How to write an effective mission statement for your gym

Why do you do what you do? Who are you trying to help? These types of questions are the backbone of your gym mission statement. When you start building your business, one of the first steps to take is tackling your business plan. The first section of a killer business plan is your mission statement: your mission for the business. 

A carefully constructed mission statement offers guidance, purpose, and clarity to the business. The idea is to sum up your business in a concise and straightforward way that tells your potential customers exactly what you’re bringing to the table.

In this article, we will discuss what a mission statement is, why your business needs it and how you can write an effective mission statement for your gym. 

Skip ahead to:

• What is a mission statement?
• 4 reasons your business needs a mission statement
• 7 elements you need to consider when writing your gym’s mission statement 

What is a mission statement?

Every business should have a mission statement no matter what industry you’re in. A mission statement is a short description of a company’s primary purpose. Simply put, it should answer the question “why does your company exist?”. A good mission statement is a powerful tool for a business and continually underpins the “why” of your business strategy. The brief statement should inspire and motivate potential customers. It usually includes the following 3 points:

• Your overall goal and aims 
• Who are you targeting 
• What will the outcome be 

4 reasons your business needs a mission statement   

You might be thinking whether you really need a mission statement for your gym or not. Even the smallest business can benefit from a clear mission statement. Here are four reasons why your business needs a mission statement. 

It gives your business direction

Smart business owners use a mission statement to remind their staff why the brand exists in the first place. It keeps everyone in the business on the same page with a clear direction on where you want your gym to go. The statement outlines your business and gives your employees defined objectives. Why you do what you do is so important, and successful business owners use this message to keep a business in the right direction.   

Acts as a guide for decision-making

Another role that the mission statement plays is to act as a guide for decision-making. As it outlines why your business operates, it can help guide your thinking and serve as a framework for decision-making. When decisions line up with the overall mission of the business, you can make sure you’re making the right decision. 

It shapes strategy

As a gym owner, you need a business strategy that lines up with your goals and keeps you on target. You can research what your competition is doing and how they are doing it. But the most effective business strategies accomplish the mission that was set out, the purpose of the brand.  

It shows your “why”

It’s just as crucial for your potential customers to know your mission statement as your employees. Share your mission statement with the world to show your “why.” Whether it’s a prospective new member or business partner, they should be able to see exactly what your company’s primary focus is and understand why the business exists. 

7 elements you need to consider when writing your gym’s mission statement 

Your mission statement should answer the who, why what and how of your business. Think about something that is simple, compelling, and relevant to your target audience. Whether it’s an effective baseline for business planning or keeping everyone in your business on the same page, every business should have a mission statement. When writing your gym’s mission statement, here are seven elements you need to consider.  

1. Your overall goals

Many club owners don’t bother with creating a mission statement. But, it can help give your staff and members a greater understanding of who you are and where you are going. An excellent place to start writing your mission statement is with your overall goals. Depending on the type of business you have, your overall goals will look different. Whether you’re a personal trainer, gym owner, or manage a yoga studio, the reason why you started your business will be different. 

Your mission statement should define your goals in a few different areas. This includes what it does for your customers, your employees, and its owners. Some mission statements may even extend to what they do for the community or the world. Writing your statement allows you to define your goals, culture, and ethics that you will use for a majority of your decision-making. 

2. Who will you be targeting?

When creating your mission statement, ask yourself who you are targeting and who you will be helping. Your target audience research is part of the puzzle that you can use when writing your statement. The more you understand about who you will be targeting, the better you can determine where to invest your efforts for both marketing and lead generation. To become laser-focused on your target audience, find out as much detail as possible such as:

• Age 
• Gender
• Job 
• Online habits 
• Type of fitness goals 

3. Identify your core values

Your core values become the foundation of your mission statement. Your values underpin the “why” behind your business and form the basis of any business plan. Core values can be short and simple words or phrases that really mean something to you as a business owner. Here are a couple of questions that can help to identify your core values:

• Why did you start a career in health and fitness?
• What principles do you value most in fitness? 

For example, Chuck Runyon is the co-founder of CEO of Self-Esteem Brands, the parent company of Anytime Fitness. They have thousands of locations all over the world and operate 24-hour fitness gyms that offer strength training, classes, cardio, and more. In his book Love Work, he mentions that Anytime Fitness is run on four values: people, purpose, profits, and play.  

4. Understand what you do

Whether you’re an independent trainer and go to your clients’ homes or run a large fitness facility: You need to understand what you do and the services you offer fully. Define what it is your business does for its customers and start your statement off showcasing the good that you do. Don’t undervalue or oversell your business; it doesn’t need to transform the world immediately to be doing good. Some elements to consider when defining your services include:

• What is your niche? This may be weight loss, yoga, sports therapy, or strength training. 
• How do you deliver your services? You may instruct clients in a one-on-one setting or teach group fitness classes.  
• How much do you charge? You may prefer to offer class packages, monthly memberships, or a pay-as-you-go model. 
• Where are you located? – make sure your potential clients know where you are based. 

5. Clear and focused

Be specific, simple, and concise. If you use a lot of buzzwords or jargon, then your mission statement may be challenging to remember. It’s hard to say precisely how long a mission statement should be but in general, most fall between two to four sentences and no more than 100 words. Choose your words wisely and use words that are relevant yet easy to understand. Potential customers, as well as employees, will read the mission statement, and it needs to be useful for both audience types. 

The best mission statements are simple, use plain language that clearly and powerfully communicates your purpose. Try to avoid overusing words to create a compelling and effective mission statement. Sum up your company’s mission in just a couple of sentences. A good mission statement should be able to double up as your company’s slogan and clearly explain the purpose of the company. 

6. Write your mission statement

Mission statements can vary massively from one company to another. When it comes to mission statements, you can choose whether it reflects your short term or long term goals or aspirations. Now you have all the pieces of writing an effective mission statement; you can start putting it together. Stick to something simple, compelling, measurable, and relevant. Writing a mission statement is by no means a quick task. It will require redrafts to really nail the perfect wording. Here are some examples of effective mission statements in the health and fitness industry:

• Patagonia. Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
• Strava. Strava is Swedish for “strive,” which epitomizes our attitude and ambition. We’re a passionate and committed team, unified by our mission to build the most engaged community of athletes in the world.
• SoulCycle. Our mission is to bring Soul to the people. Our one of a kind, rockstar instructors guide riders through an inspirational, meditative fitness experience that’s designed to benefit the body, mind, and soul.
• Gold’s Gym. To enhance the quality of life in the communities, we serve through our fitness philosophy, facilities, programs, and products and to instill in the lives of people everywhere the value of health and fitness.
• CorePower Yoga. Share our authentic passion for yoga and healthy living to inspire everyone to live their most extraordinary life.

7. Communicate your mission statement

You never know who you may meet with and how your mission statement may resonate with them; you need to communicate your mission statement in every interaction. Now that you’ve taken the time to create a compelling message that is the epitome of why you do what you do, you need to share it. Naturally, your mission statement will evolve, so make a plan to review it as needed and embrace the direction your business is going in. 

In summary 

To create your gym’s mission statement, the key question you need to focus on is why. 

“What’s your purpose, what’s your cause, what’s your belief? Why does your organization exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why should anyone care?” – TED Talks, Simon Sinek.

In a recent blog post, we curated 9 TED Talks every fitness entrepreneur needs to watch. Number 9 “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” with Simon Sinek is one of the most popular TED talks of all time for a reason. Sinek explains that successful leaders always address their ‘why’. The talk will inspire you to find yours, and help pinpoint the questions you need to ask yourself when developing your gym mission statement. 

Your mission statement is a short and simple description that captures the core values of your business. It is an essential marketing tool and should reflect every aspect of your business. The perfect mission statement gives the company direction, guides decision making, and inspires employees, owners, and potential customers.