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- This training gym makes $100k/mo
This training gym makes $100k/mo
Peek into NJ’s Top Sports Performance Facility
John Franklin
May 17, 2024
What’s up Gym World?
Mick Breuckner started Annex Sports Performance in 2006, offering semi-private training for baseball athletes in an 800 sq ft basement. Today, he’s making over $1M a year.
Let’s break down his business:
The beginnings of The ANNEX
Mick dreamed of playing professional baseball, but surgeries prevented him from pursuing that in college. So, he turned to coaching and training instead.
While at Arizona State University, Mick worked at facilities specializing in elite training for baseball athletes and saw an opportunity to bring this model to New Jersey.
And that’s exactly what he did. In 2006, he started training baseball athletes in an 800 sq ft basement.
Many successful gym owners we’ve featured started small:
- Giancarlo Regni converted his 180 sq ft bedroom into a training space for his clients.
- Joe Meglio subleased a 500 sq ft room from a baseball facility.
- Haylin Alpert rented 575 sq ft in a fitness center inside a corporate office.
- Sam Tooley opened his first gym in a 750 sq ft studio.
As his business grew, he moved to a 5,000 sq ft space in 2008 and then to a 14,000 sq ft facility in 2014, where he is still located today. For those keeping track, that’s 18 years in business.
10,000 sq ft is dedicated to usable training space with 40-yard clear sight lines, while the rest is used for offices and locker rooms.
Many gym owners chase success by trying a million things, but Mick is special because he never got distracted.
Here’s what’s been working for him:
Strong positioning
Like other top gym owners, Mick is clear in his positioning. He targets high school and college athletes with high ambitions of playing professional overhead throwing sports, including:
Baseball
Lacrosse
Basketball
Football
Soccer
Field hockey
Gyms that are very specific about who they serve perform better. By targeting a specific group, you can make your gym their go-to choice.
Simple marketing
Most of Mick’s clients come from referrals.
In the early days of business, Mick connected with coaches in the area who cater to his ideal client and offered their athletes training. By giving them results, he built a strong reputation and a solid network.
Because of this, Mick hasn’t had to rely much on paid ads. Instead, he runs referral campaigns like ‘bring-a-teammate’ week in June.
Mick’s clear positioning also makes creating content and messaging that attracts the right clientele easier. As a result, most people who reach out are ready to start training.
All 350 of Mick’s athletes do semi-private training. They train twice a week for $500 a month.
To reduce complexity, athletes can cancel their membership anytime.
And since training pro athletes is seasonal, Mick offers a monthly adult large group program for $200. He’s transitioning this program to semi-private sessions at $65 a session.
Mick loses up to 125 athletes and $50k in revenue during the in-season.
Strategic selling
While many gym owners are giving away their services for free, Mick gets paid to sell to clients. There’s:
A phone call to screen the athlete
A $250 assessment with a coach
During the phone call, Mick learns about the athlete’s:
Background
Injury history
Playing history
Goals
The athlete then pays $250 for a 90-minute testing session where a coach identifies weaknesses in their performance. The coach illustrates how these weaknesses can harm the athlete’s career and recommends a tailored program to meet their goals.
This approach lets Mick sell from a position of strength and gives The ANNEX an advantage over gyms that don’t do this.
In-season retention
To compensate for in-season revenue dips, Mick prioritizes retaining his existing clients.
I like this strategy because it avoids the complexity of creating new programs for different demographics.
Six weeks before the season starts, coaches begin conversations with athletes about the value of continuing training during the in-season. They might say:
“Hey [athlete name], we’re coming up on in-season, and we want to see you at least once a week during that time. It’s important because…”
Since coaches build strong relationships with athletes and their families during the off-season, it’s easier to transition athletes into an in-season maintenance program.
Full-time staff
Mick has a team of 6 full-time staff members, all paid a salary with benefits and paid time off:
A Performance Director (oversees the adult program)
4 coaches
An admin person
Mick says paying salaries provides better consistency and stability for his staff. The gym's good revenue made this feasible for him.
He also has a part-time coach who helps with the adult program and is paid a commission.
TL;DR: takeaway for gym owners
There was no secret formula that catapulted Mick’s business to success. It came from:
Focusing on stuff that works
Improving year after year
Avoiding costly mistakes
As a result, his gym is still going strong and making money nearly 20 years later.
adios,
j