Vanessa Picker – StartupSmart

Business: fitusin

Age: 22

State: South Australia

 

Since launching her gym booking platform fitusin.com late last year, Vanessa Picker is enjoying doing something new that’s disrupting an established industry.

 

Fitusin allows casual gym users to book in and use a gym without needing to sign up for a membership.

 

“It’s quite a disruptive approach for the industry, especially as it’s been membership based for a long time,” she says.

 

“There were a lot of people who questioned whether suppliers would come on board.”

 

The answer appears to be “yes, they will” with around 200 gyms and exercise services signing up to fitusin so far and interest being shown by personal trainers and group fitness providers. A couple of thousand people have also signed up as users.

 

“It’s exciting to be doing something new,” Picker says, adding that her motivation has been boosted by the positive response of people who say they haven’t used a gym in years because it was too hard, or small local gyms gaining exposure by using the platform.

 

“Users are saying they can find workouts they might not have known about.

 

“People are starting to find value as there’s a lot more choice.”

 

Picker, who has worked in gyms and as a personal trainer, says her advice for fellow young entrepreneurs is that, before they get their idea underway, build something quickly to see if it’s something people find valuable.

 

“Just something to quickly validate it,” she says.

 

Having mentors to act as a sounding board is also important, as well as persistence and staying with your idea.