Read through the case.

Examine the case by listing key information. Include the facts that you feel are most relevant. Consider:

Who are the key players?

What are the most significant issues?

Where is there conflict?

How are people behaving?

What role is leadership playing?

Describe the key issues in the case and write the "problem statement." It is often difficult to narrow down a situation to get to the "core" of the problem. In your opinion, what is the primary issue in this case? You will resolve this issue by developing solutions. Be specific. The more specific your problem statement is$,$ the more relevant your solution will be$.$

Consider possible courses of action. Draw upon specific topics from the course and readings or other resources to consider possible solutions to the key issues in the case and make a short list of possible solutions. For each potential solution, consider the advantages and disadvantages, including their positive and negative consequences.

Prepare a paper of $500600$ words that includes your analysis of the case, including the key issues, your proposed course of action, and an explanation of why you selected this approach. Be sure to write in complete sentences and to avoid bullet lists.

Submit your report through the Group Case Study Project: Part $1$ dropbox in UM Learn by the deadline specified in the course schedule, provided in the Course Outline.

Case Study

Winnipeg's Get Fit $4$ Life Sees Declining Revenue and Increasing Staff Turnover

About Get Fit $4$ Life

A gym interior.

Get Fit $4$ Life started as a stand$-$alone fitness facility in $1995$ in the south end of Winnipeg. It was owned and operated by four friends, who met while studying physical education and recreation management at the University of Manitoba, and who were equal partners in the business. They applied their knowledge of fitness to build a regular client base and learned the business side of the operation through experience. Each was a director of the organization and in the early years of the business, they each acted as floor manager, working rotating shifts at the gym.

For the first few years, the business grew steadily. Revenue was generated by membership sales. Monthly and annual memberships were offered, with annual memberships priced to equal the cost of nine months of membership to encourage clients to buy an entire year's membership. Located in what was once a warehouse space, the business sat at the end of a strip mall with lots of available surface parking. Get Fit $4$ Life offered a wide selection of fitness equipment, including free weights, cardio equipment facing television monitors hung from the ceiling, and a large, well$-$lit padded floor space for group fitness classes. The business model included having each director work shifts as on$-$site manager, hiring full and part time staff as fitness attendants who were responsible for welcoming members, managing attendance records for each shift, and keeping workout spaces tidy, and then hiring fitness instructors on short term contracts to offer specialized group classes. Building maintenance and repairs were covered in their space rental agreement, and they contracted daily overnight cleaning to a private company.

Over the years they made small renovations to their space, including adding a family change room and a sauna, and installing a length of retractable wall to divide the large floor space into a private space for smaller group fitness classes. Staffing remained relatively stable over the years, with regular, full$-$time employees working as attendants during the weekdays and part$-$time staff, typically students or adults looking for a second job, covering the evening and weekend shifts. Having graduated from a physical education and recreation management program themselves, they typically hired students from that program to work at the gym. Turnover was steady at about $10\%$ per year for full time staff and just over $30\%$ per year for part time staff, primarily due to students who would quit their part time job once they graduated. The business continued to earn its revenue from membership sales, with monthly or annual membership passes available. A membership included access to all fitness facilities and any group fitness classes on a first$-$come, first$-$served basis.

By $2005,$ the business was doing extremely well offering new classes, such as yoga and cycle fitness, to meet the current trends relating to health and wellness. Membership sales were supplemented with vending machines selling sports drinks, packaged protein bars, and other snacks. At the $2005$ annual strategic planning meeting, the four owners decided that they were well enough established in their business to expand and, over the next three years, opened three new Get Fit $4$ Life locations.

By $2008,$ Get Fit $4$ Life had four locations and a presence in each quadrant of Winnipeg. The Directors removed themselves from the day$-$to$-$day ope