Looking to find quality fitness related activities and classes near you? After spending too much time searching, local entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast Catherine Chan took it upon herself to create a website that speeds up the process of finding and booking the class that is right for you. For our latest business feature we chatted with her about FitIn.
What is your business called and what does it do?
FitIn is a fitness platform connecting fitness class enthusiasts or novices with activities and exercise classes in their neighbourhood. On FitIn, you can find and book your next fitness class in A FEW MINUTES, not a few hours.
We already have 1,000+ classes & personal trainers on our site to help you out!
Our goal is to be Canada’s largest resource for boutique gyms, personal trainers and instructors, and to champion health, wellness and activity, no matter what that looks like for each and every Canadian.
What made you want to do this work?
When I spent 3 hours trying to find the right yoga class at the right place at the right time…and then 3 weeks later, I had to repeat the exercise for my daughter’s gymnastic’s class! I knew there HAD to be a better way. So I decided to build it!
What problem does this solve?
It solves the problem of trying to find a fitness class QUICKLY.
Right now, people start on Google, open a bunch of browser tabs for each potential gym they come across, then they go to Facebook or yelp to read the reviews…on FitIn, you can do all that and book the class right away. For fitness entrepreneurs, closing the loop between search and revenue is a huge gain.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
My clientele are fitness entrepreneurs (such as boutique studios, independent instructors and personal trainers) across Canada.
However, the demographics of those who use the site include more than just fitness fans. They include people who want to do something with their friends other than sit at a bar. They include moms who have crazy schedules and need to be able to find a class for themselves or their kids quickly. They include people who are just starting their fitness journey, or people who have to change up their long-standing routine. It also includes people who travel all over the city in the course of their day or business, and need to have more than one fitness option in their back pocket.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
You can sign up for an account FREE on FitIn, and all you pay for are the classes you want to take.
I built this platform with the fitness entrepreneur in mind – because they are the future of fitness. I priced it accordingly – for trainers or studios, they pay an extremely reasonable price for a full service, including listing, bookings and account reconciliation.
Where in Toronto can we find your profession?
Online on our website – however, the businesses on our platform stretch from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Whitby
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services?
For businesses, they always ask about pricing, and I’m happy to report that we have free (basic) listings for any gym or studio, and we encourage them to load those classes in FitIn to help people find them easier!
Because we are here to support fitness entrepreneurs, we make sure to work with them to help them develop their business and their profile – with guest blog articles, reviews that their customers can leave to boost their rating, and regular announcements and promotions to our hundreds of users.
We are also launching FitIn Events to support them with all their amazing workshops, one-off meetups and seminars that are fitness, health or wellness related.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best is definitely getting to hear about amazing fitness classes around town – I’m so inspired with the variety, and with how much effort instructors put into their lesson planning and their creativity.
The best is knowing that I’ve built a tool that can really help people and save them time – everyone I have spoken with sees its potential to revolutionise the ease of connecting with their next fitness experience.
Another best is helping people understand that fitness should be a joyful experience that also benefits their mental health; it shouldn’t be a grind.
The worst is probably the stress of paying the rent as a tech startup in a very competitive market.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
Do as I say, not as I do! lol
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Toronto business that you love?
I’m a huge fan of SEAM technic! They have a very cool personal security & communication device called the Lotus that’s great when I’m out for a run.
