A collaborative partner of FitNet A collaborative partner of FitNet
Damn it, how is it possible! What the hell is your FitNet, eh?
Please read the whole story. This is a bit different post in EFI blog series. It is a true story involving conversations between me and an old doctor friend. We had a lots of talk on the FitNet philosophy.
Please don’t ask his name. I can’t reveal that for obvious reasons. Let us call him Dr. Xyz. He has been one of my old medical college friends.
It all started one fine morning, with my friend Xyz ringing me up. I took the call…
Xyz: Hi, is this Dr. Basudev Tewari?
Me: Yes who is this?
Xyz: Arey Basu, can you recognize me? After such a long time… It’s me, Dr. Xyz.
Me: Hey how are you? What you are doing now? Pleased to hear your voice after such a long time.
Xyz: Boss, currently I have done anesthesia MD and doing private practice at Kolkata. I have connected with few surgeons, gynecologists and Nursing Homes.
Anyway, Basu what are you doing now? I have read a few of your blogs and was taken aback by your recent photo. You had always been one of the fattest guys of our group. You look much leaner and young now!
Me: Thanks for the compliment. Actually, few until few years ago, I was down with lots of problems like IBS, obesity, metabolic syndrome, low back pain and even disc prolapse at one stage.
Finally I thought about getting rid of these. I away too young to suffer, I thought. I started reading and applying them in my life. I resorted to the true science based path to lose fat, gain muscles, clear the impending diseases and stay fit.
Xyz: Wow, please tell me a bit more. Do you know, damned stress and heavy workload has really screwed up my life? After marriage and joining job, I grew fatter and fatter.
I am almost 100 kg now with hypertension, central obesity, high uric acid and low back pain… Somewhat what you had gone through few years ago. I want to break free.
I called you to really seek some help regarding fitness. I have seen you helping lots of people via Internet. One of them referred me to you. How do you do that? Do you give diet charts online?
Me: Actually I started doing these online from a Facebook based platform. I used to take relevant data from clients, including anthropometrics and medical data. Finally I calculated the client’s calorie and macros requirements and gave him diet charts.
Xyz: Is that all you did that made your clients lean? Are only those diet charts enough to make someone fit?
Me: That was the crux of the service. Also I used to talk over phone and give him or her general fitness and exercise guidelines. I also gave the client a few of my relevant blogs.
Xyz: I really have a doubt at one point. Being my old friend, I want to ask you a pertinent question. Hope you won’t mind.
Me: Arey, not at all. Go on…
Xyz: How did you have the knowledge and confidence to do all these? We are hardly taught about fitness nutrition and exercise science in our MBBS curriculum.
Did you learn all these from Internet, I mean reading blogs, watching YouTube videos etc? Are those enough to deal with clients professionally?
Me: Good question, I was expecting this. I really had zero idea on this even few years ago. But I had to learn. There was no looking back.
Anyway, I started reading all the online and offline literatures available on these for a couple of years. But I felt that the knowledge is incomplete without a true certification.
I decided to join BFY Personal training and Fitness training course. Although most prefer a classroom course, I preferred a correspondence course. The exam is same for both and I passed them with good marks. I felt great but discovered that I need more knowledge on the nutrition part.
Next, I decided to have a course with international accreditation for fitness nutrition. Finally I decided to take the NESTA Fitness Nutrition Coach and bought it online. I easily passed that exam too. I really felt more comfortable after clearing the certificates.
But, one thing I must admit. Being a doctor, helped me to grasp these quickly. These courses can be easier for you than a non medical person. I can guarantee that.
Xyz: Well that’s great. You are really versatile, Basu. You had been treading an uncommon path that very few doctors even think of. Kudos for that.
But regarding your online service, I need to ask you something. How much do you charge for that? I mean your fees for your online coaching service. I want your knowledge and experience to guide me. I really want to get lean like you…
How much should I pay you for that?
Me: (going red) Hey, you are my old buddy. Can’t really take money from you for that. Please…
But anyway, the general fees had been Rs 10,000/-. It works for 3 months online fitness and nutrition coaching service.
Xyz: Rs 10,0000/- for a diet chart and a little bit of phone advice? Is it not too high for a third world country like India?
Me: Well maybe it’s a bit on the higher side. But we used to give 6 to 7 diet charts, exercise regimens with weekly calls, feedbacks and monitorings. We also made some tweaks and changed diet charts from time to time.
Xyz: Still it seems too high for middle class Indians.
Me: Do you know how much does it cost to have a buffet dinner with family in a decent restaurant inside the city? People have this mindset of draining their money to gulp lots of junks. But regarding fitness, this amount seems so much to even a doctor like you. Anyway, your money, your choice.
Anyway, I have moved away and starting FitNet. The pricing model there may seem better for you, I hope. I shall tell you about that later.
Xyz: Tell me one thing Basu, how did you demonstrate correct exercise pattern to your client. Exercise, as far as I know, has huge role in fat loss.
Me: That has been a real problem. Demonstration of exercise online is not possible. We asked the clients to take guidance from a good fitness trainer from his/her locality. We used to do posture, form correction with general advice on seeing the video recordings.
Xyz: What about the face value? If I want to take such a costly online coaching from you, shouldn’t I expect to meet you face to face? I am talking about the way you meet patients in my chamber.
Me: 50% of my patients start crying on entering my clinic. Remember, I am a pediatrician and those babies and young children are morbidly afraid of my stetho and injections!
Anyway, jokes apart, it’s true that I can’t meet the clients online. Several of them want it. They say that talking in front of me instills more confidence. But forget it boss, a client from UK or US can never have chance to meet me.
Xyz: Still Basu, you are really doing a commendable job. I know how tough it is for you to see so many patients and then do this without taking rest. If you carry on like this, you are destined to end your life in an asylum. You are really leading a crazy life.
Me: Absolutely boss. But I have a vision. I have a plan which is going to solve everything. It will give you the best possible service. At the same time, I shall not be overburdened with clients besides practice.
This is what gave birth to the concept of FitNet, that I mentioned. It’s going to revolutionize the unorganized nutrition and fitness industry of this nation.
Can I explain you the business model? Do you have time to spare, boss? You are a busy anesthetist, after all.
Xyz: Sure go ahead. I love to see my old buddy building up a business empire in fitness world. Tell me what exactly is your plan.
Me: See, I have stopped handling clients in that Facebook platform for some internal issues. I have planned to make a Web based platform where there will be online as well as offline options for clients.
People wanted to connect with friends and relatives – Facebook and Whatsapp
People wanted online portal for marriage, to connect bride and groom – Shaadi, Bharatmatrimony and Jeevansathi
People wanted to compare and book hotels online in another city – Goibibo & Trivago
People wanted to book cabs and taxi online – Ola & Uber
People wanted to check, compare and buy products online – Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal
People wanted to know details about restaurants nearby online – Zomato
People wanted to order food online to be delivered at doorstep – Swiggy
People wanted to know about doctors online and connect – Practo & Docsapp
People want to get fit and know, compare and connect with fitness trainers, dietitians and gyms of a locality…
Can you remember any online solution to this problem?
This is the exact market we want to tap. The next decade is going to be a decade for fitness industry.
Xyz: Great. Seems interesting, carry on…
Me: Think about this way…
Clients, from any city of India, can choose personal trainer, dietitian and gym from his / her locality. After that, service can delivered face to face in that gym, at a pre scheduled time. We are calling this premium service from FitNet.
Trainer and dietitian will meet him at the gym and he will learn exercise, get diet chart, learn about the fitness and nutrition science. All their questions will be answered face to face.
We shall follow up the client progress. This will be done at next sessions with trainers and dietitians. The coaches will follow up as well, by mail/whatsapp/mobile call. We won’t stop until the client reaches the desired goal, be it fat loss, weight gain, general fitness, pain rehab and so on.
Xyz: Sounds interesting. But will gyms agree to that? What will their owners get from it? Also how much will the trainers and dietitians receive?
Me: Really good question. I see you are slowly getting interested. I shall clarify this.
See, we have prepared separate monetary packages for various gyms, trainers and dietitians of different levels. The payment will definitely be as per market value and we shall keep a bit for our development. Everything will be highly transparent and after thorough discussion with the service providers.
By the way, we are not taking any subscription money from gyms, trainers or dietitians, as in some online portals. We are actually helping them. We are going to connect the unorganized fitness industry by a single online/offline platform and network called FitNet.
We shall give them money, fame, platform and clients. We are spending our own money to promote them. They must be extremely stupid to deny our offer!
Xyz: Wow, that’s a master plan. But have you missed the doctors touch somehow? People would love to have advice from doctor too.
Me: Never, dear buddy. How can I forget my own profession! Being a doctor I won’t miss out such important part. But remember, getting such service from doctors, making him/her visit gyms, is not that easy. You understand the reason very well.
So, what we shall do is that I, myself and a few doctor friends can give online support with the trainers and dietitians. We are opening up talks with doctors, psychologists and physiotherapists too. Let us see how things unfold in near future. Tell me, if you are interested, we can include you too in our doctor team!
Xyz: What if somebody wants online dietary advice from home? What if somebody wants to have personal training only? PT can be from a nearby gym or even at home. Have you thought of these options at FitNet?
Me: Definitely. Online dietary market is a big requirement and tagging a doctor can be a masterstroke. We shall have choice of selecting a dietitian or a fitness trainer online and a doctor too, if required. The online service, that I had been doing for so many days, were just like that. Same can be done from website in a more automated and transparent way.
Regarding PT, it’s a great market. We can never miss it from our platform. Clients will check nearby trainers and gyms, compare and contrast them and choose them. Voila, problem solved.
Xyz: Perfect Basu, seems a fool proof plan. But have you thought of people who want to test your service with a smaller amount? They can try it before buying a big service, the one you called premium plan. Something like “chhoto recharge” for mobiles…
Me: Yes, sure. At FitNet, we have kept single session plan too. That will be at a much cheaper rate than premium service. Let the clients try it. If they like it, go for the biggie.
Xyz: But Basu I just thought of another problem. Will everyone be ready to pay before service? Your FitNet brand is yet to reach that level of trust.
Me: Very true. We shall give client the option to pay by cash or card, at gym itself. But system will notify gym, trainer, dietitian, client and admin. There won’t be any such payment option for online or PT options, though.
Xyz: The service plan of FitNet seems great to me. Have you decided to give anything for free? This may be required for client traction.
Me: Excellent boss, your brain is working like an entrepreneur!
We shall give a lot of freebies at FitNet. We shall give them kit bag including t shirt, books etc. These are only for premium service.
Clients will have a software containing automated diet chart options to download. That is another separate website by me called https://easydietidea.com. (To be launched shortly).
Clients will calculate BMR, TDEE and total calorie and macro ratio requirement. He / she will then have the option to flip different food options for breakfast lunch, snacks and dinner. Remember, the software empowers the client to build his/her own custom diet chart for free. This is the first of its kind in India.
We shall also provide several free online tools related to fitness and diet. Above all, we have a phone service where the core group members will talk to clients for free and give advice. We shall provide amazing values for free.
Xyz: Really, I can’t believe my ears. Our old fatty guy not only getting fit but helping out others like a pro. Seems like a great business plan. Hope the you guys are okay with the budget and have a good team to implement.
Me: True. A very huge budget has been considered to build up the capital. We have an amazing team of very knowledgeable management & IT person, certified fitness trainers and dietitians in our core team. And I shall be doing the doctor’s part, as well.
It’s a big business venture as well as our pledge to transform the nation. If FitNet clicks, we shall achieve a much more productive population in India.
Xyz: Are you involving the whole country or doing one city at a time? India is too big to handle!
Me: Yes boss. Our country is too big for us at this nascent stage. We are starting with Kolkata and surrounding areas. After that we shall move to other cities of Bengal like Durgapur, Asansol, Siliguri etc.
In the next stage we shall move to cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune etc. It’s a pan India planning. We need people to work for us. That’s why we have started hiring too.
Xyz: Amazing idea, Basu. But I want to join the party too! This is the future. People has been unfit and unhealthy and spending millions to get back health. Soon they will learn to spend money on prevention of diseases. This is the future boss.
Me: Yes, I shall love you to be with us. Remember, this is going to be the future of healthcare industry.
If you have any friend living in UK or US ask him how they get treatment after getting sick there. It is very tough and costly to get treatment from specialist doctors there, leave alone in patient and ICU costs.
See the way doctors are getting beaten up and the health institutes being vandalized. Our country is heading towards a similar fate.
Anyway think of a middle aged, obese sedentary, pre diabetic and stressed guy. Probably that person, suffering from metabolic syndrome, is spending thousands per month on Metformin, Atorvastatin, antihypertensives, Omega 3 fatty acids, etc.
Now compare this with a decent gym membership in Kolkata. If you carry on your gym life consistently, even 3 times a week, with correct diet, think about the difference it makes.
Xyz: Basu, thanks a lot for sharing your ideas. I really feel motivated and charged up. It’s time to start another OT and I have to go. But I must say, you have made me think in a different way.
Why not spread the health and fitness awareness to everyone in this country? Besides business, this must be our priority. This must be our duty to the nation as health care providers.
Me: You are right, we have started spreading awareness. I request every person in health care industry to understand the importance of preventing a disease rather than treating it.
Anyway, thanks a lot. For the time being, eliminate these things from your brain for next few minute and concentrate on that OT. That is your actual priority now and you need to keep the patient alive and breathing. We shall talk again later.
Xyz: OK, bye and all the best.
Me: Thanks, boss. Stay fit, stay healthy. Bye…
P. S. – To discuss anything related to health, nutrition and fitness in a community, please get in the FitNet Facebook group.
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