Case study 1

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MATTHEW Mcmahon runs a personal training business, Inside Strength, in Craigavon, Co Armagh. He lost more than half his income when gyms were forced to close.

“Around 50% of the business is more or less just gone because the gym is closed and that’s where I would deliver the in-person sessions which I can’t deliver.

I was fortunate enough that I had the online side of things before this all happened. So 50% of my business would be online.

A lot of my in-person clients are self-employed as well or have their own businesses so they’re not able to make ends meet at the moment or pay me.

But for those who still have income coming in and are able to pay I’ve switched them over to online coaching until this blows over.

They were paying me a certain fee for in-person coaching so now they are less than they were originally paying.

They’re not getting the face-to-face value but my clients see the value in online coaching so I could give it to them with a reduced rate. It’s one of those things where I’m going to try my best to keep on top of the online side of things but if the gyms are still closed in 12 weeks I’ll have to keep reviewing income from online on a monthly basis.

If it gets to the stage where the expenses are outweighing my income then I’ll have to think of something else to go into over that period of time.

If I can keep things going as normal hopefully I won’t need to do that.

There’s a lot of expenses from business investments and online coaching as well as simple things such as website development that I’m paying off that I need to keep on top of.

When I first set up Inside Strength I wanted it to stand for more than just physical training. I wanted it to encompass a community together and everything from an internal standpoint.

That inside strength to push through tough times in life and the gym, to keep going no matter the odds and to achieve progress regardless.

I’d like to thank all those clients are sticking by me.”