Australians have been divided after the owners of a gym franchise took to social media to ask for help and warned they could lose both their home and business if more people do not sign up.
Jon and El Trovas, a long-time couple and owners of FitStop in Kilkenny, in Adelaide’s western suburbs, have made an emotional plea for help from their community after they were forced to risk their home to fund their gym.
They are already a month behind on their rent, which costs $100,000 a year with an annual increase of four percent, while the gym’s electricity bill is $900 a month.
“Unfortunately for us we are working against the clock,” Jon said in a video.
“We have some pretty big expenses coming up very soon, including rent, which means we are running out of time to reach our break-even goal.”
The couple opened the gym last November with just 30 members, which has grown to 70 members despite their marketing efforts.
Trovas said 70 members are not enough to survive and the gym needs 50 new members to sign up by July 20, or it will have to close on July 27.
“What makes this so difficult for us is that we truly love and value each and every one of you and genuinely feel that we have created meaningful and authentic friendships with many of you,” she continued.
Jon and El Trovas (pictured) need 50 members by the end of the month to prevent their FitStop franchise in Adelaide’s western suburbs from going bust.
FitStop Kilkenny (pictured) opened just over six months ago, in November 2023.
‘As things stand, we are still about 50 members short of breaking even, so we have had to make some very, very difficult decisions.
“I want to be open and honest about our current situation. We need to reach 50 new members by Saturday, July 20th. If we cannot reach that goal, we will have to make the difficult decision to close our doors on Saturday, July 27th.
‘What we ask of you, our wonderful friends and members, is that you help us by referring people to sign up to become paying members.’
Ms Trovas said the couple had already made a number of personal sacrifices, including owning only one car and not receiving services.
He said the couple is considering removing their two children from daycare.
“My husband has even tried to find a second job. He has applied for a job in a prison and working night shifts restocking shelves,” she said. The advertiser.
‘Being a business owner means people generally assume we had money to invest in it, but that simply wasn’t the case.
“We have put our house on this, so if we close, we will lose our house.”
The couple also use a split system to save electricity in the gym, opening from 4.30am to 10.30am before closing and reopening at 4.30pm.
The couple say they have already made a number of personal sacrifices to keep the gym afloat.
Many Australians have expressed their support for the gym on social media.
“We hope these people can get enough new memberships to get through these difficult times,” one said.
A second added: “I admire anyone who has the courage to start their own business and I wish economic times were better for all these small businesses struggling in South Africa at the moment.”
However, many more were not sympathetic to the couple’s plight.
‘That’s understandable, but owning and operating a business requires planning and goals – nothing is guaranteed and this is especially true in a saturated market,’ said one.
A second added: “This is sad but I couldn’t imagine opening a place like FitStop would be easy… there are so many gyms like that, several in the same suburb. It seems like a risky business decision.”
A third added: “During the cost of living crisis, the first thing I decided to quit was my gym membership.”
‘Many people are facing a cost of living crisis and gym memberships are in a position of being cut; people are turning back to walking, running, cycling, swimming or buying their own equipment,’ said a fourth.
Fitstop was founded by Brisbane couple Bec and Peter Hull in 2013
Another added: ‘Since the lights are off most days, most potential customers passing by probably think it’s closed forever or the fact that it’s not open during standard hours, why would they pay for a membership when there are unlimited gyms open 24/7?’
New members can try FitStop for two weeks for $54 or for three weeks for $99.
FitStop was founded in 2013 by Peter and Bec Hull, who He sold his Toyota Corolla for $18,000 to finance the business.
The brand has expanded into the United States and opened 38 new franchises by 2023 and is estimated to generate $30 million in revenue each year.
There are over 100 FitStop studios across Australia, on both the east and west coasts.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted FitStop Kilkenny for comment.