Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Yves Preissler, Owner of Yves Peissler Business Consulting, with presence in Dubai, Nairobi and soon Bangkok.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is Fitness Business Specialist Consultancy. We offer turnkey or modular solutions for fitness businesses.
Services include feasibility & market studies, detailed financials and forecast, pre-concept to concept execution, detailed fitness club design, all aspects of fitness club operations, strategic advisory, fitness talent recruitment, fitness procurement planning and management advisory.
Our clients are existing and new fitness & health clubs, fitness boutique club owners, investment companies who want to diversify their portfolio into fitness and fitness equipment providers or fitness products. We work with everyone and anything fitness.
Tell us about yourself
I have been working all my professional life in the fitness industry. I worked in many positions - fitness trainer, personal trainer, club manager, sales/marketing director, COO, and CEO. I now own multiple fitness companies - a fitness consultancy, “Yves Preissler Business Consulting”, a fitness club & franchise, “AFROFIT”, and a fitness equipment company, “Fitness Export.”
My motivation daily is being able to do what I like. I exercise 5 days a week and live an active life and I work in the fitness industry.
As fitness has been part of my life since I was 5 years old, I have achieved work/life integration - doing what I like and love daily and influence an industry I am passionate about.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
- Being part of the success of 100+ projects where Yves Preissler Business Consulting provided services.
- Opening our first own fitness club in East Africa - Nairobi | Kenya being AFROFIT Delta Chambers, the first club of a network of clubs across East Africa.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Team management, as running a business, can not be done alone. Recruiting and retaining talent is the key challenge across industries and is no different in the fitness industry.
Another challenge is to prioritize what helps the business most today and in the future. Being busy is easy, being productive leads to success.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- I suggest to plan well from the beginning and take enough time to determine what your business will do exactly. If you are unclear, engage a professional, especially if you are not a subject matter expert. Your feasibility assessment and financial planning early on increase your chance of success.
- Exercise endurance and persistence - building great businesses take time, it’s just like building a great body in the gym – it does not happen overnight. Keep going, the repetition and consistency of the day-to-day business ultimately builds capacity and growth.
- There is no work/life balance if you want to win big, but there is work/life integration. If you want to run and grow a business, it needs your focus and attention and you will be in most of the time.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://yvespreissler.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvespreissler/
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.