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Base Gym

Ashbourne is extremely streamlined and took all the admin out for me

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Success Stories

Base Gym

Ashbourne is extremely streamlined and took all the admin out for me

Request a Demo

How Ashbourne’s Integrated System Fuels Growth for Base Gym’s Multi-Site Ambition

In the competitive landscape that is the fitness industry, independent gyms and gym owners need more than just great equipment to thrive, they need operational reliability and excellence every single day.

For Sean, owner of Base Gym in Bristol and Yeovil, achieving that goal meant solving two critical business challenges in his promising new fitness business.

The time-intensive, inefficient manual administration that had been in place since launch.

An insecure and easily abused ‘sign your name’ pen and paper entry system.

Their initial systems had served faithfully during Base Gym’s early days, but Sean knew he needed a trusted partnership with a business that would take away the tedious busywork and analogue systems in order to allow him to focus on what mattered in his business. This is the story of how partnering with Ashbourne Membership Management helped to transform his business operations, bolstered member retention and laid a solid foundation for the future growth and expansion of Base Gym.

“Our admin problems and the entry system were the two biggest problems Ashbourne cured for me as a business”.

– Sean, Base Gym Owner

A Growing Independent Gym with Strong, Diverse Foundations.

Base Gym Bristol, Sean’s first fitness facility, is a standout 12,500 square foot facility designed for serious trainers. Unlike many generic corporate chain gyms in the city, Base Gym has carved its niche as a ‘hybrid’ gym, consciously built to cater to a wide range of fitness disciplines under one expansive roof.

As owner Sean explains, this deliberate diversity of training style and equipment is key to their appeal.

Mainly body-building, a good section of power lifting, a little bit of strong man and functional open training as well.

- Sean, Base Gym Owner

This philosophy had been successfully replicated at their second site in Yeovil, establishing a growing brand known for quality and variety.

“We’ve been in this location (Bristol) for three years and then I’ve got another one in Yeovil for a little bit less, two and a half years in that one”.

– Sean, Base Gym Owner

So when Sean contacted Ashbourne Membership Management, the brand and philosophy had already proven successful, but the manual administration and access controls, combined with ever-increasing popularity meant that some systemic changes had to be made in order to grow and futureproof his independent fitness business. 

The Challenge: Primitive Systems Threatened to Waste Time and Potential

Despite their premium facilities, Sean’s operational systems in Base Gym were not fit for purpose. The administrative burden of Base Gym Bristol’s pen and paper system was significant and the method for monitoring gym access was insecure and unreliable.

Sean’s process was largely manual, consuming valuable time that could be better spent on member engagement and business strategy. These systems can be very efficient in the early days of an independent gym or fitness club’s lifespan, but they scale poorly when the members start pouring in. Papers become lost, records become harder to find quickly and these concerns started to be compounded by a second issue that was facing Sean and Base Gym.

The entry system had become a particular point of pain to operational efficiency. 

This combination of growing admin headaches and security concerns was a barrier to a smooth, professional operating gym and sustainable growth. It meant that Sean, like many other gym owners before him, wasn’t able to put his energies and attention where he wanted and his staff were similarly affected. He made the call to Ashbourne and we had the club management solutions he was after. 

It was quite primitive, the system I was using before Ashbourne.

Before I had Ashbourne’s proper system, my other headache was monitoring traffic through the door... It was pen and paper, properly old school. We had (people putting down) fake names and all-sorts, it was a problem.

- Sean, Base Gym Owner

The Ashbourne Solution Offers Streamlined Automation and Secure Access

Sean’s search for a solution to the problems across both of his fitness facilities led him to us here at Ashbourne. From the very first conversation we had with Sean, the benefits were clear and he was impressed by what we could offer. 

Ashbourne implemented our complete suite of services across both Base Gym sites:

  • Membership Management Software: We started with the automation of all billing, payments and member communications through our bespoke club management software suite. This alleviated much of the manual administration that was distracting Sean from what he’d rather be doing, improving his fitness business.

 

  • Fingerprint Scanners: We replaced the outdated pen-and-paper sign-in system that had plagued Base Gym and its staff with a secure, biometric system that couldn’t be abused by non-members or late-paying members.

    This had the added bonus of making membership accessible and verifiable across both of his gyms, a valuable feature to many independent gym owners.

 

  • Technical Support: Providing expert onboarding and ongoing remote assistance.

“With the IT at Ashbourne, I pretty much got calls from them, gave them access to the computers and they remotely uploaded the software for me. No complicated tech or IT stuff. Just make a phone call, click a couple of buttons and the rest was history. It was done”. 

– Sean, Base Gym Owner 

The result of Ashbourne’s changes to Base Gym’s operations? An immediate and dramatic reduction in Sean’s administrative workload and increased security for both of his independent gyms.

“I didn’t want to do all the background work manually, so now it’s just super automated. I don’t have to do much for it… You guys pretty much run the show behind the scenes for me, so I don’t have to worry about memberships too much”.

– Sean, Base Gym Owner 

The fingerprint scanners eradicated the issue of member sharing and false sign-ins. 

“Ashbourne when I first spoke to them, the main thing that made me want to do that is my outdated system of doing quite a lot manually, whereas with Ashbourne, after my first chat with Evie, it seemed extremely streamlined and took all the admin out for me”.

– Sean, Base Gym Owner

With Ashbourne, because we use the fingerprint scanners at both gyms, you can’t use someone else's data. Your fingerprint is your fingerprint and you can’t forget it!

The Impact: Enhanced Retention, Professionalism, and Multi-Site Growth

The main thing that has helped growth is in terms of retention. Because of the system being quite easy and managed, customers don’t fall off if we can’t get payments. It is all more professionally run and has more legislation behind it. The gym grows just by Ashbourne keeping on top of my members. Keeping their payments up to date compared to a manual system where members would fall off.

- Sean, Base Gym Owner

The transition to Ashbourne has delivered tangible business benefits across Sean’s operation for both the Bristol and Yeovil branch of Base Gym. The most significant impact Base Gym has seen aside from increased operational efficiency and reliability has been on member retention, directly contributing to the both gym’s growth.

With manual systems, it is always a risk that members will forget to pay or renew, it can quickly feel like a game of spinning plates. Ashbourne’s club management system meant that Sean didn’t need to worry about collection or renewal, with Ashbourne running his direct debits, a burden was lifted.

Furthermore, the integrated system has made managing multiple locations seamless, enhancing the member experience. 

“Multi-site integration has been made easier with Ashbourne. When they get to the other gym they just scan their fingerprint as normal. Nice from a customer perspective, much more streamlined”.

– Sean, Base Gym Owner 

As we started to round off our interview, we asked Sean to reflecting on the implementation of Ashbourne’s club management software. While it was nearly three years ago, Sean had no trouble recalling the effortless onboarding process and exceptional support he received during the onboarding and transition process. 

The onboarding process was extremely simple... We had plenty of conversations about how they could assist. With the IT at Ashbourne, I pretty much got calls from them, gave them access to the computers and they remotely uploaded the software for me... It was done”.

- Sean, Base Gym Owner

“In terms of recommending Ashbourne, I’d strongly do so. It is why I’ve integrated Ashbourne across my second site because I was impressed with how it worked at my first site... After two months I was like, it didn’t take too long to implement so we implemented it into the others”.

- Sean, Base Gym Owner

A Strong Recommendation and Future Expansion

So impressed was Sean with the results at his Bristol gym, he swiftly rolled out the Ashbourne system at his Yeovil location and was happy to confirm his plans to use our services for any and all future sites that might be in Base Gym’s bright future. 

His recommendation to other independent gym and fitness club owners was just as unequivocal

“If you are looking to implement a new system, definitely worth a call. There are lots of options I didn’t realise could be offered, I would strongly recommend Ashbourne”. 

– Sean, Base Gym Owner 

Looking to the future, Sean’s growth plans are firmly tied to his partnership with Ashbourne. His final words leave no room for doubt: 

“If I do expand to more sites in the future, they will definitely be managed via Ashbourne”.

– Sean, Base Gym Owner

Looking to the future, Sean’s growth plans are firmly tied to his partnership with Ashbourne. His final words leave no room for doubt: 

“I’d recommend Ashbourne due to the ease. It is one of the things I just don’t have to worry about. Members signing in, payments being taken. It all seems self-run so there isn’t the need to worry about it”.

– Sean, Base Gym Owner

Trusted by independent gyms across the UK and the Republic of Ireland, Ashbourne helps owners focus on what really matters, expanding their business, increasing profits and building a thriving fitness community.  

Contact our demonstration team today here and they can start to understand where we can contribute to and support your gym’s success, just like we’ve done for Base Gym Bristol and Yeovil.

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