Isaac is the founder & CEO of Gymflow, a newly launched all-in-one business management platform designed for the leisure industry. As the former CEO of Snap Fitness UK, and a dynamic entrepreneur, Isaac has great insight into the industry and fitness tech.
ISAAC, HOW DID YOUR BACKGROUND LEAD YOU TO DEVELOPING GYMFLOW?
It was a business born out of frustration for the tools I had available to me to run the business I was previously involved in. I had numerous conversations with colleagues, friends and other operators over the years and I knew I wasn’t the only one.
Like many other operators, I searched far and wide for a better technology solution for the business to no avail. The cost of developing a system solely for ourselves was too prohibitive and switching to another provider didn’t seem worth the time involved in migrating and retraining staff etc, as they still didn’t provide the solution we needed. In this space, there is a real lack of understanding from software providers on what operators really need.
WHAT HAVE YOU LOVED MOST ABOUT THE PROCESS?
I’ve loved the research and development element that comes with a new product like this. I’ve enjoyed connecting with other operators, and learning about their businesses, challenges, and requirements.
The pandemic has given us so much time to conduct this research properly and shape the product based on this research. We will continue to conduct research and be open to feedback as we continue with our mission to make this platform the best in market for the industry.
We are also very design led and believe that the way the platform looks, feels and functions has a large impact on positive user experience. Getting creative with the design and flow of the users has been great fun.
HOW DO YOU SEE TECHNOLOGY CHANGING THE FITNESS INDUSTRY OVER THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS?
I think the pandemic has forced a fairly slow to evolve industry to really look at embracing technology. Initially it was for relevance – and maybe survival – but now it would seem a lot of these solutions may be here to stay. At the very least, I believe the interest in and enthusiasm for how technology can positively impact business will remain.
I think in 5 years we will finally be more data led than ever before (not just member counts and conversion rates!). Understanding the full picture of the member (or customer) and what part everyone plays in the ecosystem of an individual’s health and wellbeing. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess, but if we all find our place in that ecosystem (and stop trying to be everything to everyone), you can be sure what is on offer will be hyper personalised, better quality and a richer experience for all which is a very positive outcome.
