Fitness business gets off to a healthy start after speedy support
A NEW fitness and nutrition company has been launched at Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre with support from a business start-up project.
Slawomir Marczak has set-up Synergised Fitness (SynFit) to provide sport massage, sport and exercise nutrition consulting and fitness advice as well as specific training programmes.
The 28-year-old, who hails from Rzeszow in Poland, received guidance and financial help from the SPEED Plus project which gives students, graduates and alumni of Coventry University the opportunity to develop a business idea alongside their studies or after graduation.
Marczak is renting a room at Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre to carry out assessments, sports massages and work with his clients to devise tailored programmes.
He said: “After graduating from Coventry University with a BSc in Health and Lifestyle Management and an MSc in Sport and Exercise Nutrition and completing ITEC Sport Massage Therapy level three, I decided to put all my knowledge to use by running my own business.
“But I needed advice because I had no experience of running a business. I was put in touch with SPEED Plus and the workshops and advice from my business mentor were really important because they provided help with the pricing structure, analysing competitors, social media marketing and attracting new clients.
“Everything is going really well. My client base is growing all the time. I am hoping to provide sport massages to teams who train or play at Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre and work with clients as part of the nationwide Active 4 Health exercise referral scheme with GPs.”
Sue Heath, project manager at SPEED Plus which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), said Marczak had spotted a gap in the market and had plenty of ideas to grow the business.
“SPEED Plus offers crucial advice to those with a business idea to help turn it into reality through our programme of workshops, mentors and residential weekends as well as financial support,” she said.
“Slawomir has a holistic approach through physical training and helping the mind and body with nutritional and fitness support as his core business, but he has plenty of plans to further develop the company.
“It is important entrepreneurs consider the future since no business can afford to stand still even when they are in the early stages of their development.”
