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Opening a gym

The Fat Kid · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2012 · Points: 10

Duck's tone might not have been the best, but he makes a good point about your climbing background, and I'll also point out your lack of business experience.

When you boil it down, investors have two concerns: return of capital (will they get their money back at all) and return on investment (will they get an appropriate risk-adjusted return). They will obviously want to see a well thought out business plan packaged in a shiny prospectus, but they will also want to know why they should trust YOU with their money, which puts your background in climbing (novice) and track record with running a business (zero) under a microscope.

The pitch just got a lot harder, right? Would you give you $500k to spec out and run a climbing gym? This is why most small businesses start as self-funded (or parent-funded) ventures.

Don't take the above as being a Debbie Downer. I went to grad school for econ, left a desk job to be a small-business owner, and now looking at getting back in the corporate world; I have been around the block.

I will echo the advice of getting a job at a climbing gym. You will gain hands-on experience that will help your pitch to investors and run your own gym. Perhaps more importantly, you will learn what it is like to spend all day working (not climbing) at a gym and you might hate it.

Just some random stuff to think about: hiring/firing employees (oh, the joy!), negotiating a lease, hiring contractors, getting a lawyer, forming an s-corp/llc, insurance, waivers, dealing with injuries, etc.

Again, good luck, just get ready for the unexpected!

webdog · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 0

Auto Belays are a waste of $$ and space. The liability is huge. A large gym near me had someone incorrectly clip in and wound up falling. The result is all the auto belay routes only go halfway up the wall. It's a waste of space.

Jeffrey Dunn · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2007 · Points: 229

SBA loans are mostly secured by real estate or equipment. I expect an SBA loan would only be attainable if you intend on purchasing the space you intend on operating in as a start up business. They would not put much value on installed walls as collateral.

Gary Dunn · · Baltimore · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 35
webdog wrote:Auto Belays are a waste of $$ and space. The liability is huge. A large gym near me had someone incorrectly clip in and wound up falling. The result is all the auto belay routes only go halfway up the wall. It's a waste of space.
No one has incorrectly tied in or been dropped by a belayer? I find it funny so many find fault in the auto belay when it is user error that causes the injury..... I would like to see documentation that the liability is Huge for an auto-belay.
Eliot Augusto · · Lafayette, CO · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 60
webdog wrote:Auto Belays are a waste of $$ and space. The liability is huge. A large gym near me had someone incorrectly clip in and wound up falling. The result is all the auto belay routes only go halfway up the wall. It's a waste of space.
They are great for mornings alone. And 2'x2'x1' isn't huge. Its also out of the way of anything that you could possible want to climb at the gym, unless its the ceiling joists. I also gave the BRC my money for auto belays alone, so that I could still train at 6am when its snowy and no one else I know wants to go.

As for liability, a gym that I know had to put in twist lock carabiners through a figure eight on a bight on ALL of their top ropes. That way the people that top roped didn't tie a knot wrong. They also didn't hang draws on any of their bolts, so that lead climbing was also taken out of the realm of the their liability. They had a dozen or so auto belays though. The place is called Climb Nashville East.

And some people will sue for anything. Just because one guy in one place was an idiot and tried to blame someone else doesn't mean that everywhere has that issue. OR there was a legitimate issue with the device. Since it works off of magnets, it can drop people quicker than intended under the right circumstances. They require preventative maintenance, and I wouldn't be surprised to find out the gym didn't do this.
Altered Ego · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 0

Duncan,

Nothing negative in my post, that was created in your mind. Your actions affect other people and the environment. To ignore your impacts and pursue a selfish agenda is childish, and very American. If I took your advice I would cut down all the trees at the base of climbing routes everywhere because I think that space should be cleared out for climbers. Is that okay?

You are not a climber yet. Building a gym will not increase your enjoyment of climbing, only satisfy the minds desire for more.

Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480

Duncan,

I'm speaking from solely a capital investment point of view. Sorry if this hurts your feelings..

The best thing you can do would be to gain more exprience in gyms. You're also going to need money of your own. There's no way you fund this venture with a 100% of somebody else's money. Are you really to put up money and your credit? Do you have any credit? Do you have rent money, money to build, money for insurance? Do you have a business plan? Have you calucated ROI? If the answer to any are no.. You're not ready,

Good luck..

Xtine · · Mammoth Lakes, CA · Joined May 2008 · Points: 1,921

I am by far no expert on this but have friends that have built gyms, including Joe Hardy and his bros who have built the plastic stronghold successfully around MA. If the gym is that far from you, there may be a market for you, especially if there are colleges closeby. You may risk Joe coming in and building a nice, fancy, state of the art gym next to yours though if that much potential exists! My friend here near Red Rock is building a gym and has partners; all are longtime, experienced climbers who have spent time building relationships with those in the industry and attending OR shows so have contacts and knowledge on materials; you may want to check that out and visit several gyms across the nation. Working at a climbing gym is definitely a good start too. Good luck.. but also be aware that if you post publicly about this, the hiring gym may easily find out what you're up to!

And PS, I would NOT like a gym that banned headphones. I feel like having the freedom to listen to my music is enjoyable - especially when gyms blast music that does not get me motivated...which tends to be common.

Marc801 C · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 65

This is one of our local gyms. It was built in part of a converted movie theater (REI is in the other half). It cost over $4M to build.

momentumclimbing.com/sandy/

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
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