Gymnastics Instruction Business Plan

Gymnastics Jump-Start will succeed by offering its clients’ children a safe, fun environment to learn gymnastics with close personalized attention from trained teachers. The goals of the gym are two-fold:

• To help parents feel good about the environment in which they have placed their children and the physical and social benefits gained there.
• To make it a safe, educational, and fun experience for the child.

5.1 Competitive Edge

Gymnastics Jump-Start’ competitive advantage will be our focus on low-level competitive gymnastics. This will allow the teachers to focus their attention on the less advanced children and classes. We will build strong classes that teach the basics. If children are not taught the basics correctly in gymnastics, they will advance to higher levels sloppy with their skills. We would like to focus our programs on the beginning classes, unlike most private gyms, which are mostly high-level competitive. In these private gym the beginning classes tend to be pushed around on the different apparatus for the convenience of the competitive gymnasts. A high level competitive gym will train girls that are much more advanced; such girls could be advanced as Olympic hopefuls.

We would also like to build strong relationships with the children and their families. That may seem like a hard thing to accomplish, but when you teach the same children for multiple sessions and years you would be surprised at how much you will learn about them. Most of this information will just be volunteered by the parents after or before classes when they just come up and talk with myself or one of the other teachers. If strong relationships are built the parents will be less likely to take their child out of our gym and send them to another for any reason.

5.2 Marketing Strategy

Our customers can come from ages 16 months to 18 years old, male and female, all races, every income level and can be local residents or connected county residents. That is why our marketing plan started at the construction phase, by keeping in mind that if it looks fun, people will come. Thus the main factor to our success is simply that a child can enjoy themselves at our gym while participating in gymnastics which will stimulate their mind and body. Public relations is a vital part of our management team, by assuring that customer satisfaction is provided and gathering information from the public about the types of classes that are most desired. This can provide our company with the means to stay in touch with the community and be ready to meet their desires.

5.3 Sales Strategy

Gymnastics Jump-Start will make a significant profit through the excellent teaching and care of children. Even though Gymnastics Jump-Start charges less than other private gyms, the company will see profit within the first year due to beneficial word-of-mouth advertising. Gymnastics Jump-Start also expects to take customers from the private gym and the public recreation center at which both Wanda Bounce and Bea Flip currently work.  The company expects to double its’ clientele every six months, for the first 18 months.

5.3.1 Sales Forecast

This sales forecast is based on the numbers of sales made by a private gym for which I work. It is assumed that for the first 3 years, our business will consistently grow in number of students. The first year in the sales forecast is based on half the current clientele of the private gym for which I currently work. I believe our numbers, given time, will exceed those of this private gym. I see no reason why this data would not be accurate.

Our cost of sales includes the hourly wages paid to teachers besides the owners. These amounts are based on rates negotiated with potential teachers, which vary depending on the number of children attending each session. These costs also take into account the teaching hours put in by the owners – an individual teacher is actually receiving 40-50% of the class fee, but Bea and Wanda will teach many of these classes for a small, flat salary. We also have a receptionist, but her salary is separate from the teachers. These salaries are listed separately, in the Personnel table.

The sales forecast table below shows that in 2008 our projected sales will be $211,603 and the direct cost of sales will be $64,809.

5.4 Milestones

The Milestones table is specific in detail, allowing for the smooth flow of functions that are necessary to set up the gym on schedule for the Grand Opening. Each function is scheduled for the proper execution and time needed to complete each task. Each manager has specific duties assigned specifically to her area of expertise.