From Personal Training to Entrepreneurship: Insights from the fit20 Franchise System

From Personal Trainer to Entrepreneur

More than 300 members and a team of six Personal Trainers: the fit20 studio in Dalfsen, the Netherlands, provides a tangible example of how a Personal Training fitness studio can develop over time

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A practical example with relevance for Germany and Austria

fit20 has been well established in the Netherlands for many years. In Germany and Austria, the concept is still in the development phase. This makes Dalfsen particularly interesting: the location shows which factors matter in practice when building and developing a studio. These include local visibility, clear processes, personal support and the ability to grow into the role of an entrepreneur alongside the business itself.

How professional expertise develops into entrepreneurial responsibility

Lisette Vos joined fit20 in 2012, initially as a Personal Trainer. Over time, she took on more responsibility in the day-to-day running of the studio, supported organisational activities, events and member acquisition, and developed a strong understanding of what it takes to build a successful location. Later, together with David Kuperus, she decided to establish the fit20 studio in Dalfsen.

The studio started with around ten members. After approximately one year, membership had already grown to around 100. Today, the studio serves more than 300 members and works with a team of six Personal Trainers.

This growth was not driven by one single initiative, but by consistent local presence: social media, open days, local events, networking and referrals from existing members.

What prospective franchise partners can learn from this

The example makes one thing clear: running a fit20 studio involves much more than delivering training sessions. Team leadership, member retention, organisation and a strong understanding of the business are equally important.

Especially during the start-up phase, the franchise partner is closely involved in the studio’s daily operations. As the business grows and additional studios are added, the role increasingly shifts towards leadership, management and building effective structures.

What Lisette values most about entrepreneurship

When Lisette first joined fit20, she had never planned to become an entrepreneur. That makes her development all the more remarkable. What she values most about being self-employed today is the freedom it gives her.

For Lisette, this means being able to make her own decisions, not having to constantly justify them, and directly experiencing the impact of her own efforts. At the same time, she continues to look ahead: How can the studio grow further? What opportunities exist in the region? And how can the business develop sustainably over the long term?

Together with David, she can therefore also imagine opening another studio in the future.

Looking back, Lisette says: “I never thought I would become an entrepreneur one day. It really started just for fun.”

Her advice for future fit20 entrepreneurs

For anyone considering becoming self-employed with fit20, Lisette recommends experiencing the fit20 training personally first and taking the time to truly understand the concept. Just as important is being willing to accept support rather than feeling that every task has to be handled alone.

For her, entrepreneurship also means having the courage to try new things.

Or, as Lisette puts it: “Don’t be afraid to wear the wrong shoes every now and then.”

Her personal conclusion is equally clear: “In short, it was the best step I ever took.”

The next step

For anyone interested in fit20 in Germany and Austria, Dalfsen provides a realistic picture of how a studio can be established and grow over time – and how the entrepreneur’s own role develops along with the business.

Further information is available at https://www.stardev.se/fit20.