Meet Phil and Chris, Hex
Phil and Chris own Hex in Clapham, London, offering small-group training, large-group training, and personal training.
Before working with FBDA, the business was already generating what they describe as a nice amount of revenue.
On the surface, things appeared to be going well.
But when they looked at what was actually left at the end, the picture was very different.
“We were making a nice amount of revenue, but a tiny amount of profit, and that was really frustrating.”
They knew they needed to understand why — and how to change it.
The Challenge
Finances weren’t the only challenge facing Phil and Chris.
They were also struggling to fully engage their team in the wider business.
Staff would arrive to coach their sessions and then leave. Getting people involved in weekly meetings, helping on the gym floor, covering holidays, contributing to programming or supporting product sales was difficult.
Phil and Chris wanted to build a team that was more invested in Hex and its future.
With FBDA’s support, they began looking at what needed to change to retain staff, motivate them and create greater buy-in around the brand.
Understanding Where the Money Was Going
One of the biggest changes came through using FBDA’s Business Optics.
Previously, high revenue could give Phil and Chris the impression that the business was performing better financially than it actually was.
The Optics gave them a clearer picture.
“We're now able to know exactly where we are financially.”
Rather than discovering too late that profit was lower than expected, they could identify potential issues earlier and make changes.
They also developed a clearer understanding of how much money needed to be allocated towards different areas of the business, including:
- VAT.
- Profit.
- Maintaining and updating the gym.
- Their own pay.
That visibility allowed them to start making more informed financial decisions instead of judging performance on revenue alone.
Accountability to Make the Difficult Changes
Another major benefit for Phil and Chris has been accountability.
They have regular conversations and meetings with FBDA, which means the actions they agree to take don’t simply disappear into the demands of running the gym.
They describe themselves as hard workers, but acknowledge that some of the most important tasks are also the difficult ones.
Having somebody there to hold them accountable has helped make sure those actions get addressed.
“Some of the things that we're tasked to do are difficult but really essential, and they make a massive difference to the business.”
A Third Perspective in the Partnership
As business partners, Phil and Chris also value Nicky's outside perspective.
There are inevitably decisions where two owners may see things differently.
Having somebody who understands the business but sits outside the partnership gives them another perspective when deciding what to say yes to, what to say no to and which direction to take.
Alongside that individual support, FBDA has connected them with other similar businesses through its Masterminds.
For Phil and Chris, the conversations, speakers and relationships they have built through those events have all contributed to their development.
The Results
For Phil and Chris, the biggest wins have been financial.
Since working with FBDA, they say they have seen growth in both revenue and profit.
Their experience also includes:
- Developing a much clearer understanding of the financial position of Hex.
- Identifying potential profit issues earlier.
- Understanding how much money needs to be allocated for VAT, profit, investment in the gym, and owner pay.
- Seeing growth in both revenue and profit.
- Introducing greater accountability around important business actions.
- Working on stronger staff engagement and buy-in.
- Having an outside perspective to support decisions between the two owners.
- Building relationships with other fitness business owners through FBDA’s Masterminds.
- Developing greater confidence around the direction in which they want to grow Hex.
And they have a clear financial target for where they want that progress to take them.
Within a year of working with FBDA, Phil and Chris expect to have nearly doubled their revenue and reached £10,000 in monthly profit.
It’s an ambitious goal — but importantly, one they can now plan towards with a much clearer understanding of the numbers behind the business.
More Than Simply Increasing Revenue
One of the biggest lessons from Phil and Chris’s experience is that revenue alone doesn't tell you how well a business is performing.
Before FBDA, Hex was already bringing in a good amount of revenue.
The problem was how little of it was translating into profit.
Understanding where the money was going and what needed to be allocated changed the conversation.
Rather than simply chasing more revenue, Phil and Chris can now look more closely at the business's financial health and make changes before problems appear at the end of the month.
What This Means for Other Fitness Business Owners
A busy gym with strong revenue isn’t necessarily a profitable gym.
Phil and Chris had already built a business capable of generating revenue, but they needed greater clarity around the numbers, stronger team engagement and accountability to make some of the more difficult changes.
Working with FBDA has helped them build those foundations.
Revenue and profit have already grown, while their longer-term target is now clear: nearly double the revenue they started with and build towards £10K monthly profit.
Phil and Chris’s Advice to Other Fitness Business Owners
For another fitness business owner sitting on the fence, Phil and Chris don’t believe in waiting.
Their advice is to take action sooner rather than later.
“100% jump in and do it immediately.”
For them, access to knowledge, accountability, and an outside perspective has helped them move toward their goals faster, with a much stronger focus on profit along the way.
Find Out More About FBDA
Experience a Complimentary FBDA Coaching Session. We don’t want to sell you into a coaching programme that isn’t right for you. Instead, we’d love you to experience how FBDA coaching actually works before you make any decisions.
We’ll take the time to understand your business, where you want to go, and what might be holding you back. You’ll experience real FBDA coaching, leave with greater clarity on your next steps, and get a feel for how we could help move your business forward.
Then we can both decide if working together feels like the right fit.
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