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Eastside Strength and Conditioning
1206 University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926
(509) 925-1990
Click here to view the company website.
Table of ContentsTable of Figures.....................................................................................................................................................................2
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................................................3
Presentation..........................................................................................................................................................................3
Cover Letter...........................................................................................................................................................................4
Business Concept..................................................................................................................................................................5
Brochure...............................................................................................................................................................................7
Market Research...................................................................................................................................................................9
Financials.............................................................................................................................................................................13
Introduction....................................................................................................................................................................13
Budget.............................................................................................................................................................................13
Price Comparison Database............................................................................................................................................13
Summary.........................................................................................................................................................................13
Appendix.............................................................................................................................................................................14
Resume...........................................................................................................................................................................14
Privacy and Ethics............................................................................................................................................................15
Technology and Business................................................................................................................................................17
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................................................18
Index...................................................................................................................................................................................19
Endnotes.............................................................................................................................................................................20
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Table of FiguresFigure 3.................................................................................................................................................................................9Figure 4...............................................................................................................................................................................10Figure 5...............................................................................................................................................................................11
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IntroductionThis document is a portfolio of information related to my business, Eastside Strength and Conditioning is a
premier athletic training facility located in Ellensburg, WA. In this document, you will find all kinds of useful information relating to this business, including market research, spreadsheets, and a PowerPoint Presentation.
PresentationI created a PowerPoint presentation to compile all the important information relating to my business in an easy to view format. Including you will find information on market research, membership pricing, equipment purchases, budget spreadsheets, and graphs displaying important financial information. Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation.
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Cover Letter
October 7, 2016
Chad SmithEastside Strength and Conditioning1206 University WayEllensburg, WA 98926
Dear Mr. Smith,
I am writing to inquire about possible employment opportunities with Eastside Strength and Conditioning. A mutual friend of ours, Max Aita, told me about your new start up gym, and said are looking for qualified employees. He encouraged me to reach out to you. Specifically, I am interested in a full time position as a personal trainer.
I believe my passion for training and athletics would make me a valuable asset to your company. I have two years of experience working as a personal trainer for another reputable gym in town, and I recently completed a Master’s in Exercise Physiology at Central Washington University. Additionally, I hold several sports training certifications, including a Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification from the NSCA. I think my experience, education, and qualifications would make me an excellent fit for the personal trainer position.
Please find enclosed my resume. Feel free to contact me if you would like to schedule a meeting. I can be reached at (406) 930-1824 or [email protected]. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Grant Lair
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Business Concept
Strength and conditioning facilities differ from health clubs in the fact that they generally cater towards more serious athletes with sport specific training needs. These gyms focus on functional athletic training: traditional barbell lifting, circuits, and functional movements (pushing, pulling, sprinting, and jumping). Health clubs, on the other hand, have mostly phased out functional training in favor of more user friendly machines, and often do not allow the more intense styles of training that serious athletes demand. Strength and conditioning facilities tend to be few and far between, and the ones that do exist are often exclusive facilities available to only the most elite athletes. My proposition is to open a strength and conditioning facility in Ellensburg, Washington, that will be accessible to everyone at an affordable rate of fifty dollars per month.
Eastside Strength and Conditioning will be a functional fitness facility catering to powerlifters, weightlifters, military members, first responders and anyone else who is serious about their sport or craft. The building itself will simply be a large warehouse with an open floorplan covered in rubber mats. This will give athletes lots of space to perform circuit workouts, push sleds, do weighted carries, run, jump and perform other functional fitness tasks. One wall will feature a row of squat/pull up racks. There will be 5 wooden platforms where athletes can perform lifts from the floor, such as deadlifts or Olympic lifts. And of course there will be a wide variety of barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, and plates. Our defining pieces of specialty equipment will include a monolift, a reverse hyper machine, and a variety of strongman equipment (yokes, logs, stones, etc.). Conditioning equipment will include rowing machines, TrueForm treadmills, stationary bikes, and a 50 yard Astroturf strip for sprint work. And best of all noise, chalk, weight clanging, and loud music will be encouraged!
Currently, people in Ellensburg have the option of choosing between four to five different gyms: Anytime Fitness, The Gym, Empowered Fitness Training, Ellensburg CrossFit, and if you are a student, the student recreation center. Most of these are affordable, and they all have their pros and cons. However, all of these gyms largely lack the equipment and environment necessary for serious athletic training. Eastside Strength and Conditioning would provide equipment, services, and an atmosphere that cannot be matched by any of the current competitors. Based on business models, CrossFit Ellensburg would most likely be our closest competitor, so I will take a moment to compare them here.
CrossFit gyms have exploded in popularity in recent years as a functional fitness alternative to corporate health club chains. While CrossFit is considered a form of strength and conditioning training, it has several disadvantages compared to the model I am proposing. First of all, CrossFit memberships are very expensive ($110 per month at Ellensburg CrossFit), which makes them largely inaccessible for low to middle income people, as well as students. Secondly, CrossFit does not offer any sort of sport specific training. The CrossFit model revolves around the WOD (workout of the day). Each day a random hour long workout is selected, and members must perform this specific workout as part of a group. While this may work fine for people interested in general fitness, this model provides little benefit to athletes who have sport specific training needs. In sports, it’s common for athletes to follow different training programs based on what their individual goals are, but in CrossFit everyone is expected to follow the same program. In Addition, CrossFit gyms tend to focus only on Olympic weightlifting. They lack specialized equipment for other disciplines such as powerlifting and strongman. Eastside Strength and Conditioning will aim to offer top notch services to a wider range of athletes at a fraction of the cost.
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So how will we be able to offer a top notch athletic training facility to the people of Ellensburg at a competitive price? By providing athletes with the bare essentials: everything they need and nothing they don’t. Our aim is to invest heavily in high quality, yet functional training equipment, while at the same time cutting costs by eliminating all the unnecessary bells and whistles that you typically find at corporate health clubs (TVs, Spas, and membership salespeople just to name a few). Think of it this way. We will not require more equipment or more expensive equipment than other gyms. Instead we will utilize different equipment. You won’t find rows upon rows of weight and cardio machines at our gym. Instead you will find a wide variety of functional training equipment: things like barbells and dumbbells. The benefit of free weights is that they are suitable for a wide range of movements and can serve many different functions. They are also superior for athletes because they require the use of more muscle groups. Machines on the other hand, are usually designed to perform a single movement targeting a specific muscle group. In general, they tend to be less functional, less durable, and significantly more expensive than free weights. Our main supplier will be Rouge Fitness, a reputable manufacturer of high quality, American made strength and conditioning equipment.
In summary, here are three reasons why I believe this business will be successful:
Powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, and other styles of functional training have exploded in popularity in recent years and the demand for these types of facilities is greatly increasing.
Facilities similar to the model I am proposing have proven to be very successful, and consistently rank within the top ten gyms in the country every year.
Without a doubt, Ellensburg Strength and Conditioning would be one best equipped and designed public training facilities in the entire state, and would be the logical choice for dedicated athletes and lifters in Ellensburg.
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Brochure
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Market ResearchMy first source is a reader poll from Money, which asked readers about their perceived spending on health and fitness for the upcoming year as well as some statistics relating to industry in general. This source states that “median annual health club dues”i in the United States are $828, or $69 per month. This is a useful gauge in determining monthly dues at my own gym. This source also cites the top 4 locales with the most gyms per 10,000 residents. Washington is not listed, which means I am not trying to open a gym in an oversaturated market. This article was published on January 1, 2016, so it is current.
Figure 1
ii
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My next source is the 2016 U.S. Industry and Market Outlook Report for Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers. According to this source, “this industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in operating fitness and recreational sports facilities featuring exercise and other active physical fitness conditioning or recreational sports activities”iii. This includes gyms, athletic clubs, and fitness centers. As you can see by the charts below, this report provides useful industry wide trend estimates for categories such as number of establishments, number of employees, and industry sales.
Figure 2
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My final source is a study published in the International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching titled How Coaches Use Strongman Implements in Strength and Conditioning Practice. I’m interested in implementing this style of training into my business model because I believe it has real benefits for developing athletic potential. The author of this article seems to agree because he states that “strongman implement training to enhance sport performance is becoming increasingly utilized among strength and conditioning practitioners [1-5] despite the paucity of research addressing this type of training. Strongman type exercises are total body movements performed in multiple planes. Hence, they may better replicate sporting movements and place greater demand on the body’s core musculature than other resistance training approaches.”v Strongman training will be one of the unique offerings that will make my gym stand out among others in the area. This article can provide useful information regarding the best practices for implementing this kind of training. For example, the graph below can help me determine which type of strongman exercises are most popular, and therefore which equipment I should prioritize purchasing to make my gym more appealing to wider customer base.
Figure 3
vi
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Comparisons to Initial Business Concept
Overall, there seemed to be positive correlations between my market research and my initial business concept. For example, my proposed dues of fifty dollars per month at my gym are well below the median health club dues of sixty nine dollars per month (The Price of Keeping Fit). This data seems to support my plan of keeping memberships cost low to make my gym more accessible to a wider range of people. Another one of my business propositions was cutting costs by keeping the number of employees to a minimum. The 2016 U.S. Industry and Market Outlook Report for Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers provides data to suggest that this may be a wise decision, as it projects that all gyms in Ellensburg, WA in 2017 will be run by fewer than 10 employees.1 Finally, in my initial business model I proposed implementing strongman equipment and programming because of its benefits towards athletic development. The article How Coaches Use Strongman Implements in Strength and Conditioning Practice not only confirms the effectiveness of this training, but also provides evidence that strongman training is booming in popularity. The fact that my gym will be the only one in the area offering these kind of services could result in boost in membership sales.
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FinancialsIntroductionIn these section, you will find all relevant financial information relating to Eastside Strength and Conditioning. You will find links to a budget spreadsheet, a price trend spreadsheet, and a Price Comparison Access Database.
BudgetThis detailed spreadsheet outlines all our expected equipment costs, as well as the revenue we hope to generate through membership dues, merchandise sales, and personal training. Click here to view the budget. The second linked spreadsheet has some useful graphics comparing price trends of some of our main products at all our major suppliers. Click here to view the price trends spreadsheet.
Price Comparison DatabaseI have also including a link to a Microsoft Access Price Comparison Database. This database helps us track and compare prices of our major expenditures between all our major suppliers. This makes it easy for us to ensure that we are always getting the best deal when we purchase supplies and merchandise. Click here to view the Price Comparison Database.
SummaryFinancial plans are an extremely important part of any business, so I have attempted to present all relevant information in a clear and understandable way. Hopefully these spreadsheets, charts, and databases will give you a clear picture of what we hope to accomplish at Eastside Strength and Conditioning. Although we have very high upfront costs because of equipment expenses, we are hoping to offset much of this by signing up 200 members upfront based on an aggressive marketing campaign.
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AppendixResume
501 E 18th Ave Apt 110Ellensburg, WA 98926(406) [email protected]
OBJECTIVEI am seeking full time employment as a personal trainer with Eastside Strength and Conditioning.
EXPERIENCESeptember 2014-PresentPersonal Trainer
The Gym427 N Main StEllensburg, WA 98926(509) 962-6200
Duties and Accomplishments July 2016 Employee of the Month
August 2010-July 2014Front Desk Associate
Ridge Athletic Club4181 Fallon StBozeman, MT 59718(406) 586-1737
Duties and Accomplishments Greeted and checked in members, as well as assisted in sales Utilized excellent communication skills to interact with clients on a daily basis.
EDUCATIONCentral Washington University, Ellensburg, WAM.A. Exercise Physiology, May 2016
Dean’s List: GPA 3.67, Honors ACSM Leadership Award
Montana State University, Bozeman, MTB.S. Exercise Science, May 2014
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GRANT D. LAIR
Privacy and Ethics
The rise of the internet changed our society drastically, which brought about previously
unheard of ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas are thought to be the result of the impersonal
nature of online interactions (Newman). In this essay I will briefly discuss one branch of
technology that is giving rise to many ethical concerns: electronic commerce.
Electronic commerce can be defined as the use of computers and telecommunication to
facilitate the sale of goods and services (Nardal). Online shopping retailers, like Amazon for
example, have exploded in popularity recently due to convenience and the wide selection of
goods they can offer their customers. However, the ultra competitive nature of these
companies sometimes results in the use of business tactics that many consider unethical.
One of these issues that seems to concern people the most is personal privacy (Stead and
Gilbert).
One area of controversy in regards to privacy is the use cookies, which allow websites to
track personal information, sites visited, purchases, and other information from online users.
Companies can then use this information to make highly personalized ads, as well as
discover trends in consumer habits (Sama and Shoaf). Many people believe that they should
have a right to unmonitored browsing. They claim that since they are independent seekers of
information, rather than employees of third party web vendors, then their personal browsing
information should not be publicly available for the benefit of these these web vendors (Stead
and Gilbert) .
Another area of concern is the security and protection of consumer’s personal information
that is stored online. Online retailers gather and store all kinds of personal information,
including credit card numbers, phone numbers, addresses, and social security numbers. This
is often a convenience for the customer, but problems arise when this information is stolen,
given to third parties, or even sold (Stead and Gilbert) . Often consumers are subject to spam
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mail, telemarketers, and even identity theft due to the distribution of this private information.
Everyday business such as shopping, banking, and other activities is becoming
increasingly more dependent on the web. One of the reasons the web is so difficult to
regulate is because it is so dynamic. It’s very difficult for our legal system to keep up with the
massive changes in web based commerce that have occurred in recent years. While the field
of ethics can provide guidelines for individual rights online, history has shown that large
corporations will often overstep these boundaries in their pursuit of profit maximization.
Clearly there is still much progress to made in the regulation and protection of personal
information online.
Bibliography
Nardal. “Ethical Issues in E-Commerce on the Basis of Online Retailing.” Journal of Social
Sciences 7.2 (2011): 190–198. Print.
Newman, David V. “Impersonal interaction and ethics on the World-Wide-Web.” Ethics and
Information Technology 2001: 239–246. Web.
Sama, Linda M., and Victoria Shoaf. “Ethics on the Web: Applying Moral Decision-Making to the
New Media .” Journal of Business Ethics 2002: 93–103. Web.
Stead, Bette Ann, and Jackie Gilbert. “Ethical Issues in Electronic Commerce” Journal of
Business Ethics 2001: 75–85. Web.
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Technology and BusinessArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly emerging field that has become a rather
controversial topic as of late. Recent breakthroughs in this field are enabling
computers to perform cognitive functions that were once thought to be solely the
domain of thinking, reasoning human beings. As these machines become
increasingly capable, there is a growing concern that they will soon displace a
significant portion of the workforce. (Morikawa)
Automation, or machines replacing human labor, is nothing new. In fact, it
has happening for hundreds of years. During every major industrial revolution,
there was always concern that the machines would put many people out of work,
but it never actually happened. Instead, workers have been able (or forced) to
adapt by gaining more skills, which in turn leads to more innovation, new jobs and
even entire fields of work and study that never existed before. The IT revolution
of the late 20th century is a great example of this. Proponents of AI argue that this
technological revolution will follow the historical patterns. New fields and jobs will
be created, and people (not machines) will be needed to fill those roles. (West)
On the other hand, opponents claim that AI poses an entirely new kind of threat to
society. To examine their argument, we need to dig a little deeper into what AI
really is.
Artificial Intelligence can be broadly defined as intelligence exhibited by
machines. An example of this would be a machine that can closely mimic
functions of the human brain such as learning, problem solving, and the ability to
reason. (McCarthy) This is significant because it was once thought that human
being’s ability to reason was the thing that separated us from machines. Now
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science is proving that computers can be programed to learn and reason just like
us. In past industrial revolutions, machines only replaced very low skilled
positions that did not require reasoning and problem solving. But now some
people suggest that machines could compete with or even exceed human
performance in higher skilled positions that require a certain amount of cognitive
ability. (Morikawa) So what are the implications for our future workforce? Will AI
put millions of skilled people out of work, or will those people be able to redirect
their efforts towards new and more important endeavors?
Most experts agree that AI will create new jobs, but not necessarily more
jobs. An AI revolution would create a great demand for highly skilled and trained
workers in STEM fields (science, technology, information, and mathematics), but
would likely displace many people with average skills. It is very likely that most of
these displaced workers would be underqualified to work in the these new, highly
technical fields. So while AI could present enormous opportunities for people with
specific, highly technical skills, the threat of mass displacement of average
workers is real. (West) Only time will tell if this dramatic new technology will have
positive or negative implications for future workers. But despite their
disagreements, all experts seem to agree on one thing: this technology is
revolutionary.
BibliographyMcCarthy, John. "What is Artificial Intelligence?" 12 November 2007. stanford.edu. Document. 29
September 2016.
Morikawa, Masayuki. "Artificial intelligence and employment." 7 June 2016. voxeu.org. website. 29 September 2016.
West, Darrell M. "What happens if robots take jobs? The impact of emerging technologies on employment and public policy." 26 October 2015. brooking.edu. Document. 29 September 2016.
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IndexArtificial Intelligence, 17budget, 13cookies, 15corporation, 16electronic commerce, 15ethics, 16privacy, 15Strength, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 14, 19vendors, 15
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Endnotes
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i "The Price of Keeping Fit." Money 45.1 (2016): 22. Business Source Complete. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
ii "The Price of Keeping Fit." Money 45.1 (2016): 22. Business Source Complete. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
iii "Fitness & Recreational Sports Centers (Naics 71394)." United States Fitness & Recreational Sports Centers Industry Report (2016): 1-217. Business Source Complete. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.iv "Fitness & Recreational Sports Centers (Naics 71394)." United States Fitness & Recreational Sports Centers Industry Report (2016): 1-217. Business Source Complete. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
v Winwood, Paul W., et al. "How Coaches Use Strongman Implements In Strength And Conditioning Practice." International Journal Of Sports Science & Coaching 9.5 (2014): 1107-1125. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.vi Winwood, Paul W., et al. "How Coaches Use Strongman Implements In Strength And Conditioning Practice." International Journal Of Sports Science & Coaching 9.5 (2014): 1107-1125. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
