The business has been thriving because people want to be healthier, make friends and have fun.
Jonathan Shearer is the owner of Anytime Fitness, the first independently owned gym in the franchise, which he opened in Prescott Valley in 2003. He’s not only the longest sole owner, but also the largest Anytime Fitness franchise in the country. Having previously worked for other big gym franchises and private gym clubs, Shearer has many years of experience in the industry. But nothing had quite prepared him for the blow that COVID-19 dealt.
“It was hard,” said Shearer, who has lived in the Prescott area since 1983. “We were shut down and made no money whatsoever for three-and-a-half months. I got PPE loans to pay my employees during that time. Unlike restaurants, we couldn’t do curbside service. But the hell didn’t really start until I got to reopen! At that point, only 25% of our customers came back.”
Through tenacity, Shearer and his wife, Leanne, an aerobics instructor at Anytime Fitness, stuck it out, and now business is bouncing back. “We’re now up to about 90% of our pre-pandemic customer numbers,” said Shearer, who has about 500 people a day using his Prescott Valley gym, with another 300 to 400 clients a day in the Chino Valley location.
The pandemic caused the couple to reassess the whole way they ran the business. Bucking the trend to lower rates to tempt back customers, he slightly raised his monthly membership rate for new joiners. This resulted in him making more money with fewer people. “Membership is still around 150 down from pre-pandemic numbers,” he said, “but I’m actually making a bit more money now than before the closure, with a less crowded gym.”
Shearer’s gyms offer a range of free weights, classes and personal training options. “I think the variety and personal attention is the secret to our success,” he said. “I may be the only gym owner with my personal cell phone number posted on the front door.” It’s a practice Shearer started during the recession in 2008, so that customers could reach him about anything from membership to problems with gym equipment.
“Initially, I got up to 30 calls a day, but these days, it’s a lot more manageable. I only get around four calls a day. It’s really helpful because clients let me know right away if something’s broken, so that I can fix it quicker. Not only that, but it gives me a personal connection with customers that many other gyms just don’t offer.”
At CrossFit on Laredo Drive in Prescott Valley, which opened in 2014, co-owners Irene and Paul Smith were determined to not stop training programs when the pandemic restrictions hit. They initially put their training programs online so clients could keep working out at home.
“We feel fortunate with how Mayor Kell Palguta handled the situation and understood the need for people to keep exercising,” said Irene Smith. “After a couple of months, he issued us a letter that gave us permission to initially hold classes outside; then, after the state’s mandatory closure period, resume gym training, providing we followed CDC guidelines.”
CrossFit is a functional fitness program that includes a range of activities, including weightlifting, gymnastics and various sports. While their oldest client is 85, they hold classes for kids as young as 5 through their YouthFit program, which consists of a scaled-down version of the adult workout, with games thrown in.
“The business has been thriving because people want to be healthier, make friends and have fun. At the moment, classes are growing,” said Smith. QCBN
By Diane Hope, QCBN
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