Elena Lapetra
OPERATIONS
Start with a split timetable of available slots and grow it to include walk-in customers. Time the slots around other behaviours and demographics, for example, before work and around noon, office workers will be searching for brain fog relief and after a high intensity exercise class, people will want to optimise their recovery.
Choose your demographics, choose their benefit driver and create your timetable and messaging around it.
CHOOSING YOUR UNIT
Experts say anything above -100 degrees Celsius does not give a cryogenic effect, so ensure your chamber can offer sessions below this level. Equally as important is the way air circulates inside the chamber. Ensure the one you choose doesn’t let the air concentrate in the space from the waist down.
You’ll also need to consider whether the cryotherapy chamber can be programmed to automatically turn on in the morning, whether it needs any drying time or down time each day and how long it will take to reach the optimal temperature – all of these factors will impact your operations.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Not all chambers get approval for insurance coverage; so ask that question early on in the process. Also make sure your service cover supports you not only for remote support and login for quick fixes, but also for on-site support with a good response time.
DOWN TO BUSINESS
It’s best practice for clubs to work with their cryo partners to design ROI guidelines and a longer-term business plan. Successful business models would expect to return their investment in around 12 months.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
When it comes to cryotherapy, the list of claimed benefits can be split into physical performance and mental performance. The most-cited are reduction of recovery time and pain management.
However, cryotherapy is not magic! Doing it once is unlikely to yield results, therefore, make sure your first-timer sessions are a great experience, but are also educational, taking your business beyond just an Instagram post.