Having expanded their reach with a second branch in DB, the co-founders of EMS Fitness Hong Kong share the secrets of their success.
PHOTO COURTESY OF EMS Fitness Hong Kong
Having expanded their reach with a second branch in DB, the co-founders of EMS Fitness Hong Kong share the secrets of their success.
PHOTO COURTESY OF EMS Fitness Hong Kong
Ask a bunch of entrepreneurs what drives them and most will say their passion, their belief in whatever it is they are sharing with clients. Beatrice Chan, co-founder of EMS Fitness Hong Kong, is no exception. “I had a leg injury six years ago when I was living in Germany and it was difficult for me to do sports,” she opens. “EMS [electric muscle stimulation] training gave me good results. I saw the impact of EMS at first hand. So, I decided to get my personal training cer tification and join an EMS studio to learn more about the benefits.”
By 2021, Beatrice and her husband Simon Stoll had moved to Hong Kong and launched EMS Fitness in Central, confident that they had spotted a gap in the market. “Before we opened, I looked into the sports and health scene in Hong Kong and I saw that EMS training was not present,” Simon says. “EMS is well-established in Germany and we felt there was a place for it here.”
Finding the right target audience is essential to any start-up and Beatrice and Simon were convinced they had found that in busy, of fice-bound Hongkongers. “Time is very important to people here and EMS is an effective way for them to keep fit in a short period of time,” says Simon, referring to the way a 20-minute EMS training session can deliver the same result as a two-and-a-half-hour conventional gym workout. “EMS technology helps to contract over 90% of muscles simultaneously thus providing a shortcut to strengthening, body toning and fat burning,” he adds. “It’s USP, and why it’s proving such a hit in Hong Kong, is that it works but it’s not time consuming.”
Nevertheless, launching a new business during a pandemic has to be seen as a… bold move. What advice does the couple have for wannabe entrepreneurs, who are stuck on the fence, waiting for the ‘perfect time’ to start out. “You need to find the determination to go for it – even if the odds seem stacked against you,” says Simon. “We had a couple of entrepreneur friends advising us to be cautious about opening a business. But we were so convinced by our business model that despite the uncertainty, we went ahead.
“If you open a new business, the important thing is to be flexible,” Simon adds. “We started on a small scale with just the one branch in Central. This really paid off. Be resilient and test the response before you invest too much, that’s important!”
So after a relatively cautious start, what spurred the expansion to DB and how did the couple go about it? “Expansion of a business should align with demand,” says Beatrice. “Many customers in our Central studio wanted to work with us in DB, which is why we decided to open a branch in DB South.” Simon also did his market research, and decided that DB had the right demographic. “DB has the expat and health-conscious crowd,” he says. “It’s different from other suburbs in Hong Kong.”
Supported by referrals from both existing clients and local clinics, Beatrice and Simon are happy with the way their business is growing. The question has to be asked, however: what do they say to the sceptics out there, people who find the idea of EMS too good to be true? “What we see is that once people try it, they are much more convinced,” Beatrice says simply. “And once they see the results, they keep coming back.
“The 20 minutes are very tough. It’s not like you are standing there doing nothing. People are sweating within five minutes. EMS is tough but ef ficient. It’s a shortcut to fitness.”
Clients are also impressed by the state-of-the-art equipment on offer, and Simon advises anyone starting out in business to invest in the best. “Our EMS machines are designed and made in Germany,” he says. “We decided to go with the market leader because of its long-standing reputation. Also, these German machines are medically certified.”
Asked to share more secrets of their success, the couple are quick to point out the importance of choosing the right people to work with, in this case their five personal trainers. “Some of them have personal training backgrounds and others, like me, have a service industry background,” says Beatrice, a former flight attendant. “We look for people with good people skills because they need to give customers a pleasant experience and motivate them to stick to a routine.”
Looking to the immediate future, the couple believe consistency will keep their business on track and, in terms of expansion, they have a quality over quantity mindset. “Depending on how 2023 picks up, we may set up a third branch or even move to DB South Plaza,” Simon says. Meanwhile, the couple’s endgame is to make EMS Fitness the market leader in Asia. “We’re very confident!” Beatrice concludes.
EMS Fitness Hong Kong offers a range of personal training session packages and attractive membership plans.
For more on the DB studio and to make a booking, WhatsApp 6200 2463 or visit www.ems-fitness.hk.