PF Clubs Plot Path Forward with Reopening Playbook
2020 Issue 3 | GearedUp
32
No one ever said that owning a small business was easy , but with hard work , focus , passion and a little luck , many find entrepreneurship in businesses like fitness clubs to be fulfilling and rewarding . In 2020 , though , the difficulties brought to bear on fitness club owners by the coronavirus pandemic have become heavy burdens that , at times , could cause even the strongest spirits to sag .
Coronavirus pandemic surges and the corresponding government-mandated closures , reclosures and protective restrictions all wreaked havoc on the fitness industry . On top of the difficulties caused by COVID-19 restrictions , operators are also dealing with club members who hold a wide range of perspectives , from those fearful of returning for workouts , to those angry at being kept away or required to alter their fitness routines with safety precautions . It ’ s a difficult time to own a fitness business , but Planet Fitness ® franchisees are doing their best to rise above the uncertainty . They all face a common , but monumental task : No matter how large they are , how many clubs they have or where the clubs are located , all PF ® franchisees have had to prepare each of their teams to adopt and embrace protocols and practices that allow the clubs to reopen safely and make members feel secure as they return .
Fortunately , the brand has a comprehensive reopening playbook , spearheaded by the PF Independent Franchisee Council ’ s Club Operations Committee and PFHQ , written specifically to make the reopening process as smooth and safe as possible . While individual clubs may be subject to different regulations based on their state or community , the reopening playbook gives managers and teams a common base from which to by Sean Ireland begin their preparations .
“ The playbook was an excellent blueprint for us to use prior to reopening ,” said Allyson Ratliff , director of operations for Planet Fitness Growth Partners LLC ( PFGP ). PFGP operates 67 clubs reaching from Maryland and Washington , D . C ., down to Tennessee and Florida and out to California and Washington .
As with many large organizations with locations spread across states , its clubs were under different timelines for reopening , but getting the playbook was an exciting signal of life moving forward again . “ Everyone was extremely receptive to learning the information and putting everything into practice . We were all so excited to open back up , and we wanted to make sure that everything was in place prior to opening the doors to our members ,” Ratliff added .