The Fitness Truck was born in 2016 out of the belief that people deserve better when it comes to personal training.
We saw a gap in the market. The gym still felt intimidating, and there was a stigma around the way personal trainers behaved. We wanted to break down that barrier and make high-quality training accessible in safe, familiar spaces, whether at home, in the garden, the garage, or even the workplace.
From the beginning, we aimed to offer both home and corporate personal training. For individuals, it meant access to safe and effective sessions. For companies, it meant a stronger wellbeing culture, a more active workforce, and the productivity benefits that come with it.
I was made redundant in 2016. I split up from a fiancé and I moved out my house. I was in a spare bedroom with two backpacks at 29 and decided to set up the business in my mate's spare room. I bought some kettle bells, a load of dumbbells, and just bought an old truck, borrowed five grand and cracked on. I had a vision for the franchise from day one, and it has been there for nine years.
We’re nine years in, and slow and steady wins the race. Growth hasn’t been rapid, but that’s intentional. We want to do everything properly. Our vision is 200 franchises nationwide, with a truck in every UK city.
Starting out as an unknown brand was quite hard. Corporate personal training didn’t exist as a market, so we had to create one. That meant setting the tone for the UK, delivering fun, engaging PT sessions in workplaces where none had been before.
Operationally, we’ve faced everything: borrowing money from friends and family, vehicle crashes, staff issues. It hasn’t been a smooth ride, but it’s certainly heading in the right direction.
We haven’t been a company that after one year turned over a million quid. We’ve grown incrementally, from £20k to £40k to £80k, then steadied during COVID before growing again. Now we’re putting together an investment package, potentially a six-figure sum, to support national growth.
Understanding the finances has been my biggest challenge. I’m not an accountant, and since day one I’ve not really known much about my accounts, which Charlotte can probably attest to!
From a corporate perspective, winning contracts with brands like Pretty Little Thing, Clipper Logistics, and most recently Premier Foods, has been huge.
These partnerships show companies trust us to deliver wellbeing sessions safely, on-site, without the need for gyms.
On a personal level, the biggest win is simply being here nine years later. Many businesses fail within three years.
We’ve built something profitable, recognised, and trusted, while also providing my family with a comfortable life. To provide for my children is the most amazing thing.
The next three years will be about starting an investment package for investors to come in and support us with our first five to ten friendly franchises, probably within a 100–150-mile radius of Sheffield, so we can help control and support them.
Over five to ten years, we have national expansion plans. And who knows, maybe international expansion one day. This type of model would be replicable in the US and in Australia.
We want a truck in every city, giving PTs the chance to step away from the gym environment and support everyday people with their health and wellbeing.
It was a natural move for us to come over to work with Charlotte and the team at Gravitate.
When we started, Gravitate didn’t exist. I had a local accountant who was a client for six to seven years. Traditional local accountant: paper-heavy, year-end only. He got us into a great position to where we are today. But we got to a point where we had a bigger vision than what he could provide.
We needed a full turnkey solution and Gravitate offered that from the start.
Having Gravitate run the financial side lets us focus on growing the business. We can put all our eggs into your basket, and you can help us run it because we're not accountants, we're personal trainers. Gravitate handles this professionally for us and allow us to put our efforts into growing the business.
The Fitness Truck is an important and well-loved client of Gravitate, working closely with Client FD Charlotte Turner and her squad!
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We keep the books accurate and month ends stress-free, giving you clear insight and confidence in your numbers.
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We review your numbers quarterly, keeping you informed, spotting issues early, and helping your business stay on track.
We prepare clear annual accounts and reports so you stay compliant and understand the story your finances are telling.
We take the stress out of VAT and corporation tax, keeping you compliant while making sure nothing is missed.
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We plan ahead with you at year end, minimising tax, maximising savings, and setting you up for the year to come.
We run payroll accurately and on time, keeping your team happy and your business fully compliant.
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