BFT franchisee explains progress of her Hamilton East studio

Lish Metekingi, owner of the BFT franchise at Hamilton East on the North Island, has shared her experiences of the continued growth of her studio.

Opened in January 2021 as only the third BFT territory to launch in New Zealand, Metekingi's determination and work ethic have seen her franchise go from strength to strength with - just two years on from opening - over 350 members signed up

At launch, needing 140 members on opening day to break even, she had attracted 256 members.

Thereafter, her revenue in the first 12-months was $457,690.

Looking back on her first two years, Metekingi explained "I first found out about BFT in 2019, when they were new to New Zealand.

“The first studio was Hamilton North - just a few miles from where I live. My friends and I were training at another group fitness facility at that time, but we decided to try out BFT as it seemed to be all everyone in Hamilton was talking about.

“Once we tried our first class, I was sold and enquired about purchasing the last remaining territory in Hamilton - Hamilton East.

"I've always had a passion for helping people. Before joining BFT, I ran a few local childcare centres. After a few successful years, I managed to move up the career ladder and oversee a group of childcare centres to ensure they were delivering quality education. However, during the pandemic, I decided I wanted to help people in a different way… this time through health and fitness.

“I was so invested in BFT because when I was younger, I found myself in a dark place and exercise was my outlet. I couldn't believe the drastic positive change working out had on me. It helped me so much and gave me the hunger and drive to want to do that for others who may be struggling. After attending a few sessions and experiencing BFT’s range of workout programmes firsthand, it was clear to me that this was a business I wanted to be a part of.”

With 50,000+ members and more than 230 studios open across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, USA and the UK, BFT is an internationally recognised fitness brand with proven success in its science and technology-based functional and strength-based training.

The average launch day membership for BFT studios is 166 members.

Image: Lish Metekingi.