RECOVERY LAB
Former AFL umpire and Collingwood AFLW coach Matt James is the brains behind the Recovery Lab, which is a multi-treatment studio designed to boost peak performance in athletes and everyday Australians.
The Recovery Lab provides ice baths, compression boots, infrared sauna, massage guns, electrical muscle stimulation and NuCalm, a branded neuro-acoustic relaxation method endorsed by high-profile life coach Tony Robbins and exclusive to Recovery Lab.
It took four years for Matt to develop the multitreatment concept, which was born from his time at Collingwood.
“It was the most stressful position I’d ever been in,” he reveals.
In his search for a wellness boost program to help him cope with the stress he realised there was little in the market that fitted his needs.
He launched Recovery Lab in Windsor, Melbourne, and it’s been operating for two and a half years.
What’s on offer is a suite of scientifically tested recovery treatments set in a relaxing studio space.
Matt’s brainwave attracted the attention of Daniel Harford, former AFL player and now head coach of Carlton AFLW, who joined the venture as co-founder.
Ex-CEO for St Kilda and former head of the soccer A-League, Archie Fraser, heads up business strategy while former Western Force rugby union player Ben Seymour is also a partner in the business.
With the brand’s sporting pedigree it’s inevitable that Recovery Lab aims to help athletes reach peak performance levels but Matt believes the business can have a far greater reach.
“The whole thing is built around a community experience, it’s about investing in yourself. It’s designed for everyone. It’s for anyone who wants to improve how they feel and perform.”
Recovery Lab operates on a casual and membership basis. Membership accounts for 35 per cent of revenue and there are options for limited and unlimited access to the various treatments, with membership valid across the growing network of studios.
“There’s no doubt we’re first in market and we want to be pre-eminent for wellness,” says Matt.
He has an ambitious goal of opening 200 studios across Australia, with a mix of franchised and corporate ownership.
The model will suit franchisees who are owner occupiers with a passion for health and wellness and perhaps a fitness background, as well as investors looking to run up to five studios all under management.
“We’ve set the model as a low entry, turnkey is about $150,000,” explains Matt.
He believes a return on investment can be achieved within 12 months.
Matt has partnered with two friends to open a Hampton outlet and Richmond, Victoria and Townsville studios were set to open mid-2021 with 10 more deposits already paid. Sydney-based Ben Seymour has six sites in the pipeline.
The goal is to achieve an 80/20 franchised/corporate mix across the network.
Matt believes there is potential to extend the offering into the corporate market targeting time efficiencies and employee benefits, and is looking to sign national deals for corporate membership.
Collaboration is likely with like-minded businesses such as the Love Me Love You wellness hub incorporating yoga, Pilates and wellness specialists such as psychologists.