Define Body & Mind | Barre classes, Yoga Classes, Pilates Classes

DEFINE: 2009

Exactly one year ago, DEFINE went from an abstract idea to an actual work in progress!  It started with the encouragement of a Rice University professor, Al Napier, who taught a course at Rice’s Jones School called, New Enterprise.  The premise of the class was “exploring the life of an entrepreneur”.  We read cases, met with local businesses, and took part in lengthy classroom discussions to talk about the process of starting a “New Enterprise” from beginning to, well, hopefully a fully functional enterprise!

With the support of my family and friends, we managed to accomplish these next steps even though there were times when it was complicated and stressful!

My year in 2009 went something like this:

1. 1. Research and develop a business plan
2. 2. Research and develop a marketing plan
3. 3. Look for retail spaces that were in an appropriate size and location
4. 4. Negotiate with several different landlords for the best fit
5. 5. Graduate from Business School and take a Habitat for Humanity Trip to Fiji to help a Fijian family. (see pic to the left)
6. 6. Come back to the US ready to hire an attorney and get the lease signed!
7. 7. Design the layout and the look of the space
8. 8. Hire an architect to help finalize the design
9. 9. Start demo and construction on the space
10. 10. Obtain City Permits (not a smooth process)
11. 11. Get website, logo (thanks Kelley!) and photographs (thanks Brett!) ready for marketing!
12. 12. Start shopping for retail.  Dallas Market Center was a scary place for a novice!
13. 13. Search for instructors
14. 14. Train Instructors
15. 15. Get the word out so people would come!

Since then, we have been teaching, helping clients, cleaning, and teaching some more, to make DEFINE a great place for everyone to enjoy.  A lot has happened in the past year.  We have learned a lot, changed a lot, and I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of a lot more to come.  From all of us at DEFINE, we are looking forward to helping our existing clients and future clients achieve even greater health and wellness in 2010!

Have a safe and happy new year!  We will see you and be here for you in 2010!

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 31st, 2009 at 1:00 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.