Gym Business - Business for Unicorns Podcast Episode 530: How do you know when you're ready for Location #2?
Mar 27, 2026
John Farkas, New Business for Unicorns partner and seasoned gym operator who advises on expansion, shares sharp guidance on moving to a second location. He discusses aligning growth with your life goals. He explains testing whether your current operation can run without you. He stresses realistic pro formas, cash buffers, and timing before signing leases.
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Align Expansion With Your Life Goals
- Align expansion with your personal life goals and not social pressure.
- John Farkas warns the herd mentality often drives owners to expand without clarifying what they truly want from their life and business.
Do A 30 Day Absence Test
- Pressure test whether your current team and systems can tolerate your absence.
- John suggests not going to your gym for 30 days to see what falls apart and fix gaps before expanding.
First Expansion Slowed Historic Growth
- John shares their first expansion year slowed growth despite still growing overall.
- He notes it was the first year since 2020 they didn't grow double digits because attention got split after opening the second gym.