FIT TO LEAD
As obesity rates soar across the nation, a slew of young professionals are breaking out to start new health and fitness businesses
An ever-changing city. Crazy amounts of funding. Endless regulations and procedures. And lots of competition.
Starting a business can seem like a high-stakes gamble, especially in an industry such as health and fitness, which is better known for making customers feel good rather than providing a continuous source of income for owners. However, with obesity levels rising and clinics straining under the weight of treating related illnesses, there’s a high demand for fitness centres.
Now savvy entrepreneurs are aiming for a slice of this industry. Whether it’s boutique gyms, yoga studios or healthy meal delivery services, this new wave of entrepreneurs approach their business as they would a fitness challenge: with unflinching dedication and hard work.
Anjali Chandiramani, Founder of A-Tone Fitness Lounge, says it was visiting other gyms that made her think of starting something on her own. After being subjected to judgment stares based on looks, choices and regimens, that too with very little assistance to reach her goals, she decided to create a concept that isn’t just a gym but a “mindset”.
Just right for you
“It can be pretty daunting to go to a gym and watch people who have actualised their potentials just ploughing forward while many others are hacking away in the dust these superfit people are kicking up,” says Chandiramani, who also runs a successful fashion retail outlet. “That’s intimidating and at A-Tone we make it our job to make you comfortable. You pay for the training you receive, rather than just using some equipment without knowing if you reached your maximum potential.”
A-Tone has created regimes customised to clients’ abilities and trains them through building positive body images. It also encourages members to interact with each other, beat stress with yoga and meet goals with help from personal trainers.
Natalia Hassanie has channelled her passion for yoga into her company, Posetivity, which uses kids’ yoga, teen yoga and mindfulness to help children overcome their emotional challenges, discover their inner strength and develop positive thinking from an early age.
“Posetivity empowers youth with the tools and techniques to overcome their social and emotional challenges,” says the certified yoga teacher. “This is done through a holistic approach addressing the body through yoga and fitness, the mind through emotional intelligence and the soul through mindfulness.”
Hassanie has further tailored her programmes to complement school curricula in Dubai.
The biggest challenge in setting up operations here is the expenditure that goes into it.” Anjali Chandiramani Founder, A-Tone Fitness Lounge
She has also launched teacher’s workshops on how to infuse classrooms with the elements of programmes offered at Posetivity.
Healthy lifestyle food company Pura was born out of the owners’ experiences. “I was overweight for years and had started my own meal prepping at home. It became all-consuming as being a chef I wanted variety and flavour or I was never going to stick to a meal plan,” says Gavin Gleeson, who along with his best friend, Colm Carmody, founded Pura.
Both Gleeson and Carmody have been chefs for more than 30 years between them, working in five-star hotels and Michelin-star restaurants across Ireland and the Middle East. “[We decided] to open our own company because I didn’t want anyone else to go through the same issues and uncertainty that I did when trying to lose weight,” says Gleeson. “We also saw a gap in the market when we realised that some companies were leading clients astray on calorie-counted meal plans, so we wanted to bring macro counting to the market.”
Challenges
Starting a business can be exhilarating and fulfilling, but in the competitive start-up world it can get complicated and even the most astute of entrepreneurs can find themselves in a quandary. “The biggest challenge in setting up operations here is the expenditure that goes into it,” says Chandiramani. “Despite being a predominantly non-tax country, you’d be surprised at how much you still spend on supplies.”
Dealing with investment requirements, regulations and procedures when looking at a venue in the UAE can be overwhelming, so Chandiramani warns potential entrepreneurs to start small and expand as you begin to understand the market. As if the cost of setting a company is not enough, most startups find bank requirements difficult to meet. “SMEs in Dubai also face the challenge of not having access to bank loans, especially in the first three years of being established,” says Hassanie. Studying the market thoroughly, enquiring and going deeper into details about what your licence can cover and what it can’t will save you a lot a trouble, advises Hassanie. “Sometimes when we are planning to start our own business, we are so excited that we do not want to know what could go wrong,” she says. “Seek advice, especially from those who have gone through the process and have somebody you trust to help you see things from a different perspective.”
Setting up licence and other government requirements are easy once you know where to go, says Gleeson. “I don’t think anyone works at the same pace a business owner does as they aren’t at the same risk or on the same time schedule, so that’s always an issue.”
Challenges for Gleeson came from underestimating the market. They didn’t realise the difference between serving food for flavour versus food that grows and nurtures your body. They also struggled with delivery.
“Be innovative, adaptive, humble and never complacent,” he says. “Always listen to customers and be respectful. And add at least 20 per cent to your original start-up forecast.”