Entrepreneurial thinking to survive and thrive

International Fitness Holdings Inc. (IFH) has been proudly serving Alberta for over 30 years and operates World Health Calgary, Spa Lady and Bankers Hall Club. Despite a long history, in 2017, IFH began to feel the pressure of the depressed Alberta economy. In combination with the looming minimum wage increase which would go into effect in September 2017, Dennis Gardner, Senior Regional Sales Director for World Health, knew IFH would need to adapt quickly to this new economic environment in order to survive. “I was looking at the Business Essentials program as something that could help IFH. The program promised relevant knowledge, practical application and real world results. Looking back, the program delivered exactly that, but at the time we had to rely on Haskayne Executive Education’s marketing promises. We decided to enroll four of our six executives in the program. It was a big investment and a big risk for IFH, but it really paid off. Because we had four people enrolled in the program, it was more impactful than if it had been just me. Business Essentials was so relevant to our business and our needs. It was the perfect program and perfect timing.”

Dennis says that the ALP project was one of the main highlights of the program. “I worked on our kid’s club – our child minding service that helps our members to better achieve their fitness goals. This was a business unit that hasn’t been updated in 10 years. With the increase in minimum wage, the last thing we wanted to do was pass our additional costs onto our customers. I wanted to find a way to revamp the service to lower our costs without lowering quality. It was a good opportunity for me to partner with our Vice President of Finance to do an analysis of the business. This was an important project for me because I knew we could achieve some tangible results. We ended up making big changes. Our numbers are now trending that we will achieve a minimum of $400,000 in operational costs savings in the first year alone.”

When asked why Dennis thinks the project was so successful, he offers numerous thoughts. “The ALP mentoring sessions really helped. My mentor helped me to look at our business from a different light. My fellow program participants also offered fresh perspectives on my project, offering valuable feedback and insights. Lastly, the Business Essentials curriculum was key - data analysis, change management, strategy development and execution, and of course financials. When I enrolled in the program I was apprehensive; I hadn’t been to business school in 20 years. Thankfully, it is nothing like I remember. This program was built for adult learning and integration back into the work place. If you embrace the program, you can achieve big results.”

Now that the program is over, Dennis says he will keep using his new skills and knowledge. “Our president has been very pleased with how we handled the change management, the speed at which we achieved results and how much more entrepreneurial we are in our thinking – a type of thinking that is key for creating and capturing new value. We recently acquired eight new locations in Edmonton. This is going to be a major undertaking, but Business Essentials has equipped our leadership to handle this next challenge. We are excited to continue finding new ways to offer value to our customers who expect the best fitness facilities and support services to achieve an active, healthy lifestyle.”

“We made a big investment at a time when the economy was difficult, but the risk of the investment paid off and shows the quality of Business Essentials.  It was so relevant to our business and our needs. It was the perfect program and perfect timing.”
Dennis Gardner, Senior Regional Sales Director for World Health

If you are interested in learning more about the Business Essentials program, please attend one of our upcoming information sessions.

To speak to an adviser, call 403.220.6600 or email execed@haskayne.ucalgary.ca