Category: Business

It’s a pleasure to serve you and to own a company that contributes to society by helping people improve themselves. We are all in this together, striving to be better than we were yesterday and I thank you for choosing to workout with us.

You should know that our current location wasn’t how we started. I started in the park with one person. We then got kettlebells and moved into part of an office that they weren’t using. The office workers came out and made copies while we worked out. Those were the days.

Back then, I did everything personally to run the business. I answered the phone, taught personal training sessions, taught group classes, sold kettlebells, handed out business cards, stuffed flyers I designed personally into mailboxes, etc. I was involved in every aspect. It was a real one-man show. I loved it.

As more people chose to workout with us, we saved the money and expanded only as much as we could handle. We never wanted to make a financial mistake that could sink the company. And I kept answering the phones and teaching all the classes as we expanded.

Believe it or not, cleaning the bathroom and sweeping the gym were two of my favorite activities. A gymgoer the other day told me I looked very zen as I was sweeping outside of the gym and he was right, I felt that way at the time. That’s one reason why I love doing that type of manual labor. I always tell my kids that wherever we go, we must leave the place better than we found it. We need to constantly make a contribution, a place should be better because we were there. We improve wherever we are and in the process, we improve ourselves. There’s a connection between where you are and what you are. Clean surroundings produce a clean, calm mind.

But the other reason I like cleaning is that it’s a way to serve others. And let’s face it — if you aren’t willing to do the dirty work yourself, then are you really willing to help others? Do you really care? Doing only what’s easy doesn’t count because everyone is willing to do that. Doing what’s unpleasant both builds and shows character.

So unlike some other business owners, I’ve worked the front desk, I’ve taken weird phone calls about things you’d never expect, I’ve personally trained hundreds of people. All these experiences have shaped me as a business owner and as a person. I bring that knowledge into how I run the business.

Again, I want to thank you for choosing our products and services. We’re family here and we’re glad you’ve chosen to be a part of it.

Yours in fitness.

Right now we’re hosting one of the most knowledgeable trainers I ever met, Steve Maxwell. He’s showing us things that are just blowing our minds. His breadth and depth of knowledge is amazing. He’s been in the fitness industry longer than I’ve been alive and we’re so glad to have him.

But I wonder when we talk about bringing him here or other aspects of the business, if people might think we’re bragging or showing off. That’s not what we’re doing.

At Formosa Fitness, we compete as a business based on quality — quality of information, quality of services we provide, etc. We aren’t the biggest gym in Taiwan and we know that. But I’ll be darned if we aren’t going to be the best.

Bringing in someone like Steve improves every aspect of what we do. The information he gives us is passed on to you through our personal training, group classes, seminars, our DVDs, and everything else. This was the reason I flew to other countries to study under some of the best in the world — it was about bringing back quality information. And it’s the reason we’re now bringing the best in the world here.

We love what we do at Formosa Fitness and we hope you do, too. So any time we can do what we love even better than before, then it makes us happy. And as a customer, it will make you happy, too. We all benefit from these things and that’s what it’s all about.

So when you see us promoting the things we do, please realize that we’re aren’t bragging and that it isn’t just about us — it’s about growing in what we love and that’s also about you. You’re an important part of this and we value your support.

Yours in fitness.

We take our image very seriously and we don’t want there to be any confusion. So take a look at our competitors:

If this above is what you’re looking for in a gym, then please go there. Because we are NOT that.

Gyms in Taiwan are viewed negatively by many people because of the way they project themselves to the public and because of what goes on there. When we told the locals in our new location that we were planning on opening a gym, they had some sharp, harsh questions for us. They were worried about what we were bringing into their community. That’s a shame.

Formosa Fitness is a family values place. We even bring our kids to the gym sometimes. I know that’s old fashioned and even conservative in this day and age but that’s what we are and it’s not going to change. We are NOT an adult nightclub and never will be. We are in the fitness business, that’s it.

If you’re tired of the local scene then you should come check us out. When we say we’re the fitness alternative in Taiwan, we really mean it!

Years ago, I practiced taichi sword a lot so I thought about swords a lot. It goes with the territory. What makes a good sword, a good handle, the types of steel, the edge, etc. are all things to consider. So I educated myself on the ins and outs of all things sword-sy.

I came across a great sword that was a practice replica but it was closely modeled on a real honest-to-goodness authentic sword. The maker went out of their way to make good quality replicas for practice and I admired their dedication. I tried out a model and was super impressed — this thing was light years beyond what most people were practicing with. So I decided to take one around and show folks to see if there was any interest in buying it — if so, I’d consider importing and selling it.

To my shock and horror, the sword was roundly rejected by nearly everyone. “This is nothing like a real sword,” they said. People complained about the weight, the edge, the look, the feel, you name it and it was apparently wrong.  I asked almost everyone what they were comparing it to and guess what they pulled out? The cheapest fake aluminum taichi swords you’ve ever seen. Everyone of these things was poor quality but here’s the catch — it was the only thing these people had ever seen and was the first sword they ever held. It was what they practiced with everyday and trying to convince them of the value of a higher quality model was like talking to a wall. “But it doesn’t feel the same,” they said. Ugh.

In life and in business we often assume that people will upgrade to a higher quality model if one is made available but that often isn’t the case. A previous model may meet a basic need  and the fact that someone started with that inferior product may PREVENT them from wanting to upgrade. It’s surprising until you’re on the other side with the higher quality product or service.

I’m looking at buying golf clubs now and maybe a bow (I love archery). I was looking at getting a basic set of clubs when this lesson came back to me. Will what I start with shape the way I look at other clubs? Will I appreciate a higher quality set of clubs later or will I reject them because they “don’t feel right”?

Hmmm…..

We’re still very much a work in process and we haven’t figured everything out by a long shot. But I’ll tell you what, we’ve learned a lot since we’ve been open and one of the most potent lessons has been that it just ain’t always like the books say. I’ve read 50 or so business books at this point and there’s a TON of stuff that no one is saying anywhere. Here’s a beginning look at what I think is important for new business owners.

My best general business advice:

1. start with a lemonade stand and go from there. I see all kinds of people that want to start huge and when they fail, it’s bankruptcy. Start teaching in the park or wherever you can pay as little rent as possible. Build up the clientele from there and only then expand only so much as you can see the business supporting. “Build it and they will come” is a huge risk that i never take. That’s why I’m still open.

2. do what you have to do until you no longer have to do it. You might have to take questionable business at the beginning when you’re getting started. That’s just the price of going on your own. You need the money and you need to take a chance that folks might turn out to be good clients or that situations might pan out. Later as the business builds, you can be selective about what business to pursue and what not to pursue.

3. Be very careful who you get your advice from. I used to get approached almost everyday by people telling me “you should do this” and “you should do that.” If I did half of what they suggested I’d never get anything done. My efforts would be all over the place. Those folks never knew a thing about my business, my market, or my challenges. Heck, they didn’t usually even run businesses themselves, let alone successful ones. So I’ve narrowed my funnel on who I listen to and try to get only quality info. It will be hard to tell who really knows something at first, but you’ll notice that you keep going to certain places for info and that’s a good sign of quality.

Most of all, good luck. Being your own boss is extremely liberating and also a ton of responsibility. Enjoy the ride!