Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Scott Shetler, Owner of Extreme Performance Training Systems, located in Duluth, GA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am the owner of a sports performance and fitness training facility where I work with dedicated fitness enthusiasts as well as athletes from a variety of sports competing at various levels of competition.

Tell us about yourself

Growing up, I had a deep affinity for the gym and the gym scene. I discovered that I really appreciated being of service to others because I was constantly asked what I was doing to advance. I knew I wanted to pursue that as a job after it developed into a passion. What drives me to do what I do is helping others reach their highest potential, whether it is to improve their levels of athletic performance or to achieve excellent health and fitness.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The outcomes that my colleagues and I achieve. Their development motivates me to keep learning and continually strive to improve every day.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The parts of the business that, before entering it, I was ignorant of. One significant shock, for instance, was the number of hidden costs associated with running my own facility. Additionally, I've had several landlords and property managers in the past that were occasionally really tough to work with.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Find something you are passionate about and would do for free. However, passion will only take you so far. No matter how much you love what you do, there will be days you feel like hanging it up. In order to experience the success that comes with owning a business, you have to experience failures and adversity as well.
  2. Start too small. Speaking in terms of a brick-and-mortar business such as mine, it is better to be bursting at the seams and have to expand than it is to start with a massive facility and hope to fill it.
  3. It's not about what you make. It's about what you keep. Strive to keep your overhead expenses as low as possible and try to avoid taking out loans and borrowing money. I started my training center in the basement of my house and set aside money every quarter to buy my equipment in cash. As a result, I have owned my own training center for nearly 20 years of the almost 25 years I've been working in the fitness industry, and I am happy to say my business is debt free.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.eptsgym.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eptsgym
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eptsgym/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sshetler
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sshetler/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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