How Claire hits her own goals: North East Family Fitness
No childcare? No problem! That’s the mantra Claire Robinson has built her thriving business on – offering the whole family a way to get fit together.
She tells us how The Business Factory has played a part in every chapter of her impressive growth story…
Lack of childcare is the main barrier for so many people when it comes to fitness. Especially single parents who don’t have a network of support.
I’ve always worked in the fitness industry and used to see this problem every day when I was a gym instructor. But it became personal when I had my own baby and I realised just how hard it was for parents to prioritise their health and fit in exercise around their family. I decided to do something about it – providing a real solution to the problem by creating a gym aimed at the whole family.
I realised if I could make fitness fun for the little ones too then that will set them up for a better future too.
I wanted to offer a fun and friendly place where the kids would be welcomed and really feel part of it. So, I designed lots of family fitness sessions, lessons on nutrition and wellbeing, holiday clubs and we even have a dedicated baby room. There’s no sitting on the floor on their phones! They get properly involved and they love it. It’s great to see families exercising together, changing their mindset and their lives. My clients are such a lovely bunch and I’m so proud of what we’ve built together. We’re more than just a gym – we are like one big family. We now have 170 members and we’ve grown to a staff of eight.
The Business Factory has helped me every step of the way since my very beginning six years ago and the support has been amazing.
Most recently, the team helped me with my expansion to bigger accommodation. I moved from my original small studio into a fantastic space at The Old Sorting Office at Station Road in Wallsend. By the time I finished renovating the building I’d run out of money and couldn’t afford to upgrade the shopfront. It looked like the building was still closed and it was in danger of really affecting business. I was over the moon when The Business Factory suggested I apply for a grant to cover the costs, from the Wallsend Town & High Streets Programme. They helped me with the paperwork and the result was an all-singing, all dancing illuminated sign. The impact of this has been phenomenal.
Now people can even see my sign from the Metro! It’s constantly advertising to passengers every day, totally free of charge. It just could not be any better.
In the first month I had an influx of about 30 new clients who were walk-ins. I didn’t used to get any walk-ins before the signage and now it’s just a regular thing. When it was first put in place people kept sending me photos from the Metro – they were so excited for me. I kept driving up and down the street just to look at it! I couldn’t believe it was mine. A number of businesses in the area have received support to improve their shopfronts and it makes such a difference to the area. It gives the place confidence and it feels so positive.
Looking back, I realise how much I’ve learned from the Business Factory workshops I’ve attended over the years.
Each time I take part in a session, I come back with new skills that I can’t wait to use to make a difference to my business. The things I’ve learned about social media and marketing have been especially helpful and I know they’ve helped with my decision-making. I also had expert guidance on how to set up as a Community Interest Company because there was a lot to consider about structuring the business this way and I needed reassurance I was doing things right.
Another massively helpful source of one-to-one support has come from a consultant who was allocated to me to help me learn about how to build a successful Social Enterprise. This has made a massive difference to my confidence.
Together we’ve worked on everything from how to generate income to how to apply for funding. She’s helped me to constantly work towards moving to the next level, giving me honest feedback and direction. Our next goal is to secure grant funding to install a commercial kitchen where I plan to teach children, adults, families and community groups about nutrition and healthy cooking on a budget.
I simply wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for the help of The Business Factory team.
Running your own business is so different to working for someone else. It’s very exciting and there are lots of benefits but there’s also a lot to think about. Having the team by my side has helped keep me on track and keep me reaching further. I love working with them and I jump at every opportunity to learn more from them. The Business Factory has provided me with independent, reliable people who give sound advice and professional services completely free of charge. What’s not to love about that?!
Has Claire's story got you thinking?
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