Financial Whiz and Franchisee...
Claire Mitchell knows numbers! In her job as a Financial Planner, Claire knew things weren’t stacking up for her. She needed to make a change in her career, and a big one. She wanted to do something that was varied, that added spice to her life and that gave her the passion she needed to jump out of bed in the morning. As a client of Studio Pilates, Claire became addicted to her workouts, and soon realised that opening a Studio Pilates was the change she was looking for.
And what a change! Claire’s journey not only took her to another city, but another country!
Claire packed up and moved to her home town of Auckland and began the search to find the perfect location for her new studio. “ I had to find my feet before finding a site. It took a while to find the perfect one … but it was worth the wait!” Nestled alongside white sandy beaches, seaside cafes, restaurants, bars, and designer shopping, Claire’s gorgeous light-filled studio is something special, enjoying the distinctive city rhythm and beachside vibe.
Claire is yet to celebrate her studio’s first birthday, but she is already making a profit. Even before her doors opened, we could see how her personality and passion for Pilates was going to give her the best opportunity for success.
Why Studio Pilates?
Being a financial planner, Claire carefully evaluated the financial information - and knew she was on to a winner! But it wasn’t just about the numbers for Claire.
“We are able to help such a wide range of people, and the enthusiasm of our clients, who are now also addicted to the workouts, makes me really proud of my business and my team!”
Being part of a franchise also made complete sense to Claire. In an economic landscape where more than 60% of small businesses within Australia cease to trade within three years, Studio Pilates beats the odds - having zero studio closures, and indeed leading a thriving network of studios across the world. Joining this franchise was a no-brainer for this financial wizard. “Studio Pilates helps give you every possibility at success with a tried and tested method in helping clients achieve their goals.
Claire hadn’t even been opened six months when she was making a profit, as well as recording the highest number of people participating in the 30 Day Challenge in the entire network!
“Owning your own business requires grit and determination, and the understanding that it's not going to be easy at times - but the challenging times are worth it, because the good times are AMAZING!!!”
“It's definitely flexible! You can choose your level of time investment to suit your lifestyle. I'm loving spending most of my time on the business at the moment because I see the reward. I have such a varied week, working at the studio, workshopping with the team, getting out and doing local area marketing, working from home, doing reception cover, and instructing classes!”
Claire is one of our 'hands-on' owners; however, we have several investor-only owners, and some that work a little in the business, a little on the business and a little outside the business. As an owner, you choose!
So, what would Claire tell someone who was ‘on the fence’ about opening a studio with us. “Oh, just that it was the best decision I've ever made (insert big smile).”
We don’t know who got the better end of the deal - Claire bought into a thriving business opportunity, and Studio Pilates received a fabulous addition to our family.
