Ah...Summer....

I know that Summer is usually slow here in Williamsburg...but we did have three new clients in June, which is pretty good. Last year we only had one. So far we have one new clients, and it is the middle of the month - so we need some new blood.

We've lost a couple of clients so far....this economy is killing all of us! Our next-door business closed last month. Very sad....but I don't believe he put enough time into work. For a business to succeed you have to put in long hours and spend lots of "down time". Thankfully many of our new clients really love us....so hopefully they'll stay beyond their initial package. And some long-time clients have re-upped...which is always good.

We're waiting to hear if we can get the financing for a Richmond studio. The appraiser came to the house yesterday so now we have to wait for his report. I know it sounds crazy to want to spend even "more" money in this economy but we just know that if we open a second Studio in Richmond it will do so much better than here in Williamsburg.

And...as for my pups...Samantha is showing her age a little. I can't believe she'll be 14 years old next month!! We did get some new fish for the pond, now that it's protected by netting. They're hiding out right now, but we hope that they'll come out soon.

And next week is Frank's birthday. I want to go out to dinner Saturday....his choice. I just hope it's not another steakhouse.....

Weekend Wanders

So...this weekend was pretty busy. My networking group had a Cinco de Maya party hosted by one of the members on Friday evening, and one of our Studio members had a "Low Country Boil" party on Saturday evening. Both parties were really nice....but it's amazing how small a town Williamsburg really is!! I met people at both parties that I knew...but had no idea they had been invited.

This month hasn't been too bad for the Studio...but we know that the Summer is usually dead. I'm trying to work up some new offers starting in June - I'd love to get some referrals. Today we'll be talking to the bank about funding for another Studio in Richmond. I know we would do so much better there...down here people are just not into fitness. Luckily we have some great clients that have stuck with us for a long time.

As for my "girls", today is a really nice day so Frank will head over to the Dog Park for a while. Cleo was all pepped up this weekend...she needs to get rid of some of that energy.

Starting Out......

So...this is my first Blog post. I've thought about starting a Blog many times, but have never had the time.

I moved to Williamsburg, VA in April of 2007. My husband, Frank, and I come from the NY/NJ area, but we knew that we wanted to make a move years ago. Once Frank was laid off from his job, and I "retired" from mine, we decided to move.

We had visited Williamsburg on vacation for almost 20 years and we just loved the area. Frank was determined to build a log home, so we purchased property in 2003, and started our dream home in 2005. I say "dream" even though the building was a nightmare. But, in April of 2007 it was finally finished and we moved in.

We came down here with our two dogs; a dalmatian, Samantha and Yellow Lab, Valentine. We knew when we moved that Valentine had chronic kidney failure, but we tried our best to keep things as normal as possible for her.

To support ourselves we opened a personal training studio, Fitness Together. Frank had worked for a Fitness Together in Princeton, NJ for over a year and really liked the one-to-one personal attention. When he found out it was a franchise he decided to buy one....so here we are.

It has been a struggle...getting the house finished, starting a new business and keeping that business going. People in Williamsburg aren't really into fitness and the demographic is much older people with "old" money, that they are not willing to part with. Add to that the recent economic problems and you have a struggling business. But, thankfully, we have a lot of loyal clients that keep coming back over and over again....once we get a client in the door they usually stay for a while.

The time we ever had was when we lost our beloved Valentine on August 2, 2007. She was my "heart" dog....and I miss her terribly to this day. I can rarely talk about her without becoming emotional....the pain of her loss hasn't gotten much better with time.

In November of that same year I visited the Humane Society and we adopted Cleo, a little lab/mix. Cleo is so much like Valentine that it is scary at times. I firmly believe that Valentine sent her to us.

So....I come into the Studio every day and do the computer work....talk to clients...and help out in any way I can. I belong to a networking group and have met some really nice people. Life is very different from the NJ/NY commute of hours at a time...now the Studio is about 15 minutes from our house.

And I still have my iVillage message boards to post on every day....I've been doing that for years and hope that through the Dogs & Puppies, Dog Training, Pet Adoption and Sporting Dogs message boards I give a little bit of help to people that need it.

My first Blog post...how exciting!! Now that you know a little about me I hope you'll read along for more Williamsburg Fitness and doggie stuff....