Should I offer Online or 'In Real Life' classes?
With high numbers of city-dwellers moving out of urban areas into more affordable and spacious rural areas, as working from home is proven to be viable for the majority, we know that consumers are making permanent life changes.
Trends towards open plan living and tech developments have fuelled an appetite for staying healthy, conveniently at home. Sales of fitness equipment shot up 55% since lockdowns across the world began and popularity of Yoga classes via Zoom and investments in Peloton and tech such as Get The Mirror (recently purchased by Lululemon for $500m) have soared.
Online classes tap into something that didn’t exist before, but the lure of the gym or studio fulfils a social roles, so we can’t rule out a return to the previous ‘norm’ of IRL classes.
Our view is that a hybrid model will be the most likely mid-long term solution. Offering Studio and gym-goers the best of both worlds. And let’s face it, even if you are running classes online, you still need a space to film content or host live workouts from.
There are some great initiatives cropping up such as Move Village and Appear Here that respond directly to that demand. With spaces being available on an hourly, daily or mid-term basis for a few months. You may be able to take advantage of the end of a lease offering competitive rates, or a rental share with another business owner.
Find a solution that fits your need and where you can balance a professional image with affordability and flexibility.
