Case Study: Getting into ‘The Zone’ with Lauren Caffrey

Starting a business at age of 21 was an easy decision to make for Lauren Caffrey.

Eager to gain experience straight from school, she became a personal trainer at a local gym, building on her fitness knowledge and eventually gaining a client base that would allow her to go it alone.

She opened The Zone PT in 2019 to an influx of excited clients, completing 60 sessions per week with the help of her friend Emily, also a personal trainer.

Lauren told us: “The sessions were so successful from the beginning, that 2 months into the gym opening I had to start thinking about how what I could do to not turn clients away – this is when I decided to start online training sessions”

The introduction of the “7-week shred” meant that The Zone was able to continue to support those looking to change their lifestyle and eating habits, whilst maintaining a full schedule at the gym.

With over 300 enquiries within the first two months, she decided it was time to streamline the structure of the business to avoid becoming overwhelmed. She was introduced to The Women’s Organisation by her mum, who 20 years prior had also accessed their business support services to launch her own business.

Lauren’s first meeting was with her business adviser Carole – who helped her organise the structure of the business and see the potential growth opportunities she could work towards.

“Carole helped me look at my next steps and ways I could start to properly manage the business and clients I was getting in.

I did a few social media courses that has helped me understand the in’s and outs of promoting a business online to increase your audience”

Attending courses and regular meetings helped the business meet achievable targets and grow, with advice around taking on staff, dealing with client growth and loans that would be available to the business to help them go further.

Like many businesses across the world, the effects of COVID-19 mean that The Zone are now unable to offer their 1-2-1 services in person for the time being. To ensure the business can still operate, Lauren has introduced live workouts on Instagram – collaborating with other brands to help increase their audience. These free workouts have helped to promote the brand, bringing in 2000 new followers and paving the way for potential clients in the future.

So, how has the Enterprise Hub support impacted the business?

Lauren told us: “My turnover has practically doubled since getting more advice around the structure of my business. I have also been working on fixing little tweaks in the business I did not know need fixing until I started this programme.

The support has given me the skills to reach a wider audience and has taught me how to handle taking on more clients. My business now has a professional feel with the addition of a new website, something I didn’t think I needed before”

The Zone has only been open for under a year but has already achieved more than expected for a small start-up business. Lauren is now looking at moving into a bigger premise and is increasing the number of personal trainers in the business.

“Since coming to The Women’s Organisation I have been a lot more confident knowing that if I get stuck, I can always get help from my business adviser Carole. It really is a great community that keeps you motivated by seeing how ambitious all the other women starting businesses are”

and her final words for anyone thinking about starting or growing a business:

“I’m not finished here yet; I’ve been open under a year and I’m already looking at expanding. If you have an idea in mind, do not give up until you get it!