coming through the door.
More supplements and apparel was sold today, decreasing our supply one by one and increasing the cash register which is always nice to see. A popular competition group named HQ Fitness called today to discuss the potential to host a Beat The Bracket competition at our facility in a few months. Although I answered the phone this was a decision that Val and Darren had to make since they are the owners. Although I didn't tell HQ that it was a go I was informed about the decision to have them come in and promise to advertise for this event. This event draws members from CrossFit boxes all over the Tri-State area especially those who reside in West Chester, Long Island, New York City, Brooklyn and New Jersey. The date for this event is not yet known, but once we have all the information we will be posting about it at least 2 times a week leading up to it. To continue the conversation from Monday, Val and I started game planning when we would host/offer an inbox competition for all of our members. Finding a weekend where all staff and support staff were around on the same weekend was tricky since coaches have already requested weekends off in the summer time. The month that seemed to work out the best was July 18th. We started mentioning it to members when they would walk in the door to sign in for class. This was down in hopes members would start conversing with each other about it and would make sure their calendars were free for competing or at least attending the event. We both realized that we had more then enough time to plan out the exact start and end time, but wanted to get the feelers out their before the decision was finalized. So far today, it seems like many would be interested in attending or competing. A positive aspect of doing an in-box competition is that it keeps everything close to home, allows members to interact with one another on a different level and gets our coaches heavily involved. The coaching staff will be in charge of creating the workouts (WODs) for this event, but will be asked to create this program as we get closer to the summer month of July.
Additionally, Val and I sat down with one of the main coaches to discuss the possibility of starting a strength training program for all those who partake in the WOD classes. This will give the members a chance to see their improvements and potentially compete with not only themselves, but their friends as well. Plus, everyone likes to see progress and see themselves improve so what better way then to have everyone involved. Tonight was the second week of the open so a reminder post on Facebook was done in addition to Fundamentals class. There was one person signed up so they were given the back portion of the room so the coach and new member could workout properly and not get distracted by what was going on. As mentioned in earlier posts, the coaches leave IOU's by the main computer so Val and I can keep track of the inventory and when the coaches need to reimburse the cash register. In an effort to make this easier and be done more efficiently I drafted an email to all coaches, Val and Darren explaining that a new system would be put in place. This system would include adding the coaches credit card/debit card information into the Front desk HQ website. Normally, whenever someone's bank information is entered they are being entered as a new member. However, the system has the ability to make certain profiles hidden so it doesn't mess up the total client number. Entering their information into the system this way will allow us to charge them whenever the IOU is first found rather then waiting for them to pay and prevents Val and myself from asking them.
Two members walked into the box today determined to sign up and lucky for them we had a new promotion going on. If two people signed up they were given a couples rate, which means their membership was decreased from $185 month to $150 and their initiation fee was waived 100%. This has been known to work positively for CrossFit GSP's business plan and is a fast way to increase the total number of clients. Towards the end of the day, Val and I sat down to discuss some future events we would like to see happen at the Box. One topic that was very interesting to both of us and Darren as well was getting our name on the cite list for the CrossFit Level 1 Certification. Secondly, was to pick a weekend in the summer where we could host an in-box competition (scaled and Rx). These are topics that will be discussed the next day I am in since these activities take some time to organize and more information is needed. |
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