They say that in Fuenterrabía (Guipúzcoa), “you kick a stone and an entrepreneur comes out.” From one of those kicks came the president and founder of Go Fit, Gabriel Sáez, who presented the case of his company during the III Wuics Congress on sports centre management.
THE ORIGIN
“From parents who were waiters (hence the service vocation), a mediocre athlete, rugby player, educated by Jesuits and Capuchins, a poor student of INEF.” Gabriel Sáez began by defining himself this way in his speech at the congress. He has now spent 23 years in the sector, “providing solutions to public administrations through the construction, management and planning of sports services for citizens,” something the executive explains “started in Barcelona, with Rafa Niubò, who realised that the number of sports facilities after the Olympic Games was not sustainable and that a model was needed to manage them.”
The president and founder of Go Fit stated that “we didn’t invent anything, we simply interpreted a model in our own way” when in 2009, in Montecarmelo (Madrid), they opened their first centre. They expected to reach 4,000–5,000 members and within a month and a half they were at 10,000. Later, “thanks to the trust of Corpfin Capital, which backed this model, we were able to continue opening centres in Córdoba, Ciudad Real, Málaga… until reaching the 18 we have opened,” acknowledged the entrepreneur.
KEY SUCCESS FACTORS
Gabriel Sáez explained “how” he believes they have reached this point, emphasising that the main factor was “defining our path, which is neither the best nor the worst, it is simply ours and it is very clearly defined.” Among other things, the executive also stated that they have always tried to remain “very connected with the client and the sector, as there is always something to learn from someone in a conversation.” “Having absolute tolerance for error has been another key factor,” admitted Sáez, who also added “honesty, courage, loyalty and motivating the organisation” as other pillars of Go Fit.
READY FOR EXPANSION
Taking care of all these aspects and carefully selecting and nurturing staff (9 out of 10 employees recommend working at the company), currently made up of 800 employees, should be the foundations of the brand’s expansion, which has “a structure designed for many more centres,” acknowledged Sáez.
And according to the president and founder of Go Fit, what are currently €150 million in assets, 150,000 clients, €40 million in revenue (2015) and a presence in Spain and Portugal, should become €300 million in assets, 500,000 clients, €120 million in revenue, an EBITDA of €60 million, and a presence in four or five European countries by 2023.
“If the numbers support it, we will continue with expansion,” added Sáez, who noted that “in Spain there are still opportunities, although in some places things are getting out of hand and unless we increase the percentage of the population attending centres, there will be oversupply, something that is already happening in some locations.” Regarding a possible entry into Barcelona, and despite having “a couple of sites identified,” the president of Go Fit admitted that “competition is very strong and that is a major barrier to taking the step.”
THE GO FIT METHOD
In any case, ambitious objectives for a brand that has found in “health” its differentiating factor, explained Gabriel Sáez: “we are facing a perfect storm of population ageing, life expectancy and sedentary lifestyles; that is why we are investing heavily in the Go Fit method, through which the client will ultimately choose us as their centre in two, five or ten years.”
In order to achieve this, Sáez places his trust both in the person responsible for the customer experience, Jesús Díaz, and in the person leading research investment, Dr. Alfonso Jiménez, who is focused on “launching a health indicator for clients and seeking scientific evidence to support the Go Fit method,” stated the entrepreneur.
Want to know more?
Corpfin Capital y Gofit – Cmdsport.com
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