"As an icon of both training and fitness equipment Everlast promise the best modern facilities at the lowest price possible, empowering as many people as possible to discover that ‘Greatness is Within.’ With 70+ locations and still exciting expansion plans ahead it's important to work with good partners who can support us. Working with the Orbit4 platform over the past 12 months has made day to day processes streamlined and efficient, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Orbit4 in the future."

"I highly recommend WeBuyGymEquipment as a very professional partner for dealing with second-hand gym equipment. We needed a quick turnaround on this project, they gave us a price on our equipment within 48 hours, once we accepted the offer, they kept continuous communication until the completion of the project. The collection dates and payment terms where exactly as agreed."

"Orbit4 really helped our company during the toughest time. Mike and his platform helped us maximize the financial return for our used assets when we had to close the club. It was essential to get the best price so that we could re-invest back into the other clubs within our group. I would recommend them to all gym operators in the US and beyond."

With the price of just about everything going up, we all need to look again at how we best spend the allocated budget.

Is your business doing everything to get ahead or still trying to fit around outdated solutions?

Here are five simple ways gym operators can save thousands:

1. Compare the market

It’s estimated that the average-size gym could save more than £9,500 per year just by using industry disruptor ​​Orbit4.

There are no hidden catches and the concept is simple. Each part of the platform enables gym operators to closely manage their fitness assets, monitor service costs and track commercial value.

Orbit4 owns industry brands WeServiceGymEquipment, WeBuyGymEquipment, FitnessCompared and FitnessFinanced – each platform provides immediate access to the wider market. This guarantees the best value when purchasing, servicing and financing existing assets and the trade-in of unwanted assets.

CEO of Orbit4, Daniel Jones, said: “Orbit4 is the only system that allows you to track the entire fitness journey of your equipment.

“You can access all the latest data you need for daily management from servicing to buying and selling – even finance. The data neatly links to any existing system or software. It really is the ultimate smart solution.”

2. Listen to fit-tech experts

Industry expert, Steve Ruffell, said: “New fitness industry-based tendering and bidding platforms like WeServiceGymEquipment and WeBuyGymEquipment create a much healthier marketplace that few gyms can’t afford not to use.

“As consumers, we’re already scoping out the market for things like insurance, credit cards and mortgages using platforms like GoCompare and CompareTheMarket. Now, the fitness industry has this technology so operators can test the wider market for each stage of the asset journey. The amount of time and money you save is critical for businesses.”

3. Find out how much your assets are worth and how much they’re costing you right now

This sounds harder than it actually is! Using Orbit4, operators can become ultra-efficient operationally using easy asset management capabilities. The data that’s collated automatically triggers alerts to tell operators when it’s the best time to sell equipment, due to the assets reaching optimum levels of cost of ownership.

4. Get the best price for EVERYTHING

Back to Orbit4 here – its smart tech gives gym operators quotations from leading suppliers for new equipment, competitive leasing figures and the best buyback price the industry can offer. This will make you more money and save you time.

5. Check the warranty

The chances are your equipment will be out of warranty before it ever breaks down. But when it finally does give up, you want it fixed fast. Nothing annoys your members more than equipment that stands out of order for weeks on end. Engage with WeServiceGymEquipment to access the wider market and let them find you your ideal service provider and perfect contract!

Your most expensive purchase is gym equipment, so if you aren’t getting real value out of it then your business could be one of the hundreds predicted to fail this year. In order to support gyms and health clubs in this difficult economic climate, Orbit4 is helping operators by telling them the best time to trade in and buy new based on its intelligence-led data and tech.

Daniel Jones, CEO of Orbit4, said: “There are gym operators ignoring vital equipment data which just isn’t viable at a time when we all need to make every penny count.

“We’re proud of how much Orbit4 is supporting our industry but this year it’s gone from being just a great idea to a life-saver.”

Orbit4 won’t just tell you the best time to trade in and buy, it’s also the world’s first digital ecosystem that fully automates the entire commercial fitness equipment journey. For the first time ever, gym operators can use a bespoke asset management system that also automates procurement processes for the future – all data-driven via historic asset behaviour and cost of ownership.

What is total cost of ownership?

The total cost of ownership is the purchase price plus the amount you spend to maintain and service that commodity. In many industries, we track the cost of ownership via digital systems so we can make the right decision to maximise the residual value and replace it for new at the right time. In the automotive sector, this process has been sophisticated for many years.

Most gym owners don’t have a digital focus on asset management. Considering fitness equipment is one of the largest capital expenses, due diligence has been poor across our sector. With Orbit4, operators will have their own asset management portal and can make prescriptive decisions for future equipment and service contract purchases.

Don’t go over budget!

Owners and management can allocate a ‘cap spend’ for each product category – for example, treadmills' spend cap could be £1,750. When service and repair tickets are generated and completed over the lifespan of the assets, the cost is attributed to each asset and eats into the ‘cap spend’ and products eventually hit ‘maturity’. At this point, operators are alerted and presented with automated fitness equipment quotes, finance options and instant trade-in valuation via the Orbit4 connected procurement system.

Find out for yourself how much you can save at Orbit4’s official website.

According to our poll, the first thing 80 per cent of operators and gym owners think about when it’s time to sell gym equipment is how much your equipment is worth. But really we should already know exactly how much our assets are worth and when’s the best time to sell them.

This can be done easily by using the industry’s favourite secret weapon – Orbit4. It’s a money-saving platform, similar to smart energy-saving websites but instead focuses on gym equipment/servicing/buying/selling.

So, why are gym operators so excited about this platform?

Orbit4 digital tech leader Daniel Jones explained: “Orbit4 is an amazing present to the industry and a genuine win-win for any company involved in the fitness industry. It allows gym operators to go digital when it comes to purchasing, financing, maintaining and disposing of fitness equipment.

“More importantly, the sooner operators use the platform, the sooner they can start to understand the true cost of ownership of their assets”.

What if we told you, you could get a free valuation just by signing up as a seller in WeBuyGymEquipment (WBGE)? Sounds too good to be true, but it’s not!

The only people who will tell you not to compare prices are the people taking you for a ride. We know times have been tough and gym owners need to make as much profit from selling their used gym equipment as possible so, here are our top selling tips…

1. Find out how much your used gym kit is really worth. Auction platform WBGE is used by many leading gym operators, not just to sell equipment but to get early-stage valuations so they know what equity is left in their assets to act as a deposit for the next equipment purchase.

2. Don’t sell as individual items, but as a job lot. Selling used gym items off individually is a huge mistake. Time-wise alone it will be like taking on a second job. Arranging collection and payments is a painfully time consuming and complicated process. It’s safe to say you’ll end up losing big overall.

3. How much is your time worth?. Selling second-hand commercial gym equipment piece by piece is both time consuming and hard work. On paper, it might look like you’ll make more for the high-value items, but you’ll likely be left with a lot of undesirable equipment which you’ll not know what to do with.

4. Don’t end up getting sued in a costly legal battle. It’s a big risk letting consumers and multiple uninsured people take heavy commercial equipment from your club. If someone gets hurt, even at home, they’ll hold you legally liable for any damages. Traders on WBGE must be fully insured so you don’t have to even think about it.

5. Don’t sell off your best pieces of kit and be left with the less attractive items gathering dust or going to the dump. In most cases, it will cost you more to have your unsold items removed and taken away than the real value of the equipment.

6. Get paid before your gym equipment even leaves the building. Guaranteed payment before extraction is worth its weight in gold. Go with a company that gets you the cash right now, when you need it. No messing around chasing or losing money.

7. Read reviews before you deal with anyone.

8. Be honest about the state of what you’re selling to avoid delays and confrontation later. The more tests you do and the more photos you take, the more confident you can feel about getting the right money.

9. Get it done fast. You don’t want to run out of time trying to sell items or waiting for people to turn up and collect. In a worst-case scenario, you could end up having your items repossessed by the landowner if your tenancy is up.

Jo Weelen, WBGE UK/EU sales manager, said: “Over the last seven years, our platform has collated accurate residual values of over 2,500 commercial gym equipment assets. In turn, we can offer speedy valuations of gym operators' assets.

“Alternatively, register on our platform and upload your equipment via our easy three-step process. Within three days, you’ve hit our 60+ traders in one swoop and secured the best buyback price under no obligation.”

Contact us for more information at [email protected].

Social distancing, and all that encompasses the new normal, appears to be here to stay … for a while at least.

Luckily consumer demand remains high and will return post-pandemic. According to a study by RunRepeat there’s been an 88 per cent average increase in exercise for people who normally exercise once to twice a week.

But, due to social distancing, gyms across the world now have less space for equipment or members. With this in mind, they definitely can’t afford to be hoarding unused equipment that is depreciating in value all the time.

Sadly many operators are still feeling the repercussions of the pandemic in their workplace and barely have time to manage their gym, never mind selling equipment.

The pandemic saw them launch into survival mode – understandably – but things have changed, and it’s now time for a new approach. Luckily for us, we live in a digital age.

Global gym equipment asset management and procurement ecosystem Orbit4 uses advanced digital software to ensure gyms are aware of exactly how much their assets are worth and when is best to sell.

Paul McCormick, of WBGE Europe, said: “Cost-efficiency remains of paramount importance in managing your business, especially in these uncertain times. Digital solutions feature heavily in the top industry trends for 2022 for obvious reasons – they’re undoubtedly more profitable.

“With high numbers of absenteeism, due to enforced isolation periods, there’s also huge pressure on clubs and other staff. This can ultimately reflect badly on a business if there aren’t people on the floor.

“Using a digital gym equipment management system like Orbit4 to handle buying, selling and servicing gym equipment frees up staff to handle urgent day-to-day issues.

“WeBuyGymEquipment, FitnessCompared and WeServiceGymEquipment are all part of the Orbit4 digital ecosystem that both frees up your time and increases gym efficacy, efficiency and profitability.”

Despite all the horrors brought about by a global pandemic, there are some positive repercussions.

Remote working brought about the realisation that some of the less than obvious issues contained within the way we conduct business processes must change. Some of these challenges – usually the seemingly small and insignificant ones – have come to the surface and must now be solved.

Luckily, business owners are resilient and will do what they must to continue trading.
If you’re ready for change but don’t know where to begin, get in touch, we can give you great advice on which platforms to use and digitally transform your business for free. Contact [email protected] for more information.

No two gyms are the same, but making the most of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation will be key to getting your business ahead in 2022, according to CEO of Orbit4 and digital technology mogul Daniel Jones.

Running fitness facilities at the busiest time of the year is a juggling act for operations, sales and retention.

It’s easy to lose customers when you take your eye off the ball. But what keeps customers coming back? Staff who care and take time to interact with them.

Give your team the time to do this by ensuring your facility is running smoothly. Members don’t care how you make it all happen, as long as it’s done.

Jones said: “Small operational factors like managing fitness assets can take the focus away from members at critical times. Easy digital solutions like Orbit4 can help streamline and automate asset management and procurement so owners, managers and fitness staff can fully focus on giving members the best possible experience.”

But, what is Orbit4 and how can it help you?
Gym equipment and technology is at the heart of Orbit4. It takes care of each stage of the asset journey; procurement, finance, servicing and disposal. Put all these elements into one platform, add smart automation, amazing partners and you have Orbit4!

Data collected in Orbit4 allows gym operators to make informed purchasing decisions so that the right choice and quantity of equipment can be selected to avoid overcrowding and queues for equipment.

Avoid those high drop-out rates for new members – who probably won’t ever be regular gym users – by helping them find an activity that they do enjoy. Try to understand what’s prevented them from regular exercise in the past.

Digital workouts are so popular now, they should definitely be part of your product offering range so customers can work out anywhere, not just at the gym.

Customers also want to do their own workouts in your gym. Facilitate and encourage it by providing space and exciting, freely available equipment like mats, kettlebells, med balls, ropes and great Wi-Fi connectivity.

If you own or manage a gym and aren’t using Orbit4 by now, we’re confident you’ll want to before long because the great thing about our model is that you can have as much or as little control of operations as you like. Our teams are happy to talk through all of it at any time.

Jones adds: “Since Covid, gym operators have been ultra-innovative and adapted to the new digital fitness environment. Consumers have more choice due to new digital offerings that encourage healthy lifestyles inside and outside of the gym space.

“At Orbit4, we’re proud to offer something highly beneficial to gym operators to enhance efficient procurement and asset management practices so that fiscal savings can be achieved and more time allocated to supporting the end customer.”

CEO of Orbit4, Daniel Jones, says: “There’s no reason traditional gyms and smart gyms can’t live in harmony. With a little reorganisation and education, there’s a really bright future for all gyms.”

This year the fitness industry is booming after being penetrated by some majorly disruptive technologies.

When artificial intelligence (AI) based features are integrated into personalised fitness applications, businesses or clubs may attract more customers and boost revenue.

AI has a huge potential for the fitness industry with the rise of:

• AI-powered wristbands and gadgets.
• AI-driven diet and nutrition apps.
• Intelligence footwear powered by artificial intelligence.
• Smart assistants for gyms and other health clubs.
• AI-powered yoga suits to monitor movement and set accurate posture.

So, unclench your fist – they mean no harm. Better still, get your head around it and you’ll be saving some serious money.

More people than ever before are using smart gyms to keep their bodies healthy in order to avoid or recover from illness.

The fitness industry has responded to this huge rise in demand by transforming traditional gyms into smart gyms with AI models.

Traditional gyms don’t need as much money spent on maintenance costs in a year as smart gyms which require frequent maintenance to keep up the IoT devices with artificial intelligence efficiently and effectively.

Jones has created an ecosystem of online platforms to help transform the way gym operators purchase, finance, maintain and dispose of gym equipment.

“This year we’ve seen a huge demand for Orbit4 in the gym space. Loyalty is an expensive business these days and is best saved for your personal life. If you want to streamline processes, save a bit of money and have more time creating a better member experience, commercial comparison sites are vital.

“Orbit4 is made up of comparison and auction sites where businesses fight for your hard-earned business,” he says, “for example, at WeServiceGymEquipment, our national collection of service and maintenance providers bid for your contract and you choose whichever service ticks your boxes.

“We’ve done the hard work for gym operators by creating a bespoke platform that enables instant access to the wider market, so service contracts can be competitively bid upon.”

Fully transparent, the gym operator reviews the options via company, track record, price and references. Then they can choose the successful company and the partnership before the annual contract begins.

We ServiceGymEquipment is an excellent example of how gyms can save hours trawling the internet for service provision.

Thousands of gym operators are switching to Orbit4’s gym equipment management ecosystem to increase profits from buying equipment to finance and even disposal through our popular WeBuyGymEquipment bidding portal.

Each of its websites is free to join. Even better, when you use its fitness equipment comparison website FitnessCompared you also get free expert advice from Orbit4’s team of gym designers.

There are no catches - it’s just a smarter way of doing things.