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How We Helped a Client Safeguard Their Gym’s Future: A Legal Success Story

Running a gym is more than just keeping your clients fit—it's about ensuring your business is built on a solid…
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Update your gym agreements
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How We Helped a Client Safeguard Their Gym’s Future: A Legal Success Story

Running a gym is more than just keeping your clients fit—it's about ensuring your business…
Gym paid in full memberships
General Legal PrinciplesUncategorized

Why Paid-in-Full (PIF) Contracts Are a Risky Idea for Gym Owners this Holiday Season

As Black Friday and the holiday season approach, many gym owners begin to consider special…
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Is Your Membership Agreement Rock-Solid? Here’s Why It Should Be.

As a gym owner, you know that running a successful fitness business isn’t just about…
FTC click-to-cancel rule
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What Gym Owners Need to Know About the FTC’s New “Click to Cancel” Rule

On October 11, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized its “Click to Cancel” rule…
Legal updates for gym owners
General Legal Principles

3 Legal Updates Gym Owners Need to Know for 2024

As a gym owner, keeping up with changing legal regulations is vital to protect your…
General Legal Principles

Why You Shouldn’t Use ChatGPT to Draft Your Gym’s Legal Contracts

When it comes to running a gym, many owners find themselves juggling countless responsibilities—marketing, customer…
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Legal Protections Every Fitness Influencer Needs to Know

The rise of fitness influencers has reshaped the health and wellness industry. From personalized workout…
Hiring gym coaches
Employee Issues

What Questions are Illegal to Ask in Interviews? A Guide for Gym Owners

When you're hiring for your gym, it’s important to understand the legal boundaries of what…
Gym Law Compliance
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Why Smart Gym Owners Work With Attorneys Before They “Need” One: The Importance of Preventative Legal Action

When most people think about the law, they picture it as something reactive. They don’t…
Waivers
Membership Issues

Why Gym Owners Must Keep Liability Waivers and Membership Agreements as Separate Documents

As a gym owner, you juggle multiple responsibilities, from ensuring the safety of your members…
Non Compete Agreements
Employee Issues

FTC’s Non-Compete Ban Blocked: What Gym Owners Need to Know

Back in April, we discussed the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed rule that would have…
In-house counsel for gym owners
General Legal Principles

Introducing Gym Counsel: Your New Legal Partner for Gym Success

We're excited to announce a new service offering at Gym Lawyers PLLC—Gym Counsel, an in-house…
Corporate Set Up

The Crucial Role of Operating Agreements in Multi-Member LLCs: Protecting Your Gym’s Future

When establishing a gym as a Limited Liability Company (LLC), many gym owners overlook one…
Gym owner legal check up
General Legal Principles

Legal Check-Up for Your Gym: Are You Protected?

Owning a gym is an exciting venture, but it's not just about fitness; it's about protecting…
New Gym Owner
General Legal Principles

Starting a Gym? Here’s What You Need to Know

Starting a gym is an exciting venture, but it comes with several legal considerations. Understanding…
Online Trainer
General Legal Principles

Why Do Online Fitness Coaches/Trainers Need Gym Lawyers?

In the evolving fitness industry, a significant portion of personal trainers and nutrition coaches are…
bodybuilding brings unique liability to gyms
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The Legal Risks of Bodybuilding: Why Liability Waivers Are Crucial

Bodybuilding is more than just a sport; it's a commitment to pushing physical limits and…
Exchanging free membership for help
Employee Issues

Navigating the Legal Landscape: Exchanging Free Gym Memberships for Coaching Services

As a gym owner, you might consider offering free memberships to individuals who provide coaching…
Finance and Accounting for Gym Owners
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What Gym Owners Need to Know About Finance and Accounting

Contributor: Billy Hofacker is a financial coach for Gym Owners and Fitness Professionals. Book a…
Website Terms and Conditions
Corporate Set Up

Why Every Online Fitness Trainer Needs Customized Website Terms and Conditions

As an online fitness trainer, your primary focus is on helping clients achieve their health…
Online Training
Liability

Why Every Online Fitness Trainer Needs Legal Protection

In the fast-paced world of online fitness training, offering your services through digital platforms opens…
Teamwork
Corporate Set Up

When Gym Owners Use an Operating Agreement

As a gym owner, you might wonder when you will actually need to use your…
Operating Agreement
Corporate Set Up

Why Gym Owners Need an Operating Agreement

As a gym owner, you focus on building a strong business, creating an excellent member…
Video Recording
General Legal Principles

Navigating Consent Laws for Recording in Your Gym: A Must-Know for Gym Owners

As a gym owner, you understand the importance of maintaining a secure and professional environment.…
Membership Cancellation
Membership Issues

New Online Cancellation Laws & How to Stay on the Right Side of the Law

Hey everyone! We're diving into an important topic for gym owners: the changing legal landscape around membership…
Employee Issues

Why Gym Owners Might Be Worried: FTC Bans NonCompetes!

Mark your calendars for this date in history! The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) just announced…
Online Fitness Trainers
General Legal Principles

Online Fitness Entrepreneurs: Navigate the Legal Landscape with Confidence

Expanding your fitness business into the online world offers exciting potential. But before you launch…
General Legal Principles

Legal Lifts: Why DIY in the Gym Might Just Drop a Barbell on Your Business

Let's face it: the law can be as exciting as watching paint dry on a…
Membership Issues

Understanding and Preventing Chargebacks for Gym Owners

Chargebacks pose a significant challenge for gym owners, affecting not just your bottom line but…
Buying and Selling

Navigating SBA Loans and UCC Filings in Gym Asset Sales

Unlocking Opportunities and Avoiding Pitfalls As gym owners, the prospect of buying or selling a…
Corporate Set Up

What US Gym Owners Needs to Know About the Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirements

The landscape of running a gym in the U.S. is evolving, and a new requirement…
Gym Waivers
Liability

Why Gym Owners Can’t Afford to Overlook Waiver Specifics

Running a gym comes with its fair share of excitement and opportunities to make a…
Are e-signatures valid
General Legal Principles

Understanding E-Signatures for Gym Owners: Types, Legality, and Best Practices

In the digital age, gym owners frequently encounter the question of how to legally capture…
Premises Liability
Liability

Mitigating Premises Liability in Gyms through Effective Legal Strategies

In today's fitness industry, gym owners face a myriad of challenges, not least of which…
Commercial Leases

Navigating Lease Types for Gym Owners: Understanding Gross, Dual Net, and Triple Net Leases

For gym owners venturing into the commercial real estate market, choosing the right type of…
Commercial Leases

The Unseen Power Player in Your Gym’s Buy-Sell Transaction: The Landlord

When it comes to buying or selling a gym, the spotlight often falls on the…
LiabilityUncategorized

The Hidden Dangers of Photography and Videography in Your Gym: Protect Your Business Now!

Attention Gym Owners! Are you aware of the ticking legal time bomb in your fitness…
Commercial Leases

Noise Restriction Solutions for a Diverse Gym Businesses

In the dynamic world of fitness and wellness, each gym embodies a unique character and…
Commercial Leases

Essential Questions Every Gym Owner Should Ask Before Signing a Lease

Gym owners are not isolated from the various problems that plague other small businesses. We…
Commercial Leases

Navigating Lease Uncertainties: Protecting Your Gym Business in the Face of Property Sales

The commercial real estate landscape is witnessing a significant shift, with a surge in the…
Buying and Selling

Why You Need a Letter of Intent in Gym Business Transactions

When it comes to buying or selling a gym business, a Letter of Intent (LOI)…
Corporate Set Up

The Advantage of Redomesticating Your Gym’s LLC When Moving States

The fitness industry is currently experiencing a surge of activity, with numerous gym owners either…
Membership Issues

Do I Really Have To Give a Refund?

As a gym owner, you've likely encountered situations where members demand refunds for various reasons.…
Uncategorized

Protecting Your Gym: A $46 Million Lesson from California

Could your gym be one lawsuit away from financial ruin? Unfortunately, a recent $46 million…
Commercial Leases

Can You Share Some Tips For Resigning a Lease?

Navigating the Path to Resigning or Extending Your Gym's Commercial Lease As a gym owner,…
General Legal Principles

ADA Compliance and My Website?

As a gym owner, you are not only responsible for the physical accessibility of your…
General Legal Principles

Do You Have a Template I Can Look At?

As a gym owner, you're constantly looking for ways to streamline your operations and cut…
Employee Issues

Are Non-Compete Clauses a Waste of Time?

As a gym owner, you want to protect your business interests, maintain a competitive advantage,…
Buying and Selling

How Do I Buy Out My Partner?

As a gym owner, navigating the complexities of business partnerships is crucial for ensuring your…
Corporate Set Up

Unveiling the Mystery: Understanding a Holdings Company

In the realm of business, numerous organizational structures exist, each serving distinct purposes and strategies.…
Liability

Why Does My Gym Need a Waiver?

We recently attended a Next Generation Gym Owners conference in Dallas, TX. While there, we…
Liability

What Do I Need in My Waiver?

It should not come as a surprise to any gym owner that they need a…
General Legal Principles

Can You Look At This Contract For Me?

Reviewing contracts is one of our core services for gym owners. When you're a gym…
Corporate Set Up

Why Do I Need Bylaws for My Corporation?

Gym owners commonly overlook the need for governing documents when forming a LLC or a…
Corporate Set Up

Should I use ROBS Financing to Start My Gym?

*Please remember that we are not financial advisors, accountants, or tax attorneys. If you still…
Commercial Leases

Can I Break My Lease?

This, unfortunately, is a fairly common situation. A gym owner starts to fall on tough…
Buying and Selling

5 Benefits to Acquiring a Gym Through An Asset Purchase

We’ve talked in the past about the benefits of an Asset Purchase for gym owners…
Corporate Set Up

What is a Capital Account?

Limited liability companies (LLCs) are popular business structures for gym owners of all shapes and…
Buying and Selling

5 Benefits of Choosing an Asset Purchase When Selling Your Gym Business

As a gym owner considering the sale of your business, it's important to explore the…
Buying and Selling

Why Gym Owners Should Consider Asset Purchases

If you're a gym owner looking to sell your gym, you may be wondering what…
Employee Issues

5 Benefits of Employment Agreements

An employment agreement is also known as an employment contract. This is a legal document…
Uncategorized

Should You File for an LLC?

In our series dedicated to corporate set up for gym owners, we have one more…
Corporate Set Up

The Pros and Cons of Forming A Corporation

We’ve been explainig the different types of corporate structures in recent articles. To date, we’ve…
Corporate Set Up

What is a Limited Liability Partnership?

As the next installment in our discussion on corporate structure, in this article, we will…
Corporate Set Up

What is a Limited Partnership

In this blog article, we are continuing the conversation about various types of corporate set…
Corporate Set Up

What is a General Partnership?

In a recent article, we explained the concept of a Joint Venture. The primary characteristics…
Corporate Set Up

What is a Joint Venture?

In the realm of business relationship creation, there are all kinds of options out there.…
Corporate Set Up

Set Up A Business Bank Account

We are here to help gym owners eliminate legal exposure. Gym owners create a lot…
Employee Issues

Why You Need Staff Agreements

In the beginning of gym ownership, you probably did, or may still do, everything yourself.…
Commercial Leases

Noise Restrictions in Leases

Most gyms need to rent their space. Because of that, they are sometimes limited by…
Employee Issues

Limiting Your Exposure On “Run A Profitable Gym” Podcast

Gym Lawyers PLLC was a guest recently on Run a Profitable Gym, the Two Brain…
Liability

3 Items You Need For Virtual Training

Gyms that were open during COVID will remember the scramble to get everything online for…
Corporate Set Up

Considerations When Adding a Partner

Are you ready to add a partner to your LLC? We’ve never talked with a…
Corporate Set Up

How to Add A Partner To You LLC

At Gym Lawyers, we help gym owners with legal compliance.  One of the ways we…
General Legal Principles

Documents For Established Gym Owners

We’ve talked about all levels of gym owners, from those who just got the idea…
Corporate Set Up

Start Up Documents

When you are starting a gym, there are a lot of things you need to…
Employee Issues

Tax Designation For Staff

We are not accountants. We aren’t even tax attorneys. For questions beyond the information we…
Uncategorized

What is Liability?

Most people have at least a vague sense of liability. It isn’t an inherently legal…
Uncategorized

How to Fire Your Partner

Business partnerships, much like marriages, do not always work out. Sometimes, when they don’t work…
General Legal Principles

What is a Surety Bond?

Lots of states require a surety bond and almost nobody knows what it is. So,…
Uncategorized

Reduce Liability Through Programming

Regardless of the type of gym you are running, you are telling your clients to…
Liability

Is Your Programming a Liability?

What is “Programming?” Simple, your workouts. What you tell your members to do every day.…
General Legal Principles

Every Agreement can be a Big Deal

Attorneys live in the world of ”what-if.” Unfortunately, it is the nature of the business.…
LiabilityUncategorized

Refusing to Sign a Waiver

Every so often we receive a call by a gym owner asking us if they…
Liability

Waiver Language is Too Scary

Has this happen to you? A new prospective client walks into your gym, sits down…
Liability

Is Your Business Actually Insured?

If you are running a business, you need insurance. This applies whether you are running…
Liability

24 Hour Access, Good or Bad?

At the time I am writing this article, I’ve owned my gym, Industrial Athletics, for…
Corporate Set Up

Use Your LLC

Do you have an LLC or Corporation (Inc)? If not, stop reading and go file…
Commercial Leases

Noise Restrictions in Leases

Most commercial landlords own multiple properties. Some of these properties can even be divided up…
Uncategorized

3 Types of Commercial Leases

If you are looking to open a brick or mortar business, or move your business…
Uncategorized

Laws About Membership Contracts

Almost every state we’ve reviewed has some version of a Health Club Act. Regardless of…
Commercial Leases

6 Ways To Get Out Of A Personal Guarantee

We’ve talked about Personal Guarantees before. We see them most often attached to the end…
Membership IssuesUncategorized

Avoid Paid-in-Full (PIF) Contracts

Paid-in-Full, or PIF, contracts are memberships that are paid up front. Gyms do this by…
Membership Issues

3 Elements of a Good Membership Contract

If you are taking automatic payments from your members, you need a written contract authorizing…
Membership Issues

4 Ways to Negotiate a Personal Guarantee

A Personal Guarantee is a way for a landlord to make sure you can’t get…
Uncategorized

Using Definitive Language in Contracts

During the first year of law school, the importance of language is drilled into every…
Uncategorized

Commercial Lease Requiring Insurance Benefits

Are you staff members employees or independent contractors? Did you know that your commercial lease…
Uncategorized

What Are Personal Guarantees

Personal Guarantees can apply to almost any long term installment-type legal contract. In this article,…
Commercial Leases

Saving You From A Costly Lease

We often joke at Gym Lawyers PLLC that we are always doom and gloom. We…
Commercial Leases

Approximate Square Footage in Leases

If you are a gym owner, do us a favor and go pull out your…
Uncategorized

Why You Need An AED

Do you need any AED? It is a simple question with a simple answer. Yes!…
Corporate Set Up

4 Factors to Consider When Buying A Gym

If you are considering buying a gym, there are a ton of factors you need…
General Legal Principles

6 Common Issues for Established Gym

At Gym Lawyers PLLC, we work hard to prevent issues from arising. For new gym…
Membership Issues

5 Essentials for Membership Contracts

If you are providing a service in exchange for value, you have formed a legally…
Membership Issues

Get The Contract Signed

When we opened our gym, Industrial Athletics, in 2013, membership contracts weren’t really a thing.…
Corporate Set Up

#1 Reason You Need an Operating Agreement

The Operating Agreement is the legal document that explains the structure of your LLC.  At…
Employee Issues

Can I Trade Services for Membership?

Those who have started a microgym and grown in from scratch are probably familiar with…
Commercial Leases

#1 Issue with Buying and Selling

So, you want to buy or sell a micro gym. Congratulations. Regardless of which side…
Corporate Set Up

Stock Purchase vs Asset Purchase

Buying and selling is alive and well in the micro gym business arena. Many of…
Corporate Set Up

What Is An Asset Purchase Agreement?

When you own a business, the business has assets. This is true even if you…
Corporate Set Up

Single Member Operating Agreement – Do You Need One?

Recently, we drafted a post about why you need a Limited Liability Company. In short,…
Corporate Set Up

File Your LLC NOW!!!

When you are starting a business, there is a large list of things you need…
Corporate Set Up

How to Protect Your Money

We get to talk to a lot of gym owners and other businesses in the…
Corporate Set Up

You Never Want a Sole Proprietorship

When you are starting a business, you have to limit your upfront expenses. However, you…
Corporate Set UpUncategorized

3 Things You Need When Starting a Business

When we opened our gym in 2013, owning a micro gym was still more of…
Commercial Leases

What Are CAM Fees?

https://youtu.be/X7gfg5DrRyw We want to help you understand an often misunderstood area of commercial leases.  Have…
Corporate Set Up

What is a Fictitious Name

When a business entity, or individual, uses any name other than its proper name, it…
Employee Issues

You Can’t Hire An Independent Contractor

https://youtu.be/-3No0HEj2M4 Generally speaking, it is most advantageous for a small business owner to pay a…
Uncategorized

Do Waivers Work?

What is the first thing any wise gym owner should do when someone new walks…
Uncategorized

Incident Reports

https://youtu.be/edkE-gQjRSw If you own a gym, yoga studio, or other type of fitness facility, you…
Uncategorized

Employee vs Independent Contractor

How to determine whether someone working for you is an employee or an independent contractor? …
Employee Issues

Are Your Trainers Certified?

Are your trainers certified to train people? Do they have trainers certificates? Is it necessary…
Uncategorized

Does Your Landlord Know Your Business?

https://youtu.be/6c9921FAHHk As few years ago, before Gym Lawyers was a business, I had a general…
Uncategorized

Do I Have To Pay For It – Part 2

https://youtu.be/4WG62G5v-DQ This is our second post in our series on “Do I Have to Pay…
Commercial LeasesLiability

Does My Landlord Need Insurance?

You need insurance. That should be a no brainer. In a society that loves to…
Commercial Leases

Do I Have To Pay For It – Part 1

https://youtu.be/vRyxpxkzTJc When everything in your business is running smoothly, no one questions anything. However, as…
Corporate Set Up

How to Form a Business

So, you want to open a gym or fitness facility? That’s fantastic news and we…
Uncategorized

What is Gym Lawyers PLLC?

To answer the title question as easily as possible, we are a virtual law firm…

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