Why Lauren came back for seconds!
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When Lauren Jean Crowder left university she took an accountancy job, but didn't enjoy the rigidity of working 9-5 in an office.
Six months after she discovered yoga, Lauren resigned from her job and set out on an incredible journey...
"My background is in business and finance. But I was unfulfilled in an office job and felt like I couldn’t really be myself in that environment. It really brought me down and I started to feel anxious and a bit depressed."
I knew this couldn’t be my forever job and something had to change. I quit my job, broke up with my boyfriend, left my home and moved to India to become a fully qualified yoga teacher!
Yoga just fitted me perfectly and I knew it was going to be the catalyst for me to make a change.
I called my studio Eleven Eleven and coincidentally opened on 11th November – it was meant to be!
I still work in finance – I run the finance department of a recruitment company and work flexible hours around running my own business.
I know the early years of a business are crucial so I want to give the studio the best chance of success before I depend on it for a wage.
Running a finance department and a business keeps me incredibly busy but that’s the way I like it!
Eleven: Eleven is Liverpool’s first and only multi-sensory studio offering yoga, Pilates and barre under one roof. Lauren, who was a finalist in the Young Entrepreneur section of the FSB Awards in 2022, hopes to expand into a second studio in Manchester in the future, with her business partner Will.
As the new kid on the block, I knew my studio had to turn heads to attract customers and I knew what I wanted to do to transform the beautiful Grade II listed building we are based in, into an Instagram-worthy yoga studio.
My First Start Up Loan of £15,000 paid for renovation work, including plumbing, flooring and showers and equipment. The projector screen and surround speakers allows an immersive, ever-changing experience.
Once we were up and running, we decided to create a second studio dedicated to Pilates, barre and yogalates. Our second loan covered the cost of our marketing of the new offer.
The marketing worked wonders. We were able to promote the new studio in the six weeks leading up to its opening so there was a real excitement and appetite by the time classes could be booked.
Within 6 weeks, we’d reached maximum capacity in classes and were now looking to expand our timetable even further to meet the demand. We didn’t know how it would take off because this was a whole new service offer but the success was instant.
Adding the second studio increased our gross profit by 30% and created us a whole new customer base.
If we’d not had the money, we wouldn’t have been able to accelerate our growth anywhere near as quickly. We were able to improve our cashflow, increase our confidence and build a whole new level of momentum. We had a record month when we launched the second studio.
Lauren's application for a second loan was taken care of by Senior Business Advisor David Brewis. She described her experience dealing with Transmit Startups:
"My first loan was so easy to organise and the second was even easier. Transmit were great to deal with and very responsive. The low interest rate was a big plus too because rates are fluctuating a lot elsewhere. The turnaround was very quick. I had the money in my bank within three weeks of applying for second loan. I liked that I knew who I was dealing with and I trusted Transmit."
Has Lauren's story got you thinking?
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