Costs of Opening a CrossFit Gym
Opening your own CrossFit gym is different than starting a traditional gym. CrossFit gyms are not franchises, but instead affiliates, which means there are not specific guidelines for opening box gyms. While this can make getting started easier in some ways, it can also make it more difficult, since there is not much support from corporate for the affiliates.
Become a CrossFit Trainer
The first thing you need to do to open a box gym is to become a Level 1 CrossFit trainer. Getting this certification costs $1,000 and you have to take a weekend course. There are other higher levels for trainers to attain all the way up to Level 4 in addition to specialty training classes, that include coaching children in CrossFit. But to open your own box gym, all you need is the Level 1 training. This training does need to be renewed every five years.
Each trainer you hire needs to undergo this training too, and many CrossFit gym owners cover the training fee for their employees. You can have apprentices who work under the CrossFit trainers in your gym, but only trainers have to be certified.
Ongoing Expenses
When you open your CrossFit gym, you are required to pay the corporate offices $3,000 annually for use of the CrossFit brand, logo, promotional materials, and promotion on the CrossFit website. Even if the fees rise in the future, your annual fee will not go up ever.
You also have to factor in salaries for your trainers, rent for your facility, utilities, insurance, marketing, and equipment costs. These can vary depending on your location and size.
One piece of advice many CrossFit owners give to those considering becoming an Affiliate is to make sure you are prepared to handle the back end, the business side of things. Keep in mind that you will be the one in charge of marketing, sales, and accounting until you can afford to hire out.
Initial Costs
Your startup costs are estimated to be between $20,000 and $50,000; this includes your $1,000 training and the $3,000 to corporate. CrossFit gyms do not have as much equipment as a traditional gym does, but gym equipment can still be expensive.
“I went straight-away for the prime expensive location. Everything else I could have recovered from. This is what killed me.”
What to Charge Members
Once you have figured out your initial costs and ongoing expenses, you can determine what your membership fees should be to help you make a profit. If, for example, your fixed monthly costs are $6,300, divide the fixed cost by the number of members to see where you breakeven. Two example breakeven points are $80 per month for 79 members and $150 per month for 42 members.
The monthly membership fees for a CrossFit gym is usually between $100 and $200. While this is significantly more than a traditional gym, box gyms are a specialty gym, so members will be willing to pay more to go to your gym. This will allow you to charge $150 per month and only need 42 members, in the beginning, to allow you to make a profit.
The Bion CrossFit in Arizona charges $150 per month for unlimited group classes, or $175 if the member does not want a contract. They also offer personal training programs and nutrition classes, which are paid for outside of the standard monthly fee. These tactics can help your box gym turn a profit quickly.
