Garry's joke has turned into a serious business

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“With the right contacts, some sweat and sheer willpower, I’ve started a journey I never thought possible.”

Fitness devotee Garry McGuire joked for years that he’d start his own gym so he could share his passion with others. Then one day he started taking the idea seriously and turned to Transmit for help. He tells us more…

"I was forever telling my wife Kim how I’d do things differently if I had my own gym.

Soon I’ll be able to show her because I’m well on the way to making it happen.
The turning point came during lockdown. I’d been scribbling down ideas and I started to look into it a bit more and I realised it wasn’t an impossible goal.
Me and Kim both decided to enrol to do a personal training diploma so we could set up a business together. Then the hard work really started as we needed to learn how to run a business and find a way to fund it!

We applied for a Start Up Loan of £3,500 from Transmit Startups to get Energy Kick Fitness going.

The money helped us to buy essential fitness equipment because our own funds were limited.
I was surprised by how simple the application process was. It was really reassuring that the team made sure you could afford to pay it back.
An adviser talked me through things and helped me to complete questions on the portal. Once accepted, signed agreement and money was in the bank quickly.

Then I signed up to business training provided by Transmit’s sister company Learn Smarta.

I wanted to get to grips with some of the fundamental things I needed to know.
I had a rough idea on how to put a business plan and cash flow forecast together but that was it. I had already made a few mistakes, some of them costing me money, and I’d tried to keep going. I had a few days free and I decided to knuckle down and blast through the on-demand online course to sort it out.

Now I have spreadsheets, SMART goals and planning all in place to help the business run smoothly instead of winging it.

I monitor different processes and customer figures more in depth now too. This helps to show where I’m losing money and where I can make money. And I’ve adapted my marketing to appeal to my ideal customer.
It’s really exciting to know the business is truly ours and I can help people improve their lives by passing my knowledge on.
It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.
I’ve now left my job in facilities management to go full time into my new role as a personal trainer and I run HIIT classes with Kim.
We are currently mobile, working with clients at their home, garden or beach and we also hire out rooms to run classes. But my goal is to set up my own gym – growing to two within ten years.

With the right contacts, some sweat and sheer willpower I’ve started a journey that I never imagined would be possible."

A little bit about our business, Energy Kick Fitness

At Energy Kick Fitness, we help people to drop a dress or a belt size. Small changes make a big difference. We don’t want to change a person by giving them an unrealistic diet or workout plans that they won’t stick to.

We want people to change things into habits that help them for the rest of their lives. We offer personal training, group classes, older adults programmes and pre/post-natal programmes.

Has Garry’s story got you thinking? 

Transmit Startups can take your business from a dream to a reality, with a Start Up Loan and support to get started. Find out how we can help on our Start Up Loans page.

Our sister company Learn Smarta can help you to brush up on your business skills too, just like Garry has. Find out more about the Business Fundamentals course here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Laura White
Laura White
Laura W is a PR consultant and a trainee Counsellor. An experienced journalist, she interviews entrepreneurs and senior leaders about their business journeys and collaborates with designers, filmmakers, photographers, and marketers to share stories that inspire a reaction.

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