The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of many. With lockdowns being imposed on a global level, even the fitness centers were forced to close. This scenario has, in turn, led to the rapid adoption of home-based and virtual fitness solutions. Presently, several individuals have started exercising at home, due to which fitness business owners have started providing virtual classes–that allow users to incorporate fitness experiences with their smart devices.
Send Me a Trainer lies at the strategic intersection of three growing sectors—Convenience, Fitness, and Technology. Currently, the total addressable market of the home fitness industry has increased by $10 billion annually, due to the pandemic. Along with that, as fitness clubs have closed, monthly Google search volume for “at home fitness” has risen by over 3 times in the last year. This has increased the demand for Send Me a Trainer and home fitness solutions that offer the convenience of working out from home. Now those looking to capitalize on the boom in the home fitness industry can do so by opening a Send Me a Trainer Franchise in their area.
“With COVID-19 in-home and online training have become increasingly popular, perfect timing for Send Me a Trainer to infiltrate and take command of the marketplace,” said Bary El-Yacoubi, CEO and Co-Founder of Send Me a Trainer.
The Inception of a Revolution
In 2007, Bary El-Yacoubi was a personal trainer at a gym in Washington DC. He secured several clients from different locations in and out of the city. Bary knew his clients were serious about becoming healthy and fit but were often unable to attend their sessions regularly because of their busy schedules. Eventually, he started training clients at the convenience of their homes. Consequently, the convenience of in-home personal training allowed them to be consistent and ultimately achieving their results sooner.
Meanwhile, Muhssin El-Yacoubi (CFO and Co-Founder of Send Me a Trainer) was completing his MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University with a specialization in entrepreneurship. He saw an opportunity in his brother’s approach to in-home training and decided to work on the business plan as part of a class project. That is when the idea initially incepted.
The Yacoubi brothers consequently started Bounce Fitness, in 2007— offering in-home personal training services in the Washington DC area as a concierge service. Later, as they were looking to scale, they developed proprietary technology and mobile apps to automate the business and launched Send Me a Trainer. Driven by popular request, in 2020 the Franchise model was launched. In its first year of franchising, Send Me a Trainer awarded 20 territories in the US and even expanded internationally to the UK.
Fitness at Your Doorstep
The increase in digitalization has propelled the expansion of the online fitness market size along with the trend of connected fitness equipment that allows users to monitor several health parameters, such as pulse rate and calories.
Consumers are increasingly looking for more accountability and customization in their workouts. The industry too has adapted to the needs of its customers and is rapidly shifting towards this direction. Send Me a Trainer provides its clients with a high level of customized programs and accountability. It goes beyond the possibilities of connected exercise equipment and video streaming services. With the convenience and accountability of an in-home personal trainer at the click of a button, clients get the best fitness and health solutions on the go.
Send Me a Trainer has fixed a standard for pricing—it offers services at a fair price and simplifies booking and registration for clients and trainers. The company also offers its clients customized programs, access to top trainers, trainer rotation, and secure and simple payment options.
“When we first started to franchise, everyone was telling us that it would take 6 months to a year to get our first franchise. We had our first franchisee in 3 weeks,” mentioned Bary. This makes Send Me a Trainer a promising franchise in the fitness arena.
Competitive Advantage as a Franchise
Starting a Send Me a Trainer franchise is simple because it doesn’t require a physical location, expensive equipment, or any construction. With proprietary technology, low start-up costs, and the ability to work from home, Send Me a Trainer offers its franchise partners a unique opportunity and a flexible lifestyle.
The business is powered by a cloud-based network and mobile apps. It is fully automated, simple, and easy to operate with little to no demand of the franchisee’s time. Also, as the franchisees have no involvement in the training sessions, they can truly focus on business growth, development, sales, and marketing.
“Our technological solution automates the operations of the business, so franchise owners don’t get caught up in tedious tasks like payroll,” said Muhssin.
Send Me a Trainer offers proprietary technology that manages the daily operations such as matching clients to trainers and payments. The company also offers a comprehensive training program to its franchisees, which equips them with the required confidence to run the business.
From the business standpoint, Send Me a Trainer provides recruitment assistance. Its team of experienced coaches assists the franchisees with finding, onboarding, hiring, or training the staff and fitness professionals. Its business development systems also include template emails and proposals. The company additionally provides a Digital Marketing Management service that includes Facebook, Instagram, and Google lead generation.
The ‘Change of Pace’
Consumer behavior has permanently changed–everything is now home-based. Business owners are actively looking for home-based business models that are not brick and mortar. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically shifted the emphasis on this category of establishments. Also, businesses that are very lean with low fixed costs are in high demand.
“We were fortunate enough to be in a business model that was ‘COVID proof’. We did not have to change much other than offering a live online option for our sessions,” said Bary.
Presently, consumers have realized the potential of working out from home. The demand for convenient and flexible fitness programs has rapidly increased, and Send Me a Trainer aims to be a part of this adaption and expansion. The company wishes to continue its expansion both within the US and overseas. The company has constantly been receiving franchise applications along with requests from candidates that seek to reserve territories. Several broker and consultant groups are contacting the company with requests of presenting Send Me a Trainer to their clients.
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