Business Spotlight – Club 300 Exclusive Gym & Personal Training Studio
This week our Business Spotlight speaks to Mike Lindsay who has certainly demonstrated strength in business by starting up Club 300 Exclusive Gym & Personal Training Studio.
Club 300 has service built into its core, with even the name reflecting this in Mike’s pledge that there will be a maximum of 300 members at any one time. This allows more of a personal focus where clients, no matter what fitness stage they are at, can take their health and fitness to the next level in Cub 300’s friendly and supportive environment.
Club 300 also takes pride in creating a community feel in the gym, where everyone can feel welcome.
To find out more, we asked Mike a few questions:
Business owner: Mike Lindsay
Date business started: 01/10/15
Business tel: 01224 743660
Business address: 4 Jeanfield Road, Perth, PH1 1PH
Website: www.club300.co.uk
Facebook:
1. What did you do before you started your business?
I was a leisure club manager for around 10 years, but directly before opening Club 300 I was a freelance Personal Trainer for 3 years running Mike Lindsay Personal Training.
2. What drew you towards your field of business?
It was the next step to take. Having created a good client base and hearing feedback about what my clients wanted I knew the type of facility that was needed in the area.
3. What hurdles and challenges have you faced in getting to the stage you are currently at?
The main hurdle, apart from the huge costs involved in setting up the business, was coming to terms with the legal side of things – especially when it came to signing leases.
Also, although the council was very helpful, it is daunting when it’s not something you have done before, and the process for new businesses applying for the relevant permissions could perhaps be streamlined to ensure others are not put off before they even get started.
4. How has Elevator and Business Gateway helped you and your business on its journey?
Sarah and the team have been a great support. It’s not the first time I’ve looked at opening a club using the Business Gateway, but it’s the first time I’ve actually gone ahead with it. This time, Sarah and myself were happy that the figures added up and that kind of support is invaluable.
5. Since starting your business, if you could have done one thing differently, what would that be?
I wouldn’t change a thing! We spent a good period of time ensuring the plan, the business model and marketing were strong so we could achieve the long term strategy of the club - to provide an exclusive, welcoming facility where every member counts and can receive the professional attention they need. So far so good with some great feedback from our client base.
6. What aspect of your business have you taken the most pride in since you started?
Community. I’ve been very happy that the feedback and reviews we have received exactly match what we were trying to create. When you hear people saying they have never enjoyed going to a gym so much and you see their faces light up after a session you know it is a lifestyle change for them that will last!
7. Do you have any entertaining stories or experiences since starting your business, unexpected events, or interesting developments?
We have recently started doing Event Days… We wanted to offer something back to the community, so one Sunday every month the coaches run a Festival of Fitness, which is free for everyone including non-members! We offer free pre-workout Nespresso coffee and after the sweat is finished we give everyone brunch… last month it was post workout Christmas porridge!
In the summer we plan to head out on the Sundays and tackle some of Scotland’s fantastic Munros as a community. Again, this is just something we offer to give people the chance to do things they have never done before and meet new people at the same time.
8. Has the business recently secured significant orders, expanded its premises, taken on new staff, received funding, produced something unique, increased exports, etc.?
Our Club, as the name states, aims to have 300 members maximum. This is our guarantee to our members that service is our priority and keeps the club exclusive. After only 3 months in operation, we surpassed the 100 member mark! This coincided with us taking on a new member of staff, Kelsey Watson PT who previously worked at Gleneagles’ gym for 5 years - a great coup for the club!
9. What do you love about running your business? Or the sector you work in?
You can see what needs worked on first hand and make the changes immediately, making the business as a whole as proactive as possible.
From a Personal Trainer’s point of view, the best thing about being in this sector is the ability to make such a positive impact on peoples’ lives. Information that I give clients today can help them for years to come and when they it apply to their daily routines, they can often get some fantastic transformations!
10. What plans do you have for the future of your business?
We aim to keep growing the business up to 300 members. The direction of the business will be dictated mainly by what our 300 members want.
Aside from being a gym to our clients and in many cases a home from home, our goal is to be the go-to Personal Training facility in Perth. We feel we are on the right track but want to ensure people who are deciding to invest in a personal trainer are getting only the best advice from fully qualified staff, and that is something they can be assured of at Club 300!
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