Camryn Bukowski’s garage in Philipsburg, Montana, was getting crowded. She had been teaching functional fitness classes there and had plenty of demand since the nearest open-to-anyone gym was more than 100 miles away. But when Bukowski and a business partner decided to open Goat House Gym together in 2023, they soon learned that making a profit in the small town was tougher than they’d expected
Fortunately, Bukowski found resources from Verizon Small Business Digital Ready and learned she needed to factor in more of her costs to move past break-even. “We were really concerned that increasing our membership prices meant we would lose members,” Bukowski says. She restructured her memberships, raised her prices 18% and started to see a profit. “We didn’t lose members. [In fact], we were able to retain them. The Digital Ready courses gave me confidence to base our prices on real numbers and know my worth.”
Digital Ready also taught Bukowski, who is now running the business on her own, to let data drive her marketing plan. After analyzing the gym’s email and social media campaigns, she began tailoring messages by audience, adding relevant offers and sharing stories about her members. Reaching the right people led to sold-out small-group training sessions. “Social media and email engagement directly correlates to our revenue each month,” she says
The gym was built on word of mouth and in-person events, but Bukowski wanted to reach people from other towns, as well as seasonal visitors. After taking “The basics of search engine optimization: Get discovered” and “How to spread the digital word: Communications strategy,” she modified the gym’s website to boost search engine optimization (SEO). By making the site’s messaging clear and adding membership options and information about classes, she improved user experience and increased the potential for new customers to find the site.
Meanwhile, Bukowski was also rethinking the gym’s physical space. The <a href="https://healthylife7.com/is-the-egg-diet-a-safe-way-to-lose-weight-quickly/” title=”Is the egg diet a safe way to lose weight quickly?”>weight room was too crowded, while a rock-climbing wall sat largely unused. She applied for a Verizon Small Business Digital Ready grant and received it at what she calls “the perfect moment.” Bukowski used the funds to turn the climbing space into a second weight room that included equipment suited to older members. Members who had left the gym returned
The Digital Ready reg which tasks could be handled by others, she designed a program at the gym that allows members to help clean the gym one day a week in exchange for an hourly wage and a free membership. “Instead of spending time on tasks that could be delegated, like cleaning, I’m spending my time moving the business forward,” she says
With profits steadier and more predictable, Bukowski has been able to reinvest. She bought three new machines and hired a videographer to film for a new online training program, extending Goat House’s reach beyond Philipsburg. Goat House Gym now tailors its equipment and classes to serve members of all ages, with dedicated programs for toddlers, teens and older adults. Bukowski employs 11 people in a town where instructor jobs barely existed
“Now I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Bukowski says. “I love running a gym. I love the members and the community here.”
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with free reness Digital Ready. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. An individual user’s experience may vary and results are not guaranteed
