Multi-site Business Owner Spotlight - Fitstop Stafford & Everton Park

Fitstop Stafford owners Lauren and Simon Nash are a testament to business success when you combine passion, dedication and business expertise alongside the Fitstop business model. Within 3 short weeks after opening their first location in August 2020, they knew their journey with Fitstop was destined for something bigger and secured their next Fitstop location at Everton Park. Well - they were right. Opening cash flow positive with an impressive 178 members, Fitstop Stafford now boasts over 300 members; they have been able to impact the lives of their strong Fitstop community which will position them for huge success for the upcoming opening of Everton Park! Not only this, they have truly played with purpose and created their dream life - ensuring flexibility and success align simultaneously. 

We are extremely proud of the impact Fitstop is bringing to our business owner’s lives and are even more proud of the relentless consistency and tenacity these owners bring in their everyday lives. 

We spoke to owners Simon and Lauren (goes by Loz) to unpack their success with Fitstop; we found their insight incredibly motivating and inspirational!

1. What were your individual backgrounds before owning your own Fitstop?

We have quite unique backgrounds. Both of us played competitive golf at a high level. Loz competed at State and National level and Simon competed professionally in European and America Tours. Following that Loz developed her commercial skills in sales roles with Sportsgirl group, ultimately managing sales teams and managing retail locations. After professional golf Simon has had a 10+ year career in commercial banking.

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2.How did you come to learn about Fitstop and what attracted you to owning a Fitstop?

 Loz has always been an avid gym member, while Simon preferred playing team sports for exercise. Following having 3 children, Loz became more focused on her health and fitness and after trying several different gyms she became one of the Original members at Fitstop Nundah. Instantly, Loz fell in love with the training and community aspect of Fitstop. After a bit of encouragement Loz convinced Simon to try Fitstop during a Free Week campaign. Again, the training, support and community aspect present in Fitstop Nundah meant we had both become avid Fitstoppers!

3. What do you believe the key success drivers have been for building your Fitstop community?

First and foremost we are genuine in our passion for health and fitness and Fitstop. We love the brand and what it stands for. We love that any person can join Fitstop regardless of athletic ability and can see progression while having a lot of fun. We feel so proud to have a business that facilitates people to form long lasting friendships whilst improving their health. So given the passion we have for the business we simply enjoy what we do and members often tell us this energy is what brings them to Fitstop Stafford.  

4. What is the support from Fitstop like and how does this contribute to your overall success?

We have a fantastic working relationship with Fitstop HQ. Like any relationship, communication is instrumental to its success; we can proudly say that communication both ways is very healthy. We have the opportunity to provide constructive feedback, and the HQ team are thoughtful and provide us with feedback of their own, with the big picture always in mind. 

Processes and systems are a big part of the Fitstop brand, and as new lessons are learned, they are acted upon with refinements continually being made. This is something we really enjoy about our HQ team as they are not afraid to try something new as long as it benefits the member and the franchise business owner. The systems in place allow us to focus on one thing which is the passion and energy that we as owners need to bring each day. For example, marketing, social media and other essential processes are in place, meaning we simply follow the processes laid out for us. 

5. What enabled you to become a multi-site owner?

Maybe 2 or 3 weeks after opening our Stafford location we realised we had found something that we thought we were pretty good at and also gave us great personal satisfaction. Right away, we both thought why not open a second location and give more people the same benefit that our members were receiving at Stafford. 

6. At what point did you know multi-site ownership would be a feasible opportunity? 

We knew right away it was something we could do. Supported by Simon's background in commercial banking meant we have forecasted for the next 12 months so we had a good plan financially of what needed to happen. Ultimately, we were focused on growing the Stafford member base while simultaneously scouting the perfect site for our second Fitstop location. 

7. How are you planning to split your work lifestyle when operating two Fitstop locations? 

Loz is the manager and head trainer at the Stafford location, whilst Simon provides a supporting role. Fitstop Everton Park opening will mean Loz is overseeing the management of two sites with head trainer roles commencing at each location.

8. What are the focuses you have in your business which you believe are the most important and have contributed to your massive success?

We focus on our members each and every day. Each session needs to be the best part of each member's day. They need to feel supported and energised when they come to the gym. We also do the simple things right. If someone calls to enquire about the gym, we call them ASAP. This sounds simple but in our experience our competitors don't always do this. When a member comes to the gym for the first time we make sure we give them a proper tour of the gym so they know where things are and feel comfortable. We pair people up with members who they will have something in common with. We genuinely care about our members. 

9. How has Fitstop changed your life?

We are certainly very busy! 3 kids under 10, 1 thriving gym open and another soon to be opened. Simon is still full time in Commercial banking. Every hour in the day needs to be productive, that's for sure. But we wouldn't have it any other way. We love our community and the people that have come into our lives because of Fitstop! 

The influence Fitstop Stafford has had on our Fitstop community has been nothing short of rewarding and inspiring - making each and every member feel valued in order to experience the Fitstop difference. They have truly proven the success in the Fitstop opening process and business guidance that allows for swift consideration of multi-site ownership and the endless possibilities to grow a strong business portfolio. We cannot wait for Lauren and Simon to open Fitstop Everton Park and for all of the future success coming their way! 

If you would like to hear more about the opportunities to invest in your very own Fitstop, download our free info pack at fitstop.com/franchise