Brian Rawlings
Cincinnati
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Articles by Brian Rawlings
Knowing Your Risks: Cyber Exposures and Third-Party Vendors
While we have heard many warnings about cybersecurity risks, it can be easy to forget what’s at stake. Take for example Town Sports International, the owners of the well-known fitness clubs around the U.S. who experienced a data breach that leaked the personal information of over 600,000 club and staff members in 2020. While many lessons were learned after that breach, cyber exposures remain a top risk in 2023.
Addressing Risk in Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is a common service offered by fitness clubs across the world but the close nature of the procedure presents a significant risk for massage therapists, clients and club owners alike. Massage therapists and clients are placed in a vulnerable position that requires a level of professionalism, trust and comfort. Given the sensitivity of massage therapy, proper protocols need to be in place that protect the safety of all parties.
Choosing the Best CMS for Clubs and Their Members
Brian Rawlings, the vice president for FITLIFE, shares three things to consider when sifting through CMS choices. Club management software (CMS) is an integral part of a fitness club’s operations. The technology can help staff streamline various aspects of member relations including safe storage of and ease of access to waivers and legal documents, check-in and out processes, and club services management such as class scheduling.
Sweet Success: A Pittsburgh Former Ice-Cream Factory Becomes a Shiny New Self-Storage Facility
Location, location, location. We wouldn’t repeat it three times if it weren’t important. But what happens when there are no pristine (or even available) lots for construction of your next self-storage project? Land constraints are increasingly pushing owners and developers to consider the adaptive reuse of existing industrial buildings in established urban areas, bringing new life to outdated or abandoned properties.
Bringing Operations Online as the Cold Moves In
Brian Rawlings, the vice president for FITLIFE, shares best practices to keep in mind as the weather gets colder and operations move online. Over the past three years, the world has gone more online than ever before. Club members, operators and owners have needed to think creatively to tackle public health and economic challenges among others. This year, as the cold weather moves in, members will once again be seeking remote activities and indoor experiences at their clubs.
Planet Fitness Second Quarter 2022 Results: Summary
A summary of the Planet Fitness Second Quarter 2022 Results ending on June 30, 2022. On August 9, Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE:PLNT) reported financial results for its second quarter, which ended on June 30, 2022. The national fitness franchise, which boasts 2,324 locations, saw system-wide same store sales increase by 13.6%. It ends the second quarter with a total membership of more than 16.5 million people.
What are Good Risk Management Practices?
For club owners and operators to implement good risk management practices, they need to understand what a good practice is. Risk management is all about planned attentiveness. Club owners and operators are well served by using rare periods of downtime to focus on potential business risks. They’re more likely to notice lapses in equipment servicing, deferred maintenance issues, staff complaints and concerns, and business challenges that require their attention.
Keep Your Members Coming Back with Recovery Solutions
Josh Adams, the director of professional education at Therabody, shares the benefits of offering recovery solutions in your health club. As the fitness space evolves into a more holistic place, recovery is quickly becoming an essential part of the industry. Physical activity was once a core focus of a trip to the gym, and now recovery is often just as important. For members, it serves as an opportunity to get a more inclusive and well-rounded workout.
Salt Therapy: Attract New Members, Generate New Revenue
Leo Tonkin, the founder and CEO of SALT Chamber, shares the benefits of offering salt therapy at your facility. Fitness clubs are looking to increase their customer base by attracting a clientele that cares about their respiratory and mental well-being and is looking for a relaxing post-workout recovery session. Salt therapy is gaining in popularity thanks to its numerous health benefits.
Cybercrime Can, and Will, Impact Small Businesses
Brian Rawlings, the vice president for FITLIFE, shares what to consider when it comes to cybercrime. Cybersecurity has been making headlines for decades. The shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline system, Russia’s cyberattack on Ukrainian systems in February and the KIA Motors ransomware attack are but a few of the major cyberattacks that took place since January of 2021.
Don’t Let Bad Hand Sanitizer Ruin Your Clean Image
Jim Arbogast, Ph.D., and Michael Herbkersman of GOJO share three critical guidelines for choosing the right hand sanitizer. Health clubs and hand sanitizer both play an essential role in the well-being of a community. Yet not all health clubs or hand sanitizers are created equal. Every decision you make as a club operator and every amenity you offer plays an important role in attracting and retaining members.
What is Risk Management?
Brian Rawlings, the vice president for FITLIFE, shares the ins and outs of risk management considerations for club owners. Risk management is a term that business owners hear almost every day. We think about it when deciding on insurance coverage, managing our equipment, keeping our members safe and hosting our events. But what specifically is risk management, and what does it mean for club owners?
Breaking Down Your Insurance Coverage
Matt Warsh March 3, 2022 Matt Warsh, a partner at KIG Insurance, shares the importance of reviewing your insurance coverage and three areas to pay attention to. Have you had an insurance policy checkup or a second opinion in the last 12 months? Did you sit down with your agent during your last renewal and review the coverage line by line? As a health club owner, do you understand which risks are covered on your policy and which aren’t?
Have the Right Coverage for Your Club
Brian Rawlings January 3, 2022 Insurance policies are not created equal. One policy might offer fantastic general liability coverage, but will leave club owners hanging when it comes to professional liability. Others may offer umbrella coverage that protects your business, but not your staff. That’s why it’s important to pick policies that are tailored to the unique needs of clubs and gyms.
Onboarding: Build a Strong Member Experience from the Start
Brian Rawlings November 1, 2021 The New Year is fast approaching, which means resolution season is almost here. As new and returning members are introduced to clubs, there are opportunities to ensure they have a quality onboarding experience while simultaneously taking steps to protect the wellbeing of your guests, team members and facility. The following are three things to consider when onboarding new and returning members. 1. Use onboarding as a chance to review safety protocols.
Continuing Education Opportunities and Certifications
Kiley Mutschler September 8, 2021 In an industry that is ever changing, it is important that your teams are keeping up with continuing education opportunities and even exploring what new certifications are available. Continuous learning is a concept in which you are always working to enhance skills, develop professionally and to expand your knowledge. Not only is this a value to your employee’s career development but to your organization as well.
Drive New Revenue With Proactive Wellness
Brandon Campbell, the acting director of the professional division of Mito Red Light, Inc., shares how to use proactive wellness services to get people back in your gym’s doors in a post-COVID world. With the explosion in popularity of virtual fitness providers like Peloton over the past few years, it is essential health clubs create strategic ways to get people back in their doors in a post-COVID world.
Risk Management Tips for Warm Weather
Brian Rawlings, the practice leader for FITLIFE®, shares risk management tips to ensure your location is ready for the eager summer crowds. Summer is here, and this season will be busier than ever as people get outside after a year and a half of isolation. With pools, clubs and gyms opening for the first time in 18 months, owners and managers need to prepare for the risks that come with what might be one of the busiest summer seasons we have ever seen.
With COVID-19 Passing, Keep Your Eyes on the MRSA Threat
Stephen Steinberg, the founder of Vapor Fresh, shares why you should continue to prioritize cleaning post-COVID to fight against MRSA. The standard of cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting in gyms and health clubs has been raised since the outbreak of COVID-19. While these processes are an essential part of your club’s day-to-day actions, what is more important is knowing the differences between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting.
5 Routines to Strengthen Claim Reporting
Brian Rawlings, the practice leader for Venture Programs, shares five routines to strengthen claim reporting at fitness facilities. Members are returning to fitness clubs — and that’s great news for the bottom line. But with this increased traffic also meaning a higher risk of accidents, this is a good time to remind clubs to report accidents and potential claims in a timely and thorough way.
Member Retention: Doing the Basics Exceptionally Well
Taylor Brown April 20, 2021 Member retention has been top of mind for many operators, especially after long shutdowns and members canceling their memberships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For Nicholas Barshick, the chief operating officer for Chuze Fitness, the key to being successful at member retention in today’s environment is to do the basic things exceptionally well.
Read this Before Making Your Next Cleaning Supply Order
The coronavirus pandemic has created a new expectation of cleanliness in all businesses, but especially in gyms. This means having a consistent, year-round disinfecting and cleaning schedule is no longer a suggestion, but a member expectation. According to Stephen Steinberg, the founder of Vapor Fresh, a great way to ensure you are meeting your members’ expectations is by providing cleaning products specifically designed for gyms, fitness centers and health facilities.
Four Tips to Reopen Safely and Smartly
Brian Rawlings April 2, 2021 With changes and new policies in place, here are four tips on how clubs can ensure they’re ready to reopen and provide a positive experience. Fitness clubs across the country are eagerly awaiting to reopen their facilities. Some are opening their doors for the first time in over a year. Others had reopened in 2020 only to close again after the most recent COVID-19 surge. And others, operating at limited capacity, are now ready to move closer to full capacity.
Adam Sedlack Appointed CEO of UFC GYM; Shares Top Objectives
Adam Sedlack appointed CEO of UFC GYM after serving 12 years as the brand’s president and co-founder. Adam Sedlack has been appointed CEO of UFC GYM after serving 12 years as the brand’s president and co-founder. Mark Mastrov, the former CEO and co-founder of New Evolution Ventures, will become executive chairman. UFC GYM is the first major brand extension of UFC, the world’s premier MMA organization, and today boasts more than 150 locations in 37 countries.
How Exerp is Advancing SATS’ Initiatives
Taylor Brown February 9, 2021 SATS, the Nordic region’s largest fitness center chain, has been a partner with Exerp for many years. According to Christian Øvregaard, the Nordic chief digital officer at SATS, when the brand was considering options to switch their enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution to, Exerp was a smaller company with a solution that had a vision and a strategy for the product the SATS team could identify with.
Debt Collection: Installments are Here for Good
Tom Kemp February 5, 2021 Installment plans help eliminate friction within both the member’s purchase decision and your club’s debt collection process. Gym members across the fitness industry accrue millions of dollars in debt every year as they fail to make payments on their dues and other expenses. To address this uncollected revenue, operators often use an outside debt collection agency to pursue each debtor not only for the debt but also the remaining contract value of the debt.
Combating Pandemic Fatigue for Safety
Brian Rawlings February 5, 2021 Brian Rawlings with FITLIFE shares the importance of combating pandemic fatigue for the overall safety of your club’s members. With the pandemic approaching the year mark, we’re all feeling the pandemic fatigue of complying with and enforcing safety protocols in the club industry.
Creating Member Experience in 2021
Diva Richards January 20, 2021 Recommended steps health club professionals can take to ensure they are creating an exceptional member experience in 2021. Our world is changing by the minute and the pandemic is still a driving force and disrupting business within our industry. How we interact with our members and engage their attention is more important now than ever. Here are some recommended steps we can take to create an exceptional member experience in 2021.
Coping Strategies for Leaders in 2021
Kiley Mutschler shares five simple coping strategies to help leaders stay resilient, keep a clear mind and an open heart in 2021. As a leader, you are the role model for so many, including your team. In order to bring your best each day, it is important you are taking care of yourself and coping with the challenges this year has brought. Take this time to pause and instead of hoping for things to go back to normal, view this as an opportunity to bounce forward through adversity.
Mastermind Group: 6 Reasons You Should Join
Bob Surface January 4, 2021 Now more than ever, you need support and tools to help you manage your business. Between COVID-19 related issues, government regulation and challenges in the New Year, you are feeling the pressure. A mastermind group can offer the lifeline of support you’re looking for. Mastermind groups consist of a maximum of 10 individuals (non-competitors) and a facilitator.
2021: Moving the Industry Forward
Industry leaders share lessons they learned in 2020 and how the industry can move forward into 2021. Gale Landers, the founder and CEO of Fitness Formula Clubs (FFC) A lot of club operators are struggling — what’s the best piece of advice or words of encouragement you can provide?
Staying Strong: Looking Ahead to 2021
Brian Rawlings, the practice leader for FITLIFE, shares the importance of staying strong, working together and focusing on safety in 2021. To say 2020 has been a tough year would be an understatement. Like many people around the world, those in the fitness industry have been through unprecedented times.
Service Network: Why You Need to Create One
Jerry Savage November 6, 2020 The importance of ensuring all the moving parts and people of your health club’s service network are effective and efficient. The community of health-conscious members is growing, and facilities need to be prepared for the challenges that come with growth and equipment maintenance needs. One of the keys to your success will be an unwavering commitment to customers and ensuring the equipment is performing at optimal capacity.
Marketing Messages as an Industry
With what seems like an ever-increasing rise in obesity-related health issues in the U.S., health club operators have always thought of themselves as part of the solution. For some consumers, a fitness center of any type is viewed as intimidating, uncomfortable, unclean and teeming with perfectly fit, sweaty bodies flexing in the mirror. While we all strive to eliminate that misconception, the stigma still exists.
Plan Now for the Unexpected
Most clubs have taken the smart and necessary steps to prepare emergency response plans to be ready for fires and other emergencies, but COVID-19 has certainly underscored the notion that clubs — and all types of businesses — should be ready for almost anything in today’s world. By preparing a comprehensive disaster response plan, clubs can be ready to mitigate the impact of any type of incident, even a public health emergency of the scale and scope of COVID-19.
Insurance: Just a Necessary Evil?
Many fitness club owners show great loyalty to equipment brands, trusting in one manufacturer’s products year after year, upgrade after upgrade. This loyalty often serves them well as they develop a true relationship with someone who really understands and is connected to their business. Insurance, while often seen as a necessary evil, is a product and service that should be rooted in the same kind of two-way commitment.
Keeping Gym Equipment in Good Shape
There’s no doubt about it — the cardio and strength equipment in a busy fitness center really gets a workout. This equipment is used day in and day out by gym members of a variety of sizes and strengths, each adjusting the equipment to the settings, speed and weights that are right for them. With such heavy usage, it’s critical for gym owners to make sure their equipment is properly maintained and safe for users.
Leased Space: Know the Rules to Protect Your Business
IMAGE COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK For many business owners, trying out a location before committing is critical. This certainly holds true for gym owners. For this reason, many gym and fitness club owners shop for leased space to operate their businesses and, if the location works, in many cases, they stay on as long-term tenants. Though this sounds like a perfect arrangement, there can be wrinkles.
Offering Child Watch Services? Watch Your Liability
Child watch and babysitting services can be very appealing to club members and prospects. Some fitness fans are only interested in clubs that provide a safe place to leave their children while they workout. Though many clubs offer the service or are considering it, they might not be accounting for the risk they are or would be taking on when providing child watch. A good agent or broker who knows the industry can assess a fitness facility’s child watch program and identify any risk exposures.
Shaping up for summer: Top 4 risks for fitness facilities
"To every extent possible, the improvement stage should include clients. They can improve their own internal processes. The entire issue of how GCs and their internal clients work together is an under considered topic. Then it goes further. Clients can improve and be better partners to their external law firms, and they can also highlight areas for external counsel to improve, and look for the commitment of law firms to do this.
Does Your Fitness Facility Insurance Protect You? Think Again
We’ve all been taught never to assume, but too many of us are guilty of doing just that when it comes to complicated documents like insurance policies. No one wants to read the fine print. Unfortunately, reading your own policy, along with finding a knowledgeable insurer whom you can trust to understand all the limiting language and exclusions in your policy, is the only way to ensure you have the coverage you need for your fitness facility.
Locker Room Safety: Preventing Hazards Before they Happen
Michael Swain June 5, 2017 Monitoring a club’s locker room with a consistent inspection program can help reduce the likelihood of it becoming a hazard. Slips and falls due to water and debris on the restroom and locker room floors are frequently reported claims. Overflowing sinks and toilets often lead to extensive damage and repair costs.
Walk-Throughs are Valuable to Your Risk Management Program
One of the most valuable tools in your risk management toolkit is a formalized walk-through program. Three times in your club’s active day are great opportunities to conduct a formal walk-through to check for potential member safety hazards: Create a formal walk-through plan that includes the designated employee(s) responsible for conducting inspections, specific walk-through times and your club’s checklist.
Building a Risk Management Culture
You can create a safety and risk management culture at your health club. Culture is more than a memo, a sign by the time clock or a handbook with safety guidelines; it is a common way of thinking, behaving or working within an organization. A true safety culture is embedded in all facets of your operation. Here are some tips to help you. As the owner or operator of your club, it is imperative that you lead by example. Preach and practice safety. Grab the mop and put up the wet floor sign when needed.
The Three R's of Emergency Response
In a health club setting, emergencies can occur at any time. Medical emergencies are the most common when someone is injured, or has a cardiac episode or other health-related issue. Weather emergencies can certainly pop up, as well as other disasters such as fire or water damage. Having staff members who are trained in proper response techniques is vital to keeping everyone safe and protecting the club from harm.
What are Insurance Companies Looking For?
Your independent insurance agent and your insurance company can be valuable partners in helping you reduce or eliminate loss exposures in your fitness and recreation facility. All parties benefit by minimizing claims and losses, and you can achieve this with proper risk management. Most insurance companies use a supplemental application to ask questions about your operation, along with a physical inspection by a loss control professional who walks through your facility to fully assess risks.
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