Company: Baumann & Semmler Management GmbH - PRIMETIME fitness Kastel

Founders: Patrick Baumann, Jannik Semmler

Date of foundation: August 21, 2023

Industry and company: Fitness & Health

What drives you? What is your motto?

The early worm is eaten first. It's not important when you tackle things, just that you tackle them.

What is your start-up about and what is special about it?

PRIME TIME fitness Home is a fitness studio concept for anyone who has a clear fitness goal and appreciates a supervised and pleasant atmosphere.

Thanks to the appealing club and the clear focus on motivation and training, anyone can achieve their goal here. It may sound banal, but it is one of the very few fitness concepts where the focus is on training.

What are your first successes?

Advance sales: Advance sales over the cold winter months went surprisingly well, despite all the adverse circumstances.

Refurbishment: It was a major refurbishment project and we faced a number of hurdles. The former bank building still had one or two treasures hidden for us, for example in the form of the huge vault.

Employees: Hiring our first employee is something very special.

What is your professional background?

Patrick Baumann:

After my time as a civilian, I was lucky enough to be able to do a dual study program. After 5 years of Bachelor's and Master's studies, I had already seen a lot in the fitness world. In the end, love drove me to Wiesbaden and put me in touch with PRIME TIME fitness.

I've been working there since 2017 in many areas, up to heading up member management and then becoming self-employed.

Jannik Semmler is scratching the 10-year anniversary mark as an employee at PRIME TIME fitness GmbH. With a B.A. in Fitness Economics, he is currently the nation sales manager of the PRIME TIME chain.

What was the trigger for you to set up your own company?

Patrick: The trigger is always the hunger to create something that lasts. For me, it's about realizing an inner desire.

For example, when I'm sitting comfortably at the wine stand in Kostheim or driving home from work, being addressed as "the one from fitness" spurs me on. You realize that you are making a difference and arriving in suburban life.

Who advised you, who are your helpers and mentors?

Patrick: One of my most important mentors was and is definitely Nils Kupprat. He owns several PRIME TIME fitness clubs in Hamburg and is a big pillar in my life, not only as a mentor but also as a person. I have received support from many sides and from a wide variety of sources, so thank you very much at this point.

How did you experience the first few days as a founder?

Patrick: In the club business, the opening day - when the members come to training for the first time - is definitely the moment when the project becomes a reality.

After a busy night, I was at the club shortly after 5 o'clock in the morning preparing for the start of training. The first guest arrived at 6:42 am. That moment does something to you.

What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

Patrick: Despite all the help and advisors, it's still up to you to keep an overview and not let yourself get defocused by little things.

It's incredibly difficult to decide what needs your attention at certain moments. Accordingly, I see the biggest challenge in dealing with colleagues under stress.

How do you draw attention to your company? What is your best marketing idea?

We primarily pursue an established, safe, but also elaborate marketing strategy.

We go out on the street and talk to people. There is no other strategy that can be planned as precisely. Of course, we also use social media channels such as Instagram.

How did you finance your start-up?

Since the coronavirus crisis, fitness studios have always been considered a high-risk investment. Accordingly, it was not possible to obtain financing and we raised the funds privately.

What dream would you still like to realize?

With fitness and health, we have one of the most beautiful products in the world. We can use it to help change people's attitudes to life and create motivation. This is already a dream come true. Now it's time to expand this dream.

Please complete the following sentence: If I had more time, I would...

Patrick:

... I would use it with my children.

What is your special tip: What would you recommend to founders?

I can only recommend that founders get on well with their families, their trades and their customers. There is nothing like good relationships in business life.