Member Article

Newcastle family-run gym eyes expansion

The team behind a prominent Newcastle-based gym say they have successfully weathered the recession and will begin looking to acquire other sites once their current space is at capacity.

Dominic Bowser, the manager at Longbenton-based Sound Mind and Body (SMB), told Bdaily the family-run business has enjoyed healthy growth since setting up in the midst of recession.

The independent gym and fitness training business has carefully carved a niche for itself providing luxury facilities with one-on-one bespoke training, and now also hopes to make inroads to the NHS market - tackling obesity with their rehabilitation and training techniques.

Dominic said: “It’s been a tough few years, but our model is strong. When people use our services, the level of fitness and attention to their health becomes integral to their lifestyle - so our retention is great.

“Many people have been building their businesses or careers for perhaps thirty years, at the expense of their health. They’ve got the money but not the time, and they want someone there to work them hard and make sure they get the most out of it.

“We want to prove the business model here in the North East, and then in few years we plan to look for other sites - nationally and internationally.”

Given the explosion of the fitness market in the last few years, the industry has divided along a number of lines and Dominic says SMB have taken a pared-back approach to activity and nutrition.

He added: “We’ve seen the whey protein thing explode but our message is always balanced, simple nutrition. Eat sensibly and you’ll get good results.

“The fitness industry is specialising more and offering different packages to people. Our strategy is about getting the results for the customer - whatever their ambition might be.

“We’ll even go and get someone’s shopping if need be.”

To build a viable business as an independent, SMB have ignored the “numbers game” of national brands and stuck to servicing a small but loyal membership.

Dominic said: “If you look at some of the bigger chains, you’ll see that they rely on a small fraction of their membership turning up. At some, if just 10% of the members turned up, you wouldn’t be able to get in the carpark.

“The Budget gyms offering nothing more than the equipment - which is fine for some people - but others want the knowledge and guidance to see results.”

SMB now hosts a team of 15 - all self employed, including trainers, masseurs, psychiatrists and nutritional therapists.

Dominic added: “We think self-employment motivates people better. It’s about ownership and building their own business. We come together a bit like a Formula One team.

“For instance, the physiotherapist will talk to the trainers and the masseurs. We’re aiming at the best possible result for the individual.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .