1. Preparing to Open a Nutrition Club

 

NOTE – IT IS permissible to open and operate a Nutrition Club if you have been a Distributor for less than 12 months. IT IS NOT permissible to enter into a lease agreement for a Nutrition Club if you have not been a Distributor for 12 months. Work with your sponsor to ensure you are in compliance with the 12 month rule.

 

Complete these 3 steps with Herbalife Nutrition before signing a lease. Log into your account at www.MyHerbalife.com. On the bottom of the homepage click on “Nutrition Clubs” under “Quick Links” and follow the steps on opening a commercial location.

  1. Complete the online Commercial Location Training
  2. Complete the Nutrition Club Business Plan
  3. Register your club and get name approval

2. Securing a Location

  • Starting to look for your location is a lot of fun! Securing the right space, at the right location, for the right price takes some work – but can be done. 

3. Checklist once lease is signed

  • Set up your Social Media pages – Instagram and Facebook
  • Get a CELL PHONE for your club with the area code of your club
    • You can often add a phone to your current plan at a reduced rate
  • Design your Logo (quick and easy to do on Canva) – show to sponsor before finalizing
  • Set your hours
    • Recommended hours are 7am-6pm Monday thru Friday and 10am – 2pm Saturday and Sunday. Check your area hospitals, workout facilities, etc., for their busy times and adjust accordingly. They may have shift changes between 6am – 7am that would warrant you opening at 6am to capitalize on that business.
  • Order Invites – Order by emailing Cathy Emmons at cat@catstypesetting.com – order the Curtis Organization Club Invites
  • Post “Coming Soon” sign(s) in your window(s) – we recommend printing at least 2 signs for your front windows with a suggested size of 24”x36” or as large as will look good in your window
  • 5 steps to Setting Up Your Business – watch the video below to learn the details needed to establish your business entity, set up your business checking account, and start tracking your finances

4. Buildout

  • Get utilities put in your name
  • Design your Layout – it is important to maximize your space so as to have the greatest # of seats you can have at the bar. This will increase the energy and facilitate the “fun factor” inside your club!
  • Build the Bar – The bar dimensions are specifically designed to help you maximize space and efficiency. The overhang on the inside of the bar is perfectly sized to fit the Formula 1 and PDM canisters underneath; the layout is designed to keep your space organized and clean; and it allows you to work quickly and efficiently to serve your customers. There are 2 options to building the bar.
    • A – Purchase Cabinets – you can purchase pre-made cabinets and build/attach the upper “customer” bar to the backside of the cabinets. If you do this, the floor to top of bar measurement is 47” and you will need to find 33-36” barstools which can be more difficult to find. Measurements for Purchased Cabinet Option
    • B- Built Shelves – you can build the underneath area as shelves to house your cups, lids, straws, products, etc. If you choose option B – the floor to customer bar height is 44.5 inches which is the perfect height for 30” barstools which are easy to find and reasonably priced. Measurements for Built Shelves Option
  • Plumbing – you will need a water line and drain for the ice machine and 3-hole sink
  • Electric – you will need electricity for your ice machine and refrigerator, as well as outlets installed in your bar for blenders, hotpot, and order processing systems
  • Countertop (possible drop in ice bin and water spigot at tea station)
    • There are several great and inexpensive options for a nice looking countertop. Check out:
      • Ikea – Ekbacken in Concrete Effect, Light Gray Concrete Effect, White Marble Effect
      • Home Depot – Hampton Bay Calcutta Marble
      • Lowes – Formica Calcutta Marble
  • Signage (on building and on door)
    • Your name and logo are allowed on your large outside sign and on your door. However, tag lines like “healthy smoothie and energy bar” and pictures of smoothies ARE NOT allowed as those are not approved by Herbalife. Get estimates from 2-3 sign companies and have your sponsor look at the final sign picture and layout before placing your order with the sign company. The door decals can have your club logo, hours, phone # and FaceBook and Instagram handles.
  • Flooring
    • If the building has a concrete floor that is in good shape, consider painting and polishing it for a cool, industrial look.
    • If you are purchasing flooring – stay away from carpet and look at commercial laminate options. Get several estimates and in some cases – you can save money by installing yourself.
  • Paint – we recommend a light gray, neutral color that looks good with your countertop and flooring. You could consider a slightly darker shade on an accent wall or on the front of your bar. Popular gray options include:
    • Sherwin Williams Repose Gray
    • Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
    • Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray
  • Lighting – check out these fun lighting options for your walls over over the bar
  •  Miscellaneous –
    • Open Sign – simple LED Open Sign (approx. $30 Amazon.com)
    • Door Chime – EZCHIME Entrance Alert Mechanical Chime (approx. $30 Amazon.com)

5. Kitchen Items

  • Sink – Stainless Steel 2 or 3 compartment sink
    • pick 2 or 3 compartments depending on your health code requirements
    • recommended to get 2 drainboards unless space is limited
    • Regency 72” 2-compartment sink with 2 drainboards – Item #: 600S217172G (WebstaurantStore.com)
    • Regency 79” 3-compartment sink with 2 drainboards – Item #: 600S315152G (WebstaurantStore.com)
  • Faucet – T&S B-0265 Splash Mount Faucet with 18” double jointed swing nozzle (www.Katom.com)
  • Ice Machine – Manitowoc UYF-0310A NEO 30“ Air Cooled Ice Machine with Bin – 295 lb (WebstaurantStore.com). We recommend purchasing an ice machine but you may have an option to lease one. The advantage of leasing is that the company you lease it from typically maintains and cleans the machine. You can check around in your area for a company that leases ice machines to see if it would be cost efficient ($100-150 is reasonable)
  • Refrigerator
    • Option 1 – 9.2 Cu Ft Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator (Danby brand at BestBuy.com is a good value)
    • Option 2 – counter top mini fridge (Igloo IBC41SS 4.1 Cu Ft 180-can capacity beverage fridge) AND small chest freezer (Insignia 5.0 Cu Ft Chest Freezer from BestBuy.com)
  • Blenders – (2) Blendtec Q-Series Model Connoisseur 825 with (8) Fourside Jars Item #100341A (amazon.com)
  • Hot Pot – Homevolts Temperature Control Kettle Model #512964 (amazon.com)
  • Optional Item – In Counter Ice-Bin – Regency 18” x 24” Stainless Steel Drop In Ice Bin (WebstaurantStore.com)
    • This item would be used when your ice machine needs to be located far from your tea/shake stations

6. Furniture & Décor

 

Furnishing and decorating your club can be a lot of fun and you can make it look great without spending a lot of money or hiring a decorator!  We recommend using popular, clean, cool, warm which are listed above in the Buildout section. For furniture – barstools should be sturdy and NEED TO BE THE CORRECT HEIGHT for your bar. You should have some tables and chairs (regular or higher pub tables) and you may opt for a lounge/seating area if you have room for it. If you want to add a color – keep it to a splash/or a minimum as that can become dated in just a few years. We recommend having a vinyl decal of your logo on one of your walls for pictures to be taken for social media tags/check-ins. Your product display will be very small – with just the products you serve in the club for shakes and energy drinks. Finally, an inspiration wall is also a great idea.

 

It is important to be completely finished with your decor prior to opening date – as first impressions are very important.

7. Menu & Recipes

FedEx Office Discount – Herbalife has negotiated a discount with FedEx Office stores which is a great resource for your printing and poster needs. The discount amount is significant. Go to “Resources” for details.

Menu

 

You will have a “counter menu” which will be laminated with shakes on one side and energy drinks on the other and will be on your bar for ordering. You can keep a laminated Gluten-Free menu under your counter in case someone asks for one. The tri-fold menu is given to customers to take with them so they can call-in their orders, as well as to drop off with your Team Drops/Inservices. There are 3 designs to choose from. You will need to download Canva and create an account. Be sure to MAKE A COPY of the template before personalizing it for your club.

Recipes/Forms Needed in Club

8. Stocking the Bar

  • Product Inventory Order
  • Cups, Lids, Straws, Extras
    • 16 oz clear cups 
    • 24 oz clear cups
    • straw slot lids (for tea)
    • dome lids (for shake)
    • 12 oz hot cups and lids
    • 16 oz hot cups and lids
    • straws
  • Branded stickers for cups – 2×2 gloss label stickers cut to size – uprinting.com
    • 6,000 quantity for approx $120
    • We recommend a simple sticker with just your club logo (in color) for branding purposes
  • Torani Syrups – Almond, Caramel, Vanilla, Strawberry (all Sugar-Free) and pump for each flavor – torani.com 
  • Pudding Holder – New Star #48049 Condiment Dispenser with 6 Compartments amazon.com 
  • Kitchen Items and Grocery List

9. Business Logistics

  • Set up Sales Tax (see video below)
  • Purchase an iPad and iPad stand
  • Purchase a cash register
    • Volcora 16” manual push open cash register drawer
  • Set up Herbalife MyClub – we recommend choosing Clover as your credit card processor as they have the best pricing

10. Pre-Open Plan

 

As you are building out your club and getting ready for opening day – you will be continually marketing your business by doing the Pre-Open Plan. It is IMPERATIVE to do this plan as it designed to bring business in your door the day you open.

 

Join your local Chamber of Commerce. Check into the pricing – small town chambers often cost less than $200 will more than pay for itself! If it’s more than $250 to join – check with your sponsor/upline TAB Team to see if it makes sense for you.

 

The Social Media Pre-Open Plan starts THE DAY YOU SIGN YOUR LEASE! 

 

The local marketing Pre-Open Plan starts 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO OPENING DATE!

  • Social Media Pre-Open Plan
    • See photo bank below for potential social media content- click on a photo then press download to save it!
  • Local Marketing Pre-Open Plan
    • Invites – Invites should be dropped off at all businesses within a 3 mile radius of your club. You will leave enough invites for all employees along with a tri-fold menu.
      • Do a MINIMUM of 200 invites per day three weeks prior to opening date – total of 3,000 invites in the community prior to opening date
      • Info to order invites: click here
    • Inservices/Tea Drops – Pick businesses within a mile of your nutrition club to drop off TALL ENERGY DRINKS for each employee. Find out how many employees work there, pick 2-3 flavors (recommend Pink Panther and Lime-A-Rita), and drop them off at 10am or 3pm which is typically a low-energy time of day. Introduce yourself, tell them what they are getting in their Energy Drinks, and leave menus and invites for all employees.
      • Do AT LEAST 3 per week three weeks prior to opening date – total of 9 tea drops to close-by businesses prior to opening date

 

11. Hiring Employees

 

It is imperative that you are staffed for success BEFORE opening date! You will need to have 4-5 people with you for the first few days of opening your club. The first impression needs to be a great one. If people have to wait too long, or your new business looks like a small “mom & pop” business that is not set up for massive business – they may not come back.

Timeline:

  • 3 weeks prior to opening date – Post help wanted info (see below) on your Social Media 
  • 2 weeks prior to opening date – Interview and hire 4-5 team members
  • 1 week prior to opening date – Train your staff how to make WOW shakes and energy drinks and operate MyClub 
  • Opening Date – you are set up for a successful day with a great team!

12. Keep a list of all expenses as you go along the process!