Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Scott Gunter, Co-Owner of The DISTRICT Training Facility, located in East Hanover, NJ, USA.

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

We are a data-driven coaching company specializing in transformative results for high performers in fitness, life, and sport. Our team of leading professionals drives client success through the use of specialized equipment and advanced systems for training, nutrition, and recovery.

Tell us about yourself

As an ambitious sports medicine graduate, I entered the athletic performance industry with my mind set on building stronger and faster athletes by implementing methods used at the collegiate and professional levels. After securing initial experience with professional sports teams, I landed in the private sector and soon realized there was a significant gap between the research-backed training methods I was exposed to and the one-size-fits-all approach that was all too common at the local training facilities. Too often, quality was sacrificed for quantity, and social media trends took precedence over time-proven training methods. The information available to the consumer was saturated with bias as fitness influencers sought "likes" and followers over truth and results.
Athletes deserved better.

The DISTRICT Training Facility was founded on this necessity for the better. Over the last ten years, I have made it my mission to continually source quality information and provide effective coaching with influence from mentors and personal experience at the highest levels of the sport. At The DISTRICT, we are proud to deliver a coaching environment where the client comes first with the promise of an elevated training experience. Using a multidisciplinary approach, including sports medicine, sports science, and athletic performance, we are dedicated to driving industry-leading results for clients willing to push the upper limits of their genetic potential.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I became a business owner in 2017 when starting my own LLC. And working as an independent contractor, training clients out of a private garage gym. I always knew I wanted more in terms of the ability to evolve the client experience from every angle, including the environment, brand, and culture. My greatest accomplishment was opening The DISTRICT Training Facility in East Hanover, NJ, a data-driven coaching company specializing in transformative results for high performers in fitness, life, and sport.

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

Despite how much thought and research you put into your business, there are always variables that may surprise you, and these can require substantial additional time, effort, and money. With this in mind, your job gets easier the more you work to streamline your processes and create systems, but this often means you will "burn the candle at both ends" on the journey towards "smooth sailing."

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

  1. Just as running a pizza restaurant is about more than just making good pizza, running a sports performance and training facility is about more than just knowing your way around the gym. Be passionate about both the product AND the business side in order to generate long-term staying power.
  2. Whatever you think your initial start-up cost will be, double it. While this varies for each business, there are many less obvious expenses that come up (variable utilities, CAM fees, Insurance, Wifi/phone, Repairs, HVAC, Lighting, and Electrical work, Waste Management, and general contractor work), and the best thing you can do is save an emergency fund so that you aren't dipping into your paycheck.
  3. Consider cash-flowing your business - Cash is king, and as a post-pandemic gym owner, I am proud to say every piece of equipment and part of The District is paid for in full and owned outright. If an emergency occurs in the future, we will not also be on the hook for credit card and loan payments, and that is a huge weight off your shoulders, plus a great way to increase your profit margins. In addition, any of our future purchases are budgeted for and paid in full, which humbles us to spend within our means while contributing a percentage of net profit each month to capital expenditure for facility upgrades to improve the client experience.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Don't be afraid of competition. In fact, local competition can suggest a healthy market for your product. Learn from them but keep your eyes pointed forward and focused on improving your product and finding your differentiating factors.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.district-training.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDistrictTrainingFacility/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/district.training/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottgunteratc/

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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