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TRAINERS » Your Business Revive Fitness
Andrea Dirocco- Supryka
One to One Fitness Belleville, Ont.
www.onetoonefitness.ca
“Working with registered health care professionals has been phe- nomenal for our credibility and business.” ~ Andrea Dirocco-Supryka
“I have moved to a larger space four times over my 10 years in business. Each time the move has been costly and has felt extremely risky....but expanding gradually has benefited us in the long term.”
managing capital costs, I had a lot of assistance from family and friends. My sister, a professional interior architect/ designer, did the drawings and came up with the design concept, layout, colour choices, etc. Other business- owner family members and friends do- nated or gave me discounts on items like mirrors, flooring, tools, office sup- plies and furniture. In the early years, I would often use registration fees to purchase equipment for an upcom- ing session. The number of people who registered determined how much equipment (like kettlebells, spin bikes, etc.) I could buy. I have moved to a larger space four
times over my 10 years in business. Each time the move has been costly and has felt extremely risky. It’s dif- ficult to project revenue numbers be- cause of the nature of our industry – you never know what clients will do over time. Each move has been a risk, but expanding gradually has benefited us in the long term.
Get creative in a crisis In 2010, like all other small busi-
nesses we were hit with the HST. It was a huge surprise, but I just couldn’t justify a major price increase. Our cli- ents were getting hit by every other service around them; we feared that our training might be the first thing they would cut. We decided to increase rates by half of the 13% and that the club would cover the other half. We presented it as a way of giving back to our loyal clients, and they appreci- ated it tremendously. We had to pull
24 Fitness Business Canada September/October 2012
back some advertising and supplies ex- penses for a time to help balance the budget, but in the end everyone was happy.
Ask for help As I transitioned from trainer to
club owner it was difficult for me to make some business decisions. I was close to my clients and found some financial conversations difficult to handle. A few years into my business I hired a fitness business coach (Sherri McMillan of Northwest Personal Training) to help me work smart- er. Whenever I’ve wanted to take my game to the next level, I’ve had coach- es help me – and this was no different. It’s likely a lot less expensive than you think to have a business coach, book- keeper, accountant and other profes- sionals step in and help you. For me it’s been worth every cent.
Get organized There are times when I feel like I’m
covering off all the demands – like managing the website, finances, book- keeping, advertising, taxes, etc. – that a larger organization would have a handful of people doing. And of course I’m still trying to be what I truly am, a trainer. If you’re not careful and very organized with your schedule, you can get off track. The fitness indus- try is a physical job and requires a great deal of energy. Succeeding is all about balance, and if you don’t take care of all components of your busi- ness properly the worry will keep you up at night.
When Andrea Dirocco-Supryka found herself at odds with her employer’s im- personal approach to fitness, she start- ed her own personal training business lugging equipment to and from clients’ homes. Finding this an inefficient busi- ness model, she opened her own 900 sq. ſt. non-intimidating “mini gym” in 1994 financing it with wedding money and personal savings. She purchased some basic equipment, and members came flocking. Today, the facility is 11,000 sq. ſt. Dirocco-Supryka runs the business with her husband and a third partner, employs eight personal train- ers and shares her space with a thriving physiotherapy clinic.
Think business, love business To succeed as a club owner you
have to love business as well as be pas- sionate about helping people. I started working in my father’s retail busi- ness when I was 12, and in Grade 11 I opened a summertime ice cream shop with a cousin that we operated for 10
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