PRIME business club

Olderpreneur Suzy Kilgour, 53 has become a specialist fitness instructor, after seven years in the charity sector.

Suzy Kilgour runs Walking Workouts - a fitness business specialising in power walking and low impact body conditioning. Group sessions take place on Clapham Common and cost £14 an hour. Personal training comes in at £40 an hour, and is tailored to the client’s needs. Suzy says, ‘we workout in the fresh air, so you escape the gym and absorb more vitamin D!’

Walking Workouts was launched in 2007 when Suzy was 51. ‘I got into the fitness industry by accident, when I was invited to join the Fit for a Princess team in 2006′ says Suzy. ‘It was completely out of the blue.’ Suzy trained as a fitness instructor, and Walking Workouts was born the following year when Suzy thought of the idea while out power walking on Clapham Common.

One essential tool to Suzy’s power walking business, are her Masai Barefoot Technology shoes. Suzy describes her MBTs as ‘those rather-strange looking shoes that have been designed to improve your posture and gait, and activate neglected leg and buttock muscles.’ The shoes have their own ‘walking technique’, which is meant to reduce stress on knee and hip joints. Suzy found that power walking in her own MBTs improved her knee and back problems and changed her body shape. She says ‘I wanted to help others to improve their own health and fitness.’

Starting out

‘I didn’t want to take any business away from Fit for a Princess, so I started completely from scratch.’ Says Suzy. ‘I did some leafleting, and put up notices in the local shops and cafes.’

Suzy approached female fitness clothing and equipment store Sweaty Betty, to start an MBT Walking Club as a free service for their customers. This introduced her to potential clients and gave the business good exposure on the Sweaty Betty store and website. Suzy also introduced the Walking Workouts business concept to her GP practice and to local physiotherapists.

Another tactic was to write press releases, and send them out to local media. Suzy is always updating her releases, which enables her to send them out regularly. Contacting local or national media is a great way to create publicity, and is absolutely free to do. Make sure you include all your contact details and try to have photographs available to send on request.

Qualifications

In 2006 Suzy took her Central YMCA Qualification (CYQ) Level 2 in ‘Fitness Instructing’ (Exercise to Music).

In 2007 Suzy took Level 3 FitPro Advanced Instructor Modules in ‘Training in Different Environments’, ‘Advanced Resistance Training’ and ‘Exercise Prescription for Fat Loss and Fitness’. Suzy also gained a CYQ and Leki certificate in ‘Nordic Walking’.

The qualifications give Suzy accreditation as a professional fitness instructor, and give her a variety of styles to use in her classes.

Age is no barrier

Suzy’s mantra is ‘50 is the new 30.’ Suzy passed her fitness qualifications at 50, and leads an extremely active lifestyle.

‘When I was approached by Fit for a Princess’ says Suzy, ‘I said “You do know I’m 50, don’t you?” But it wasn’t a problem, and I haven’t looked back since.’ Age is certainly not a problem for Suzy’s clients, who can range from 30 - 88 years old.

Skill Voids

When Suzy first became self-employed in 1990, she had never used a computer. Suzy taught herself the basics, and gained experience as a freelance travel writer and marketing consultant. But running a business demanded a bit more.

Suzy used Mr Site (www.mrsite.co.uk) to create her basic website. You choose a package - £20-£100 depending on how much you want on your template. Then you select the style, number of pages, and edit the content. Visit www.primebusinessclub.co.uk for a Mr. Site discount. Suzy brought a local web designer on board, to personalise the site to her own specifications.

Most libraries offer free computer courses for the over 50s. If not, contact your local council, who will be aware of support in your area.

Bookkeeping and accounts were a worry for Suzy, so she employed an accountant. Hiring in a professional is one way of covering your weak points. If you have a small budget, you can offer to trade one of your own services instead of cash. Or you can employ someone on a temporary basis, and learn from them, so you can take over when they leave.

Business Support

Suzy took part in the free Enterprise on Track course, run by London Metropolitan University. ‘It was useful in lots of ways’ Explains Suzy. ‘I found a peer mentor group which has been a great support. Running a business can be very isolating. I would definitely recommend finding someone to mentor you as soon as possible.’

The course made Suzy think about what she wanted out of her business. ‘To make it fly, I would have to put all of my time and passion into it. It would have to be my ultimate dream’ says Suzy. ‘But in the end, other things were more important, and I decided to cut back on the business and spend more time with family.’

The decision to go part time means Suzy has a lot more freedom. She now runs just one group class per week, and takes on more private work, which is flexible. Suzy is financially stable enough to not need her business income for survival. So Walking Workouts is a ‘hobby-business’ that keeps Suzy active, and brings in some extra cash.
Contact
Suzy Kilgour
Walking Workouts
Tel: 0207 585 1344
Mob: 07980 650 951
Email: info@walkingworkouts.co.uk
Web: www.walkingworkouts.com  
Hilary Farnworth
Manager, Centre for Micro Enterprise
London Metropolitan University
Business School, Room 1-11
84 Moorgate
London, EC2M 6SQ
Tel: 020 7320 1573
Email: hilary.farnworth@londonmet.ac.uk
Web: www.londonmet.ac.uk