Like many, my wife and I built a home gym during the pandemic--my old gym went out of business. It's great, we love it. It's in a detached, 400sqft garage. I can't see myself ever going back to a commercial gym.
Problem is it sits idle a lot during the week when nobody's training. I've been thinking of using it to generate money, like advertising it as a reservations-only private gym for a fee. >many people hate commercial gyms but don't have space/funds for their own >some are too afraid/self-conscious for a public gym >travelers who want a good place to train >many "private" clubs have huge membership fees and all chain gyms have add-on bs fees
inb4 >liability >shit people/nogs
Worth it? Is there any service I could use to do this for me? We already have friends over to train in it, doesn't seem like a big stretch to take this step.
For such a small setup there's no way you'd make anything. The insurance itself would cost you over whatever you'd make with the four-five people you could convince to use it.
Gabriel Bell
My thought would be to put up flyers around your neighborhood advertising it. Also how would it work if you had a membership? Would you like give members a key to your house or something? If you have a separate door to your garage you could change the lock on it then keep the door that goes into your house locked at all times
Andrew Martin
>Would you like give members a key to your house or something? no, garage is completely detached and has a security door with programmable keypad from previous owner
Hudson Robinson
It'll become a part time job managing your "gym" and it's obviously isn't big enough to maintain more than 5 people. Your strategy would only work if you had some close friends who wanted a gym and was willing to pay some money. And no one is going to pay more than $20/mo for it as at best you're getting $100/mo and have to spend 1 or 2 managing it every day while dodging theft and degenerates.
Carter Nguyen
>400sqft garage tfw living in a 450sqft apartment
Joshua Stewart
>I buy your gym pass >no insurance >cum and piss on your floor >sweat over everything >before leaving, flick a ciggie >turn 360 degrees and walk away
Noah Baker
Wait until you see the size of my 3 car garage.
Christopher Howard
>insurance liability waivers?
my first impression is most of these problems have already been worked out by companies like airbnb. The problem of generating sufficient income to make it worth it sounds like the biggest obstacle.
sorry klaus got you, bro.
Cooper Cruz
lol it's a risk. I'd be more worried about meth addicts stripping the metals from my outdoor ac unit.
Mason Butler
The difference between this and airbnb is you're making enough money to airbnb where it's worth it to do it part time. And you still deal with shit. The problem with gyms is the rates are relatively low so you have to work in volume. You also absolutely have to monitor the activity in your gym so you either need cameras you monitor or have a receptionist. There are simply easier and less hassle ways to make $100/mo. Also you're destroying the value of why having a home gym. I think you underestimate how much bullshit people do when it's not their stuff. Think of all the horrible ways someone can ruin your gym and it's going to happen.
James Baker
Liability waivers are easily thrown out in court. They'll basically look at the waiver, say the signer had no idea the equipment was poorly maintained or something and that's how they got hurt, and you'll lose everything you own in the incoming shitstorm after.
Jordan Parker
Liability and sketchy shitty people will make you regret your decision. >hey bro I need to take a shit, I am going to need to know where your commode is? You will make more money(and have more fun) having your wife start up an only friends and release gym related porn content. IE naked squats/masturbating with barbell, naked jumping jacks/etc. You can also crosspost content to the hub for extra cash.
Cameron Miller
>those numbers OP I charged people 15$ an hour during the pandemic and changed my door code daily. The nest cam wanted to self destruct from all the unrecognizable faces. We made about 1440/week from 7 am-11 pm. Weekends I charged 20/ hr and had it open 10 am-4 pm. We made close to 10000 maybe a little more I'd have to check the excel sheet. It was great because during that time my barber would just come to my house and oddly enough he actually got more business cause people would ask to get their haircut after the gym too kek. Looking back on it though 10 grand is ok for not really having to do anything but I'm not sure if I'd do it again. We had some nigs came through from the city(3 of them) and I had to confront them and tell them it was 15$ per person. They looked like they wanted to chimp out but I had my sig at my waist and would have dumped a full mag on the unbroken bucks. Luckily they obliged and I gave them an extra half hour cause it was the end of the night. That was one of the only times I ever had issues. Other times were small issues like insta whores not knowing how to use a belt squat or people not putting back equipment properly and not wiping down after using it.
Oh and also OP, everything I did was under the table and completely illegal, it's probably the only way to do it to be jonest because claiming it as an income for taxes it isn't worth it and getting people to sign liability waivers I geuss in hind sight would have been a good idea but at the time gyms were illegal and if someone fucked their shit up on my gym equipment(they never did) the onus was on them. I have a similar setup to you but I live rurally and my detached garage has a gate you have to go through first. Closest neighbor is about 100-200 feet bit they're bros that I go hunting with so it's not like anyone is going to snitch.
Nathaniel Jones
You made $10k under the table and the IRS didn’t investigate shit? Was it all paper money?
Camden Martinez
>You made $10k under the table and the IRS didn’t investigate shit? Was it all paper money? Yes. Some people were e-transferring the first week, but I decided to switch to cash only. I sell wood as well and run a pretty similar system but for that I do claim for taxes and have been doing so for 5 or 6 years now, but when I started it I didn't and IRS never said a word.
Dylan Powell
OP here. Thanks for the info, that's really cool how you pulled that off, that's mostly how I was envisioning doing it. How much time do you estimate you spent dealing with the types of housekeeping/maintenance/shitty people issues brought up itt? Generally, how much of a hassle was it?
>airbnb for home gyms could be a cool idea, especially since I can't find any service out there that helps you do what I'm wanting to do. Thanks!
Dominic Morris
this isn't likely. Gym accidents are of the "slip and fall" type governed by negligence. The injured party would have to prove the equipment wasn't attended to with "reasonable care," which is a low standard in most states. Something would have to be very obviously dangerous in OP's gym. Plus, almost every homeowners' policy carries a personal injury liability insurance benefit.
Ayden Morales
>run home gym as business >my homeowner's policy will cover it You realize that the insurance company is going to deny your claim right when it turns out you were running an under-the-table gym in your garage?
Camden Green
Reading such an uninformed post reminded me of where I am and I realized I actually not only don't care about OP or his home or family, but that I'd actually prefer someone who gets law advice online like him to get sued and lose everything. So with that in mind, go for it OP! Sounds like a pretty quick way to get $$$ desu.
