No Train, No Gain
With sweat and hard work, this franchisee whipped his business into perfect shape.
After opening a college pro painters franchise during his
college years, Troy Medley, 32, knew he was an entrepreneur at
heart. It wasn't until he was working on his MBA, however, that
he found the perfect way to combine entrepreneurship with his
childhood passion: athletics.
While doing a class project, Medley discovered Velocity Sports
Performance, a franchise that offers specialized training to help
young athletes increase their speed, power and agility. Working in
small groups at 8,400- to 15,000-square-foot facilities, clients
receive the quality of training usually reserved for collegiate and
professional athletes. In Janu-ary 2003, Medley purchased six
locations in Orange County, California, and San Diego and worked on
opening his first center in Irvine, California.
Matters concerning real estate, construction and even hiring
qualified coaches were simplified with the assistance of vendor
relationships the franchisor had already established. Yet it still
took Medley seven months to work out the kinks. He had to develop
his business plan, get financing, and find available real estate to
accommodate a 60-yard indoor sprint track—the biggest hurdle
of all, he says.
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Medley has rapidly gained ground. There are currently more than
200 8- to 18-year-olds training at his center in Irvine. Meanwhile,
he is hard at work with plans to open two more of his locations by
the end of the year. "We've been very pleased with the
results of our first center," he says.
"The market is definitely here."
With his first location expected to bring in 2004 sales of $1.1
million, Medley has finally achieved both personal satisfaction and
financial success. "I pinch myself every day," he says.
"This is everything I've ever wanted."