Planning,
branding could keep business fit
Setting up shop inside the walls of a business with similar services makes it tough to build a separate, strong brand.
| October
14, 2002 Planning,
branding could keep business fit
Setting up shop inside the walls of a business with similar services makes it tough to build a separate, strong brand. |
Ron Holland and Jana Beutler-Holland own SWAT Fitness, a fitness
training company. SWAT was located inside Desert Fitness for many years
and a new East Side branch is inside Arizona Health. To get advice on
building and maintaining a unique identity, they met with marketing
consultant MJ Jensen.
The story
Ron Holland grew up in Kansas City, Mo., joining the Air Force in 1966.
He was a military policeman and SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) team
leader. He served in Vietnam and retired in 1987 with the rank of
master sergeant.
Holland moved to Tucson in 1988 for warm weather and year-round outdoor
activity. He was hired by the University of Arizona Police Department
and rose to the rank of sergeant. In his tenure, he was fitness
instructor for the department and started a bike patrol. He earned
basic and master certifications in fitness instruction from The Cooper
Institute, a division of Cooper Aerobics Center. Tiring of night work,
Holland resigned from the UA in 1993.
In December 1993, SWAT Fitness opened inside Desert Fitness with
Holland as the personal fitness trainer. By mid-1994, his time was
filled by 10 fitness training sessions per day. He started recruiting,
and by 1996, there were seven trainers.
Business grew, partly because of clientele and supportive management at
Desert Fitness. However, there was an important restriction. He could
only provide services to club members. To keep growing, he organized
fitness boot camps. Group running and exercise regimens, led by
instructors with military drill experience, were held in parks and on
streets, Holland says. He also started marathon training groups.
In 1989, Holland met his wife and business partner, Jana
Beutler-Holland. She has a bachelor's degree in English education and
was a schoolteacher and juvenile probation officer. She earned a
personal training certification and works at SWAT as trainer and
business manager. She started a "fitkids" program for children 8 to 13
years old with weight problems.
Beutler-Holland earned a master's degree in counseling in May. As of
September, her schedule includes days as school counselor at
Amphitheater High School sandwiched between morning and evening
training sessions.
A group training facility, separate from Desert Fitness, opened in
March 2002 on West Ina Road. In August, East Side training started in
Arizona Health, East 22nd Street and South Wilmot Road. This month, the
duo opened a personal training studio next door to the group training
studio and their affiliation with Desert West ended.
Classes are sold a la carte. There are no contracts. Sales grew
steadily from 1993 to 2001. This year, new facilities spurred faster
growth. Sales will double, Holland says.
The advice
"Through hard work, the owners have done a remarkable job expanding
their business," says MJ Jensen. Rapid growth in 2002 and the move away
from Desert Fitness create two challenges: planning and branding.
The Hollands need a business and marketing plan with projects on a
manageable time line. They work long hours and invested in leasehold
improvements at the Ina Road studios. Personal time and financial
resources are key elements to be managed.
Planning should include timing and cost of promotional activity.
Promotion should produce new business and the plan should identify when
it is financially feasible to hire employees to lift the burden of
day-to-day administration from the owners.
The Hollands should brand SWAT Fitness in ways tied to their image, and
not those of Arizona Health or Desert Fitness.
The owners personify professional fitness training. They spend much of
their time in personal training and training classes. Their photos will
connect the target market directly to SWAT. With photos as a central
branding element, advertising messages and offers should be changed
frequently. Results should be tracked for effectiveness, and to compare
costs and benefits for each combination of offer and ad method.
The Hollands should cement their brand in the community. SWAT should
sponsor events reflecting company values, such as youth sports, charity
athletic events and school athletics. Charities can use SWAT gift
certificates in silent auctions. Networking groups offer opportunities
to speak at group functions and write for group newsletters.
Each active client should be assigned a folder describing the training
and nutrition program, plus a list of critical dates for branded
thank-you notes, personal phone calls and mailings of referral
incentive cards. Referrals should be tracked and rewarded.
Inactive clients may be receptive to the newly emphasized brand. SWAT
should mail exit interview surveys offering free classes in exchange
for completed surveys. A personal phone call is a powerful incentive
for repeat business.
SWAT should schedule an open house related to recent expansion. Events
should be coordinated in a weeklong series of demonstrations and
giveaways. All of SWAT's contacts should be notified. Nearby
businesses, schools and nonprofit organizations should be invited. SWAT
should send press releases to publicize the event.
 Profile The business: SWAT Fitness; 4235 W. Ina Road, Suite 121; 579-6791; www.swatfitness.com Founded: 1993 The owners: Ron Holland and Jana Beutler-Holland The services: Personal and group fitness training, yoga, nutrition counseling Annual revenue: $160,000 projected this year The consultant MJ Jensen owns IdeaMagic Inc., a marketing company specializing in affordable, personalized strategies for small and medium-size businesses. She can be reached at 326-7468 or mjj@ideamagic.com. If you would like to be the subject of an upcoming makeover, call Star small-business reporter Charlie Rochman at 807-7760 or send e-mail to therock@azstarnet.com. |
 |
|
Copyright 2002 The Arizona Daily Star |