Australians are divided after the owners of a gym franchise took to social media to plead for help, warning they could lose both their homes and their businesses if more people didn’t sign up.
Jon and El Trovas, a long-term couple who own FitStop in Kilkenny in Adelaide’s western suburbs, have made an emotional appeal to the community for help after they were forced to put their home on the line to fund their gym.
They are already a month behind on the rent, which is $100,000 a year, with an annual increase of four percent, while the electricity bill for the gym is $900 a month.
“Unfortunately, we’re working against the clock,” Jon said in a video.
“We’re facing some pretty big expenses soon, including rent, which means we have less and less time to reach our break-even goal.”
The couple opened the gym last November with just 30 members, but despite their marketing efforts, that number has since grown to 70.
Mr Trovas said that 70 members is not enough to survive and that the gym needs 50 new members by July 20 or the gym will have to close on July 27.
“What makes this so difficult for us is that we love and appreciate you all so much. We truly feel that we have built meaningful and authentic friendships with so many of you,” he 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
‘Where we are now, we’re still about 50 members short of breaking even, so we’ve had to make some very, very difficult decisions.
“And I want to be open and honest about where we are. We need to have 50 new members by Saturday, July 20. If we don’t reach that goal, we will have to make the incredibly difficult decision to close our doors on Saturday, July 27.
“What we ask of you, our wonderful friends and members, is that you can help us by referring people to sign up as paying members.”
Mrs Trovas said the couple had already made some personal sacrifices, such as having only one car, but it has not been serviced.
She said the couple is considering pulling their two boys out of foster care.
“My husband even tried to get a second job. He applied for a job in a prison and worked night shifts putting things on shelves,” she said. The Advertiser.
‘As an entrepreneur, people generally assume that you have money to invest in this, but that is simply not the case.
“We put our house in this, so if we close, we lose our house.”
The couple also uses a split system to save electricity in the gym. The gym is open from 4:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., closes, and doesn’t reopen until 4:30 p.m.
The couple say they have already made a series of personal sacrifices to keep the gym running
Many Australians have taken to social media to express their support for the gym.
“I hope these people can recruit enough new members to get through this difficult time,” one said.
A second added: ‘I admire anyone who has the courage to start their own business and I hope that in these difficult times the economy will be more supportive of the small businesses in South Africa that are struggling at the moment.’
But many more people had no understanding for the couple’s situation.
“Sweet, but owning and running a business requires planning and goals. Nothing is guaranteed and this is in a saturated market,” said one.
A second added: ‘This is sad but I can’t imagine it would be easy to open a gym like FitStop… there are so many gyms like FitStop, several in the same area. It seems like a risky business choice to me.’
A third added: ‘During the cost of living crisis, the first thing I decided to do was cancel my gym membership.’
‘Many people are facing a cost crisis and gym memberships are set to be cancelled. People are taking up walking, running, cycling, swimming or buying their own equipment again,’ said a fourth.
Fitstop was founded in 2013 by Brisbane couple Bec and Peter Hull
Another added: ‘Since the lights are out most days, most potential customers driving by probably think you’re closed forever or not open for regular hours. Why would they pay for a membership when there are unlimited gyms 24/7?’
New members can try FitStop for two weeks for $54, or three weeks for $99.
FitStop was founded in 2013 by Peter and Bec Hull – who sold her Toyota Corolla for $18,000 to finance the venture.
The brand expanded to the United States, opening 38 new franchises in 2023. Annual revenue is estimated at $30 million.
There are over 100 FitStop studios across Australia, on the east and west coasts.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted FitStop Kilkenny for comment.