Watch the demo Why it works What it does Attendance streaks How it works Pricing FAQs All services 💬 WhatsApp
⚙ Operate · Gym Manager

Spot the members about to quit, before they do.

Gym Manager tracks memberships, renewals and who's actually showing up. Members scan a QR on the way in and see their attendance streak, and you nudge quiet ones back on WhatsApp before they quit. No app for members to download. Built for Nairobi gyms.

Membership renewals on autopilot 🔥 Attendance streaks that keep members hooked 🔒 No member login Runs from your phone 📵 No hardware to buy
Members
Active members
312
Expiring this week
18
Check-ins today
74
This month
Ksh 486k
Expiring soon Remind all
Brian K.Monthly · expires in 2 days
Remind
Achieng O.Quarterly · expires in 4 days
Remind
⚠️
Dennis M.Hasn't come in 12 days
Win back
Today's check-ins 24
🔥
Faith W.8th visit this month · 22 in a row
In
🔥
Kevin T.5th visit this month · 9 in a row
In
See it work

Watch it run a real gym.

Members checked in, renewals chased and streaks building, all from a phone. Two and a half minutes, no slides.

2.5 minutes · 🔊 turn your sound on

The real cost

You can't keep members you can't see.

Most gyms find out a member has quit on renewal day, weeks after they actually stopped coming. By then it's too late to win them back.

Members drift away quietly

Attendance drops off for weeks before anyone cancels. If you're not watching who stops showing up, you lose them without warning.

Renewals slip through

Memberships expire and nobody chases them. Every un-renewed member is money that quietly walked out the door.

Cash you can't track

Who paid, who owes, who's on which plan. Kept in a book or your head, it's impossible to know your real numbers.

No idea what's working

Which classes fill up, which trainers bring the money, which plans people actually renew. You're guessing.

Already live

Real gyms running on it today.

The same system you'd get, branded to each gym. Every dashboard sits behind a password, because it holds real members' numbers and attendance. You don't have to be in Nairobi, and you don't have to meet us.

★★★★★

"Such a nice software. We've been utilizing it at Jays' Fitness Systems and so far it's fantastic. Highly recommend."

Joseph MutuaJays Fitness Systems · Google review
50+
active members checking in with a QR at Jays Fitness. No scanner, no app, run from the owner's phone.
Jays Fitness Systems Gym Manager sign-in
Jays Fitness SystemsAthi River

Memberships, check-in and renewals, run from the owner's phone.

Fireframe Fitness Gym Manager sign-in
Fireframe FitnessNyahururu

Members, attendance and payments in one dashboard. Set up from Nairobi, and we have still never met in person.

Echelon Tactical & Fitness Gym Manager sign-in
Echelon Tactical & FitnessGigiri

Tactical and fitness training, with every member and visit tracked.

Your members' names, numbers and attendance are never public. That's the point.

What it does

One dashboard for the whole gym.

Memberships, attendance, classes, trainers and your supplement shop. In one place, on your phone.

Memberships & renewals

Every member's plan and expiry date in one view. Gym Manager sends them a WhatsApp renewal reminder before they lapse, so you stop chasing and stop losing them.

Never miss a renewal

Attendance streaks

Members scan a QR at your door with their own phone and instantly see their streak and monthly count on screen. Seeing the number grow keeps them coming back, and a rest day won't cost them the streak.

Members stay hooked

Leaderboards & challenges

Every member sees where they rank on the month's attendance board, right on the check-in screen. Run it as a challenge and they compete to keep showing up. The location check keeps it honest, so nobody climbs it from home.

Turn showing up into a game

Loyalty & rewards

Members earn points for showing up, keeping a streak or bringing a friend, then cash them in for a free session, gym merch or money off renewal. A rewards program built on consistency, not spending.

Reward your regulars

Churn early-warning

When a member's attendance starts dropping, they get flagged so you can reach out and win them back before they cancel, not after.

Catch quitters early
Add-on

Class booking

Members book spin, HIIT, yoga or boxing from their phone. Each class has a capacity, so you never oversell a session or turn people away at the door.

Fill every class
Add-on

PT session packages

Sell a block of personal-training sessions and one ticks off automatically each time the member trains. No more arguments about how many are left.

Sell packages, not guesses

Member database

Every member saved with their plan, phone number and full history. Bring your whole list in from a CSV or Excel file, no typing them in one by one, then one tap to WhatsApp a single member or everyone at once.

Your member book, safe

Members sign themselves up

A new face scans the door QR and adds their name, no waiting for you to enter them. They're checked in on the spot, you see how many joined that day, and you confirm the real ones or remove anyone who isn't a member.

Onboarding without the admin

Win-back & broadcasts

Message lapsed members with an offer, or announce a new class or price to everyone at once, at a pace that keeps your number safe.

Bring them back
Add-on

Sell supplements & merch

Protein, water, gym tees and shakers tracked like real stock, right alongside memberships. Your gym shop and your gym, one dashboard.

Your gym shop, sorted
One system

Everything your gym runs on, in one place.

Members, classes, trainers and payments stop living in different books and apps. One system, talking to itself.

Memberships & renewals
Attendance streaks
Loyalty & rewards
Churn early-warning
Class booking
PT session packages
Member database
Win-back broadcasts
Essence Automations
Memberships & renewalsAttendance streaksLoyalty & rewardsChurn early-warningClass bookingPT session packagesMember databaseWin-back broadcasts
The feature members love

A QR at the door that keeps members coming back.

The member scans on the way in and instantly sees their streak, right there on their phone. It's the same trick that makes fitness apps addictive, nobody wants to break a streak, except there's no app to download. And the same scan tells you who's slowing down.

  • Members see their progress.

    "8 visits this month, 22 in a row." Seeing the number grow is what pulls them back through the door.

  • They see where they rank.

    Every member sees their place on the month's leaderboard when they scan in. Turn it into a challenge and they compete to stay near the top.

  • You see who's slipping.

    The same check-in data flags a member whose visits are dropping, so you win them back before they quit.

  • A rest day won't kill it.

    Train Monday, Wednesday, Friday and the streak keeps going. Take more than two days off and it starts again.

  • No app, no login, no cards.

    Members scan with their own phone and see it right there. Nothing to install, nothing to remember.

How a member checks in
  1. 1
    They scan the one QR poster at your door with their own phone.
  2. 2
    The first time only, they type the mobile number you already have them saved under. Takes a second, no password.
  3. 3
    Their phone remembers them, so every visit after is one scan and their streak shows instantly. No smartphone, or left it at home? You check them in with one tap from your Members list.
Iron Republic Gym
Checked in!
Welcome back, Faith 👋
8
this month
🔥 22
in a row
111 visits this year 💪
Keep the streak alive.

What a member sees, the second they scan.

And it grows your gym

Not just run the gym, grow it.

The extras that turn a full gym into a growing one: more members through the door, more reviews on Google, more reasons for members to stay.

Automatic Google reviews

After a member hits a milestone, they're asked for a Google review at the moment they're happiest. Your rating climbs and new members find you on Google Maps.

Get found, get booked

Member referrals

Every member gets their own referral link. When a friend they send joins, they both get a reward, so your members become your best salespeople.

Grow by word of mouth

Freeze, don't cancel

Travelling or injured? Members pause their membership instead of quitting. A frozen member comes back. A cancelled one is gone for good.

Keep members who'd leave

Streak-at-risk nudges

When a regular's membership is about to expire, the reminder plays on their streak: don't lose that run of 12, renew now. Two reasons to stay, not one.

Renewals that land

Free-trial funnel

A book-a-free-session page turns your Instagram followers into trials, and trials into members, with automatic follow-up so no lead goes cold.

Fill the top of the funnel

Want this running in your gym? Send me your plans and class timetable, I set the whole thing up.

💬 Set up my gym
How it works

Live in a day.

I do the heavy lifting. You get a working gym you can run from your hand.

1. I set it up for you

Send your member list and your plans. I build your dashboard and print your door check-in QR, usually within the hour. No data entry on your side.

2. You run it from your phone

Check members in, take payments by cash or M-Pesa, see who's expiring and who's slipping, all from your phone. Staff logins if you want them.

3. Members stay on their own

They scan on the way in and see their streak, book classes, and get renewal nudges on WhatsApp. No app, no login, nothing for them to learn.

Who it's for

Built for how Kenyan gyms actually run.

🏋️ Commercial gyms 🥊 Boxing & MMA 🏋 CrossFit boxes 🧘 Yoga & pilates studios 💪 PT & strength studios 🚴 Spin studios
Joel Muthee, founder of Essence Automations
Joel MutheeFounder · Essence Automations
Who's behind it

The same hands behind Shop Manager.

I'm Joel. I build practical tools for Nairobi businesses, websites, shop systems, WhatsApp automation, the kind a busy owner actually uses, not enterprise software built for big chains.

Shop Manager already runs real Nairobi shops from a phone. Gym Manager brings that same thinking to gyms: keep members coming back, chase nothing, and run it all from your phone with no app for anyone to download.

Every feature earns its place by solving a real problem a gym owner has, not one a developer imagined.

Joel Muthee
Founder, Essence Automations
In their words

What clients say about working with us.

Not all of them run gyms, but they all trusted us to build and deliver. Same hands building yours.

★★★★★ 5.0 from 18 verified Google reviews See them on Google →
★★★★★

"Such a nice software. We've been utilizing it at Jays' Fitness Systems and so far it's fantastic. Highly recommend."

Joseph MutuaJays Fitness Systems
★★★★★

"Joel from Essence Automations designed an amazing website for our hardware business. He also created a Google Business Profile and optimized it so well, Oloolua Hardware is now ranking number 2 in Ngong."

Oloolua HardwareHardware, Ngong
★★★★★

"You made the whole process easy and stress-free. I'm grateful for how careful you were with every detail and how you captured the feel of my brand."

Joy RykerRyker Luxury
★★★★★

"Brilliant system from Joel. The appointment calendar and review system work really well."

SuitGuru KenyaMenswear, Nairobi
★★★★★

"Joel has run our digital ads at Rajshyn Jewellers since 2018. His Facebook, Instagram and Google ad strategies have delivered positive returns consistently. I recommend him."

Bhavna PattniRajshyn Jewellers
★★★★★

"Joel built a quote-request ad for our company on a Saturday afternoon. By Monday morning we already had 2 qualified leads asking for quotes. If you're looking for clients, I highly recommend Essence Automations."

Becca ReenaSptra Glass & Interiors KE
★★★★★

"Joel designed a really nice website for us, full of detail, and we get quote requests and enquiries by email very quickly. Huge impact on our business. Best decision we ever made was choosing him. Hongera!"

Boma Movers KEMovers, Nairobi
★★★★★

"Joel designed a great website for my hospital that also comes with a customer-tracking app. Try him, you won't regret it."

Dr. Fadhili MuliliMedical practice, Nairobi
★★★★★

"Loved working with Joel on my one-page website. I gave him a brief and he came back with a great design on the first try. Friendly, easy to talk to, made the whole process smooth."

Franklin ThomasWebsite client
★★★★★

"Can't say enough about the support Joel has given my business, Brookhaven Events. The webchat and CRM solutions have been crucial in our marketing."

Farouk SterooBrookhaven Events
★★★★★

"Our sales process is much simpler now with Joel's CRM. The training and after-sales support are top tier. Happy to recommend and work with him again."

Raphael OpiyoCRM client
★★★★★

"Great CRM for lead generation, email marketing, and booking appointments."

Jackson MureithiCRM client
★★★★★

"Lovely AI Support and Appointment Calendar. Really useful."

Diana GithakaAI Support client
★★★★★

"Great customer service and awesome automations from Joel."

Eliud MainaAutomation client
Pricing

Simple pricing. No hardware to buy.

Most gyms here spend 45,000 or more on a fingerprint or card reader before they even start. You don't. Members just scan a QR with their own phone, and it goes live in about an hour. Bolt on class booking, PT packages or your shop only if you run them. Pay monthly by M-Pesa, cancel anytime.

Add what you run
💳
M-Pesa auto-payMembers renew on their phone and it's marked paid automatically. Needs your Lipa na M-Pesa Till.
Ksh 5,000 setup+Ksh 2,000/mo
📅
Class booking & calendarMembers book spin, HIIT, yoga or boxing, with each class capped so you never oversell.
Ksh 10,000 setup+Ksh 2,000/mo
🎫
PT session packagesSell blocks of personal-training sessions and each one ticks off automatically as the member trains.
Ksh 10,000 setup+Ksh 2,000/mo
🛒
Supplement & merch shopTrack protein, water, gym tees and shakers like real stock, right next to your memberships.
Ksh 25,000 setup+Ksh 2,000/mo
One-off, no monthly
🌐
Ultra-modern websiteA fast, modern site for your gym with your classes, trainers and prices, plus a WhatsApp button so new members can reach you in one tap.
from Ksh 40,000

Know another gym owner? Refer them and you get a free month when they join.

Questions

Questions gym owners ask.

Do I need to buy any hardware or gadgets?

No. There's nothing to buy, install or plug in. No scanner, no card reader, no tablet at the door, no turnstile. The only physical thing is one paper QR poster that I print and send you. Members scan it with their own phones, and you run the whole gym from the phone or computer you already have.

Do my members need to download an app?

No. A member scans a QR to check in and see their streak, and gets renewal reminders on WhatsApp. Nothing to download, no login, no passwords.

How does the QR check-in work?

You get one QR poster for your entrance. A member scans it with their own phone on the way in. The first time, they type the mobile number you already have them saved under, no password. After that their phone remembers them, so every visit is one scan and their streak pops up instantly. It logs their visit, shows them their streak and monthly count, and quietly tells you who's slowing down. If someone has no smartphone or forgot theirs, you check them in with one tap from your Members list.

What if a member doesn't have a smartphone?

You check them in yourself, and it takes one tap. Go to Members, find them, and press Check in. That marks them in for today exactly like a scan would, and the button changes to "In today" so you can see at a glance who you've already done. Same thing for anyone who left their phone at home or can't remember which number you saved them under. Their streak, their monthly count and the leaderboard all work exactly the same either way, so nobody gets left out of the numbers just because they don't carry a smartphone.

Can new members add themselves?

Yes. When someone scans your door QR and their number isn't saved yet, they add their name and check straight in. They're told the gym will confirm their membership, so it never reads as a full sign-up. You get a "Joined today" count on your dashboard, and you confirm the real ones by recording their payment, or remove anyone who isn't a member with a tap (and a confirm, so nothing gets deleted by accident). The QR is inside your gym, so it's people who are actually there, and with the location check on, a sign-up from outside the gym is blocked too.

What happens to a member's streak on rest days?

A rest day won't kill it. Training Monday, Wednesday, Friday keeps the streak going, because a streak that punishes people for resting would be broken by design. It only starts again if someone takes more than two days off. You can set that to match how your gym trains, since a boxing gym and a swim school run on different rhythms.

Does a member's streak reset at the end of the month?

No. The monthly count starts fresh on the 1st, which is what the leaderboard races on, but the streak carries straight across. Train on the 31st and again on the 1st and it keeps counting. Scanning twice in one day still counts as one visit, so a double scan at the door can't inflate anyone's numbers. You also see visits this year and total visits ever, and you can look back at any of the last six months, so nothing disappears when the month turns over.

How does the leaderboard work?

Every time a member scans in, it counts one visit for that day. The leaderboard ranks your members by how many times they've come in this month, most visits at the top. The moment a member scans, they see where they rank right on the check-in screen, so they've got a reason to come back and climb. You see the full board in your dashboard, pick any month, and message the top member on WhatsApp with one tap. It resets on the 1st, so every month is a fresh race. Nothing to set up, it runs on the check-ins you're already getting. And if you've turned on the location check, only check-ins made at the gym count, so nobody climbs it from home.

Can members see each other on the leaderboard?

Only if you switch it on. By default a member sees their own rank and nobody else's. Turn the leaderboard on in Settings and they'll also see the month's top five, first names only, never anyone's phone number. It's your call whether the gym competes out loud or each member just races themselves.

Can members cheat by scanning the QR from home?

Not if you turn on the location check. It uses the phone's location the moment they scan, and it has two settings. Flag lets the member in but quietly marks any scan made away from the gym, so you can see who's fibbing without turning a real member away at the door. Strict blocks a scan from outside the gym completely, with a message telling them to check in at the desk. Flag is the friendly everyday setting. Switch to Strict when you're running a challenge with a prize on the line. Either way, scans made away from the gym never count on the leaderboard, so nobody climbs it from their sofa. You set it once in Settings, there's nothing to police day to day. One thing worth being straight about: this stops someone scanning from home, which is the way it actually gets abused. It can't tell whether a member who scanned at your door then walked back out, and no QR system can. So when there's a prize on the line, hand it over yourself at the desk, where you can see who's been flagged.

What happens when a membership is about to expire?

They show up in Expiring this week before they lapse, and Gym Manager writes each reminder for you with their name, their plan and the price already in it. You tap once to open the chat and send. It walks you through the list one member at a time, and it's built that way on purpose: WhatsApp bans numbers that fire off lots of identical messages at once, and a reminder that lands from your own number, one to one, is the one people actually reply to. You can also have the whole week's list sent to your own WhatsApp so you can work through it between sessions.

Can I sell supplements and merch too?

Yes, as an add-on. The shop side tracks products like real stock, protein, water, tees, right next to your memberships, so your gym and your gym shop live in one dashboard. It's a separate add-on to the core plan, so you only pay for it if you actually sell things. Prices are in the table above.

Do I have to add my members one by one?

No. Upload a CSV or Excel file of your members and they all go in at once. It works out which column is the name and which is the phone, skips anyone already saved so you can upload the same list twice without making a mess, and tells you if any rows had a bad number. There's a template to fill in if you want one. Or just send me the file and I'll do it for you.

Do you set it up for me?

Yes. Send me your member list, your plans and your class timetable and I build the whole thing and print your door QR. You can also import your members yourself from a spreadsheet whenever you like. Most gyms are live in a day.

Does it work on any phone?

Yes. It runs in your browser on any phone or computer, no install. Your members only ever need WhatsApp.

Stop losing members you could have kept.

See who's about to quit, keep your regulars coming, and run the whole gym from your phone. Let's set it up.

Built by Essence Automations · rated ★ 5.0 from 17 Google reviews

Chat with us Set up my gym. Chat on WhatsApp