“I think a lot of people are unaware of CrossFit in the Northeast, especially in Boston, and we want to be a big part of promoting CrossFit and showing people what kind of results, fitness results, you can get through the CrossFit program,” says Chris Gosler, trainer at CrossFit Southie in Boston, Mass.
Once their one-on-one training had reached critical mass and the clients and coaches seemed ready for group classes, Gosler and Amy Ferro decided it was the right time to open a gym.
“We just looked around for a spot where this type of training wasn’t available, and we just went from there,” Gosler says.
But Ferro emphasizes that becoming an affiliate wasn’t easy. First, they had to find the space ideal to CrossFit, and then came insurance and affiliation paperwork. Equipment was next on the list, but they had already saved up enough money to buy what they needed. Unforeseen difficulties with their lease, renovations and permits added stress and pushed back their opening date.
“For a while, it looked like we were never going to open,” Ferro says.
Ferro and Gosler have some advice to share with future gym owners. Ferro suggests to start the process off by being financially secure.
“If you don’t have the money to support yourself … you could actually really find yourself in a lot of debt,” she cautions. “It’s not like it’s this instantly profitable business.”
“Once you’re up and running, people show up,” Gosler says. It just takes the initial investment and the time and effort to prepare for opening.
“You have to be invested, you have to love CrossFit, and you have to have enough time to put into it,” he says.
7min 41sec
Video by Again Faster.
Additional reading: Outfit Your Box: An Equipment Procurement Guide by Eddie Lugo, published Aug. 1, 2008.
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