Stallworthy says Pinnacle Health Clubs are distinguished from other 24/7 gyms because it’s still full-service.
“Convenience is a massive thing in the industry and people always look for a gym which is close to their home. But the market is becoming saturated.
“Twenty-four-seven is definitely important, it is the right model, but full service is the key. How it works is we have staffed hours and unstaffed hours. This means we can still do group fitness classes (we have 40 a week) and boot camps and other activities. People also have the option to buy the 24/7 access, but they don’t have to, which reduces their fees.”
One of the biggest things Stallworthy has learnt has been to take the time to talk to customers.
“We actually have a lot of members which have been successful in their own businesses. From speaking to these people we’ve built some great relationships,” he says.
“But the thing which has helped take us to the next level was seeing a business coach. We started with Stefan Kazakis in January last year and see him one-on-one on a fortnightly basis. He’s honest and keeps us accountable.”
Since starting the business, Stallworthy says one of his mistakes was investing too much time on a superhero character called Pinnacle Pete.
“I wanted to start a kids’ fitness program and to promote it and encourage kids to come along we created the superhero character Pinnacle Pete. It was great, but I ended up being tied down always being Pinnacle Pete. It took me away from being the manager of the gym to being a kid’s superhero,” he says.
“To be honest Pinnacle Pete was a massive part of our success early on, but I just ended up spending too much time standing on street corners waving to cars and going to shopping centres. We kept him for about one-and-a-half years, but the gym outgrew Pinnacle Pete.”
Now, Stallworthy is faced with the constant pressures of new competition and the need to constantly upgrade the equipment to the latest technology.
“We try and upgrade the cardio equipment on a four-year cycle as the ideal scenario and the strength equipment every six years. That said, there’s always something we’re changing.
“It’s so hard to keep your equipment up-to-date with all the bells and whistles.”
In his first year, Stallworthy dedicated all his time to making sure the business was a success, but now he’s endeavoured to have more time for himself. Not just a gym owner, Stallworthy is also a fitness fanatic.
“Last year I completed the Melbourne Marathon. It was extremely challenging and the preparation was tough. I’ll be better in the next one.
“Fitness has always been a huge part of my life, whether it’s riding, cricket, footy or skiing.”
Looking forward, Stallworthy wants to open more clubs, grow the current gyms and create more opportunities for the staff.
“If it wasn’t for our staff we wouldn’t have the chance to grow. It’s such a high turnover industry in terms of staff, but ours have stayed with us from the start, only really leaving if they complete their university degrees and move onto another career,” he says.
“We have another couple of projects we’re working on too which are related to the fitness industry.”
To other entrepreneurs, Stallworthy recommends always keeping a notebook or your phone handy to “write down those genius moments”.
