Major hurdles every gym owner faces (and how to overcome them)

Running a gym sounds like a dream, and for many it is. But it’s also a constant juggling act. You have to keep an eye on your staff, members, revenue and the list doesn’t stop there.

Equipment can and does break and part of your job is to make sure nothing is out of service for any length of time. This is what you might call an operational problem but there are many others.

This is a list of some of the challenges that our members report, grouped in an order we find helpful.

Of course most problems have a solution and some of those solutions cost more than others.  Problems can be solved in different ways too. For example, if you have sweaty residues on the gym equipment, you can do various things.

You can employ someone to go around wiping it up, you can put a notice to ask people to wipe it themselves, you can offer people free towels and suggest they use them while exercising and so on.

How you solve problems is part of the art of management and to some extent it’s about how you chose to run your gym.

But with your creativity and your team’s support, you can solve everything that comes up. So, here are the 14 biggest challenges gym owners face to help you understand things better. First, we will break down the types of challenges you might run into before we explore the solutions that will keep your gym running smoothly.

From keeping equipment in top shape to juggling finances and staying ahead of the competition, this chart captures the 7 biggest categories of hurdles every gym owner faces. It’s a workout in itself, balancing operational efficiency, legal rules, customer satisfaction, staff happiness, and the latest tech—all while staying financially fit.

Operational challenges

Equipment maintenance & cleanliness

The obvious solution for this operational challenge is to create a maintenance routine and stick to it. Think of it like your business depends on it because it surely does. 

Scheduling & class management

Do you think juggling schedules is easy? It may be if the gym is under utilized, but as you build your staff and member base, you may find yourself with dozens of trainers, back-to-back classes, that need careful fitting and planning. Get this right and you will have a profitable business with minimal frustration or disappointed customers. A good gym management software like Wellyx will include scheduling software and can save you a ton of headaches.

Compliance and legal challenges

Nothing says “shutdown” like ignoring local regulations or screwing up your paperwork. Accounting for 15%, this stuff isn’t exciting, but it’ll keep your gym open.

These regulatory challenges generally revolve around the safety and health of gym members. Around 15% of compliance and legal concerns arise due to:

Health & safety regulations

Check your equipment regularly, and make sure you have emergency procedures in place for things like fire. Ensure your gym isn’t a death trap. Safety comes first, always. A gym lawsuit will ruin you faster than a month of bad Yelp reviews.

Insurance

Get the right insurance coverage, and don’t skimp here. The peace of mind you’ll get knowing you’re covered when something goes wrong is worth every penny. Of course your waiver forms are a big help here because you want to be clear about the state of health of your new members. Are their doctors happy that they’re about to lift a 200lbs weight or do a high intensity work out? Here again a good gym management software can make sure you have exactly the right waiver forms filled in, in the right way.

Financial challenges

Finances can be the thing that sinks you. It’s not just about making money, it’s about keeping it. Almost 20% of gym owners’ problems arise due to a lack of financial accountability.

Budgeting & cost control

Here’s a simple rule, if you don’t know where your money’s going, it’s probably going to the wrong place. Track every dollar, from the electricity bill to those fancy dumbbells you thought you needed. Cut unnecessary costs, but don’t cut corners. A solid budget can be the difference between staying open and going under.

Revenue generation

Membership fees won’t cover everything. Get creative. Think personal training upsells, nutrition coaching, or renting out event space. And don’t forget the power of loyalty and referral programs, they are like a magic button for bringing in new members without blowing your marketing budget.

Staffing challenges

Your gym is only as good as your staff. And finding good help isn’t always easy. Around 20% of problems arise due to low staff loyalty and retention rates, affecting the members’ experience.

Employee retention

Losing your best trainers to the gym down the street is annoying. And when they leave, they may take your loyal members with them. This is the case for competitive pay and perks. But retaining staff is also about motivation and giving them space to grow and expand their skills. You’re building a community, and it starts with your team.

Staff scheduling

One trainer on a Saturday morning when the gym is packed? Hmmmm. You need enough hands on deck to handle the busiest times. Use data to figure out peak hours and schedule accordingly. Your members will thank you, and your staff won’t burn out.

Customer service challenges

Customer service challenges account for 10% of overall reported gym problems. You could have the best gym in town, but people will walk if your customer service is poor.

Client needs & retention

Members want to feel they matter, that they’re not just another card scan at the door. Personalized attention goes a long way. Keep them engaged, respond to feedback, and give them reasons to stick around. Special deals, exclusive classes, whatever it takes to make them feel valued. Keep them happy, and they’ll keep coming back.

Complaint resolution

Don’t wait for complaints to pile up. Nip issues in the bud before they spiral out of control. Respond quickly, fix the problem, and move on. Members appreciate gyms that listen to them, especially when something goes wrong.

Marketing & competitive challenges

The fitness industry is competitive and the answer to high levels of competition is always differentiation.

You need to give people a reason to choose your gym over the one down the street. Unique classes, community events, or just a great atmosphere, whatever it is, make sure it’s clear to you, your staff and your members why your gym exists. Sometimes a gym hasn’t really got its finger on the pulse of the members. That often signals an opportunity for a new offering in the market. This was the beginning of Sarah Chaplin’s gym in Oman.

Reputation management

In the age of Google reviews and Instagram stories, your reputation is more valuable than all your gym equipment put together. Keep your online presence sharp. Encourage your happy members to leave reviews, and always address negative feedback. Reputation can either make you or break you, don’t take it lightly.

Technology challenges

You need tech to run your gym, tech also brings data management and software management challenges.

Some chains of gyms are stuck with legacy systems which hold them back but the cost and effort of upgrading or modernizing them can seem too much for the management to address.

This can be a fatal mistake as customers hate it if they have to become part of your workaround for things that keep breaking.

Software management

If you’re running your gym off a bunch of spreadsheets and sticky notes, you’re probably already losing. Invest in gym management software that does it all, scheduling, payments, memberships. The less time you spend switching between systems, the more time you can spend growing your business.

Data security

Many household name brands and companies have had a data breach at some time in the last decade which has cost them dearly in terms of reputation, and gyms are no exception. Keep your systems secure, and make sure your staff is trained on the basics of data protection. No one wants their credit card info floating around the dark web, and they’ll blame you if it happens.

A modern gym management software often uses 3rd payment systems like Stripe. Beneath the hood of this technology is a standard called AES-256, and while this can suffer from brute force attacks, the protocol is widely considered one of the most robust encryption standards around.

Wellyx uses both Stripe in the US and Paytab in the Middle East so the data is as safe as it’s possible to make it.

And finally,

Keep your operations tight, your staff motivated, and your members engaged, and you’ve got a recipe for success. Get on top of the detail and leave yourself space to create a great atmosphere that makes members value the space you’ve created for them.