One of the most common questions I get from gym owners and coaches running their own businesses is:
“What numbers should I actually be tracking?”
Too many coaches either don’t track at all, or they’re only looking at surface level stats without a system in place. If you want to grow and scale your gym or any coaching business you’ve got to know your numbers.
Here are the five key metrics every gym owner should track to run a predictable and profitable business.
1. Leads
A lead is anyone who’s shown interest in your product or service and given you contact info.
That could be:
- IG handle or Facebook profile (captured from social media)
- Name, email, phone number from a lead magnet or landing page
- Contact info gathered at an event or offline marketing effort
If you don’t track leads, you don’t know the size of your pipeline and you can’t forecast growth.
2. Prospects
A prospect is a lead who’s taken the next step:
- Walked into your gym
- Hopped on a phone call
- Shown up at a consultation or evaluation
Converting leads into prospects is tougher than getting leads in the first place. That’s why you need a follow up system that consistently gets people to show up. Without it, you’ll burn through leads without moving them closer to signing up.
3. New Clients
This one’s obvious, but a lot of owners don’t track it weekly. How many new clients did you bring in this week? This month?
Pair this with metric #4 (total clients), and you’ll have a real picture of your growth.
4. Total Clients
Tracking your total number of clients is crucial for stability. A gym isn’t just about getting new sign-ups—it’s about retention.
When you combine new clients + total clients, you can also measure your conversion rates:
- Lead → Prospect conversion %
- Prospect → Client conversion %
For example:
- At OTA, we know if 10 prospects walk in the door, 8 of them will sign up.
- But lead-to-prospect conversion is always lower—so we set realistic benchmarks.
Knowing these percentages makes your systems predictable and repeatable.
5. Revenue
Your revenue number tells you if you’re really winning.
Too many coaches run blind here. You need to track revenue weekly, monthly, and quarterly. At the end of each month, do a simple P&L:
- Write down every source of income (checks, cash, card payments)
- Write down every expense (rent, utilities, equipment, supplies)
- Subtract expenses from gross income = net revenue
Even when I first started, I did this on paper. That habit gave me clarity and direction—and it should be non-negotiable for any gym owner.
Bonus: Advanced Metrics to Add Later
Once you’re solid on the big five, you can layer in deeper metrics like:
- Lifetime Value (LTV) → How much a client is worth over their time with you
- Retention Rate → How long clients stick with your services
- Marketing Metrics → Click-through rates, ad cost per lead, etc.
These help refine your strategy as you grow, but don’t overcomplicate it in the beginning.
Why Metrics Matter
You can’t manage what you don’t measure.
If you’re not tracking leads, prospects, clients, conversions, and revenue—you’re flying blind.
When you do track these numbers consistently, you can:
- Reverse-engineer your growth goals
- Forecast how many leads/prospects you need to hit targets
- Make predictable, repeatable systems that scale
Final Word for Gym Owners
Whether you have 1 client or 500, these five metrics will help you manage and grow your business.
Set up a consistent system to review them weekly, monthly, and quarterly. Use those numbers to set goals, spot bottlenecks, and make better decisions.
If you want help dialing in your systems and scaling your business, check the link below.
