Gym and fitness studio loans

Which loans work best for gyms and studios?

Equipment financing works best for racks, cardio machines, rigs and flooring, often through the manufacturer, because the gear is the collateral. SBA 7(a) works best for a full opening, where the loan covers build out, equipment, franchise fee and working capital in one package. Revenue based financing works best for an open studio that needs marketing or a cushion, because the payment flexes with monthly membership billing.

• Equipment: 2 to 7 years, 0% to 20% down, 7% to 20% APR.
• SBA 7(a): $150,000 to $1 million for most openings, 10 year terms.
• Revenue based: 6% to 12% of monthly revenue until a fixed fee is repaid.

Franchise brands with a track record often have lenders who already know the unit economics.

What do lenders like and dislike about fitness businesses?

Lenders like recurring membership billing, a member count that grows month over month, a franchise with strong brand history, and an owner with fitness or multi unit retail experience. They like membership software exports that show churn, average revenue per member and the share on annual contracts.

They dislike churn that runs above the brand average, a lease that is more than 15% to 20% of revenue, and equipment that loses value quickly in heavy use. They remember how badly the trade was hurt when gyms were forced to close, so independents with no track record get the tightest terms. Studios that sell class packs rather than memberships look less predictable than they are, so show retention data.

How much can a gym borrow?

Equipment lenders fund the invoice, commonly $30,000 to $300,000 for a full fit out. SBA 7(a) lenders size an opening to the total project cost, usually $300,000 to $1 million for a franchised studio, less a 10% to 20% owner injection. Working capital and revenue based lenders advance 50% to 100% of one month of membership billing, so a gym billing $40,000 a month usually sees $20,000 to $40,000. Banks that offer a line to an established gym cap it at one or two months of revenue. Projected member counts matter for openings, so build them from the brand's ramp data, not hope. Check coverage with the DSCR calculator.

What documents will you be asked for?

Working capital lenders want three to six months of bank statements and card processing statements. Equipment lenders add the quote. SBA and franchise lenders want the full package:

• Two years of business and personal tax returns, or a plan and projections for a startup
• Membership software reports: members, churn, revenue per member, contract mix
• The signed franchise agreement and the brand's disclosure document
• The lease or letter of intent and a build out budget
• Equipment quotes
• A personal financial statement showing the cash injection

The document checklist has the complete list.

What are the common uses of funds?

Fitness loans typically pay for one of these.

• Opening a franchised studio: an SBA 7(a) loan for a $500,000 project covering franchise fee, build out, equipment and three months of operating cash.
• Equipment refresh: $80,000 of cardio and strength equipment financed over five years.
• A second studio: see opening a second location, where the first studio's membership data carries the application.
• Marketing a launch or a January push: $30,000 of revenue based financing.
• Buying an existing gym: an acquisition loan sized to its membership revenue and profit.

What usually gets a gym application declined?

The most common reasons are a falling member count, deposits under $10,000 a month, NSF days, and existing advances. For openings, lenders decline on too little cash injection, no experience, a lease the projections cannot carry, and a franchise brand with weak unit economics. Banks decline independents under two years almost by default. Credit scores under about 600 for online products and 650 for SBA are also common stops. A gym that has stacked two or more advances to survive a slow summer will struggle to refinance until they are paid down. Why loans get denied explains the fixes.

How to apply

Apply once here with your bank statements, membership reports and equipment quotes or franchise agreement, and your application reaches equipment, SBA, franchise and revenue based lenders together. Or connect your AI assistant to our MCP server through the agents hub and it can read your reports, fill the application and submit it for you. It is free to the gym, and offers come back to the same place for comparison.