Why Accounts Receivable Isn’t a Gym Membership

Full disclosure: At the beginning of the year, I wasn’t happy with my fitness level. I was the heaviest I’d ever been, and I knew I needed to make a change.

I’d joined gyms in the past, but I never stayed committed. This time, I tried something different. I bought equipment for my home office — nothing fancy, just enough to keep me consistent. And it worked. I stayed on track, and I’m down 20 pounds this year! Which is awesome, but this isn’t a weight loss blog.

As I’ve been working out in my office, it hit me: the way gyms handle memberships is the complete opposite of how we need to handle accounts receivable. And confusing the two? That’s how companies get burned.

Gyms Expect Ghosting

Think about it. Every January, the gym is full. Every treadmill is taken, every class is packed. By March, it’s a ghost town.

And you know what? The gym doesn’t care. They expect you to ghost. Their whole business model counts on it. You’ll keep paying the monthly fee long after you’ve stopped showing up, and they’ll make their money whether you use the service or not.

That’s fine for Planet Fitness. But in A/R? That mindset will sink you.

Why A/R Can’t Work That Way

In accounts receivable, ghosting is deadly.

• At the gym, disappearing is “normal churn.”

• In A/R, disappearing is a $10,000 invoice you may never collect.

Too many businesses treat delinquent accounts like lapsed gym members: “If we just wait it out, maybe they’ll come back.”

That’s not customer retention. That’s wishful thinking. And it creates real risk:

1. Cash Flow Crunch 💸
   That unpaid invoice isn’t sitting quietly in the corner. It’s blocking payroll, vendor payments, and growth.

2. Bigger Write-Offs Later 📝
   The longer a balance lingers, the colder it gets. Ninety days past due is rarely a coincidence — it’s usually a write-off in waiting.

3. False Loyalty 🤝
   Letting a delinquent account linger doesn’t make them loyal. Customers who don’t pay don’t magically transform into reliable partners.

What Strong A/R Looks Like

Just like working out, success in collections isn’t about heroic bursts of effort. It’s about steady, consistent discipline.

Here’s what healthy A/R practices look like:

• Clear Payment Terms
  Make them obvious, upfront, and repeated. Confusion kills collections.

• Consistent Follow-Up
  Following up isn’t pushy, it’s professional. Silence lets balances slide.

• Real Consequences
  Late payers shouldn’t get a free pass. Enforce COD terms, reduce limits, or put accounts on hold until they get current.

• Rewards for Reliability
  Good customers deserve better treatment. On-time payers should see benefits: better terms, faster service, stronger partnerships.

Lessons From Both Worlds

At the gym, you get stronger by showing up consistently. In A/R, you protect cash flow the same way — by showing up consistently to enforce terms, follow up, and keep the process moving.

Gyms can afford to ignore ghosting. Your business can’t.

So stop waiting for customers to magically “show back up.” Stop treating unpaid invoices like abandoned treadmills.

Collections isn’t mean. It’s maintenance. And if you want your business strong enough to lift, you need the discipline to chase what’s owed.

🔥 Bottom Line:
Your accounts receivable isn’t a gym membership. Stop letting ghosts weigh you down. Stay consistent, enforce your terms, and keep your business fit.