Contracts are the lifeblood of service-based products, but they are NOT always the great deal the consumer hopes for.

TV, Phone, Internet, they all want you to sign up to a contract to get the great deal and gyms are no different.

The Good and Bad About Contracts.

The Good – You might save a little money if you take one.

The Bad – The bad thing about contracts is all they guarantee is that you’ll pay your service provider a fixed amount of money over a fixed period of time.

Nothing more, and nothing less.

Contracts don’t guarantee you’ll receive the best product and they certainly don’t guarantee you’ll receive the best service.

In fact, you’re likely to receive a poorer service when on contract than when a provider has to continually add value to keep your business. Here’s a great read on why contracts aren’t always the best option.

How does this affect my experience in the health and fitness industry?

Take New Year’s resolutions.

We wake up 1st January morning full of the best intentions and New Years Resolutions.

One common resolution is to get fit.

This is music to the ears of your average gym salesperson: “It’s only seventy bucks per month! Sign here. Oh, and the signup fee is another $30 and that’s on a 24 (yes twenty-four) month contract…!”

Huh?! How’s that a good deal for me?

Here are three questions you should ask:

1. What commitment am I signing up to?

2. What are the start up costs?

3. What if I don’t like it?

Globogyms cash in on contracts, wanting you to sign up for as long as possible, at a wonderfully attractive low monthly rate, and then discourage you from showing up.

It’s not an accident, and it’s not your fault: it’s the average gym’s business model.

They’re banking on your failure.

Find that hard to stomach? Read more about it here.

They also want to offer you the big discount, engineering signup fees and then discounting them.

“Sign up in January, and we’ll waive the signup fee!” is one of the biggest rorts in the industry.

Finally, if you don’t like it, you won’t turn up. And that’s the point.

So What Do You Suggest?

We don’t use contracts at Ignite Fitness and Nutrition, rather preferring you have the ability to cancel anytime you want.

The vast majority stick around for years, because they like it.

Fitness is for everyone, but group training isn’t always the answer.

Many of our clients enjoy working one-on-one with a coach.

You can meet one of ours here FREE.

Our coaches are full time, career-driven and educated.

When you start, you’ll work one-on-one with a coach.

Five fun-packed sessions to kick start the process of learning better movement patterns.

Zero “signup fees”!

If you don’t show, we’ll be in touch.

When you’re smiling, so are we!

That’s The Friendly Gym model.

Ask any IF+N client.

Check out our members’ stories on our site.

Then pop in for a chat – book in for a FREE No Sweat Intro here.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised!