How we nearly capped our gym's growth by playing it safe

We knew we needed to invest in more equipment and create more capacity.

The issue was not whether it made sense. The issue was the upfront cost.

Paying a significant equipment cost in one go felt like something to avoid. That felt sensible at first.

But the more we looked at it, the more we realised that delaying the investment had a cost too.

• Fewer members could train at peak times
• PT capacity was limited
• Growth was being slowed by available cash, not demand
• The business risked missing revenue that was already there

We nearly delayed the decision because it felt safer to protect cash.

But that would have meant letting the bank balance dictate the growth of the gym.

That is a common issue for independent gyms. They are not short on ideas, demand or ambition. They are usually trying to time investment carefully without putting pressure on cashflow.

The points above describe our experience and Ben’s interpretation of the decision. They are not a prediction or a guaranteed outcome for another gym.

Most gym owners I speak to are not looking for funding because things are falling apart.

They are looking because they have hit a point where growth needs investment.

Common examples include:

I run StrongCo, so I understand the operator side of these decisions. You can read more about Ben’s experience.

Through gym finance, LoanLogic helps business owners compare funding options across a wide panel of lenders, so they can see what is possible before committing to anything.

The aim is not to take funding for the sake of it.

The aim is to understand whether the numbers make sense.

This account separates what happened at StrongCo from the options we considered and the lessons Ben draws from it. No figures or outcome described here should be treated as a guaranteed result for another business.