{"id":7784,"date":"2021-08-17T09:33:12","date_gmt":"2021-08-17T01:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/?p=7784"},"modified":"2021-08-17T11:02:12","modified_gmt":"2021-08-17T03:02:12","slug":"rocking-on-amidst-the-pandemic-boulder-gym-founders-share-how-they-hang-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/rocking-on-amidst-the-pandemic-boulder-gym-founders-share-how-they-hang-on\/","title":{"rendered":"Rocking on Amidst the Pandemic: Boulder Gym Founders Share How They Hang On"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever found yourself shying away from a particular sport or seen someone doing so because of the challenge that comes with stepping out of their comfort zone? Jansen, one of the two founders of Boulder Movement<\/a>, has been there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was at a climbing gym when someone was figuring out a particular problem. Enter a younger, more experienced climber who completed the route on his first try, leaving the first climber with a look of disappointment. Sadly, I\u2019ve never seen her at the climbing gym thereafter,\u201d Jansen recounts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boulder
From left: Jansen Ko and Joe Fu, founders of bouldering gym, Boulder Movement<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe lack of guidance and encouragement can be demotivating, especially for individuals looking to try out the sport for the first time. That incident made me realise how there are certain barriers of entry to the sport – and this was what inspired the founding of Boulder Movement,\u201d he smiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Also: Kydra: How Two Gym Buddies Created Their Own Line After Failing to Find Functional Activewear in Singapore<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Just a Place to Boulder<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Boulder
Boulder Movement\u2019s first established its outlet in Downtown (left), before opening a second in Tai Seng (right)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Founded in 2017, Boulder Movement is one of the newer kids on the block with three gyms across the island, with its latest outlet at Rochor that recently opened in June this year. Compared to its counterparts, Boulder Movement places more emphasis on opening up the experience to individuals who are new to the sport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBouldering was considered a niche sport,\u201d Joe, the other man behind Boulder Movement shared. \u201cWe understand how daunting it can be to pick up something new, so we wanted to create a friendly and welcoming space, to provide a positive experience.\u201d This philosophy has also led to the creation of climbing classes designed to help new climbers improve their technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is how we contribute our interpretation and aspiration to the climbing scene,\u201d Jansen smiles. \u201cWe aim to grow collectively with the other players in the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hanging on Amidst the Pandemic<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like most industries, the fitness sector took a big hit as the pandemic swept across the globe. During Circuit Breaker last year, fitness studios and gyms had to close their doors, causing an inevitable toll on the business. \u201cIt was quite a scramble,\u201d the entrepreneurs shared. \u201cWhile revenue fell to zero, our work didn\u2019t. For starters, we had to address customers\u2019 concerns on the validity of passes, which we ended up freezing and\/or extending. Fixed costs such as rental, wages and website maintenance were also challenges we had to overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Boulder Movement maximised the Circuit Breaker period by refreshing the walls<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As Singapore emerged from the Circuit Breaker (in 2020), business (very) gradually returned. Just when the situation was looking to stabilise, the Phase 2 Heightened Alert (HA) was announced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been through this before, so we\u2019re not entirely new to this\u201d Jansen smiles ruefully, referring to the closure of bouldering gyms as part of the Phase 2 (HA) measures. While the business owners were somewhat prepared, having to keep up with the evolving measures has proven detrimental. For instance, in the short span of a week, measures pertaining to gym closures have seen quite a few changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBusinesses are meant to be in perpetual motion – the quick turnaround of measures breaks our momentum and makes planning our next step challenging,\u201d the gym owners say, and continue, \u201cAdaptability is really important, especially during times like these. For instance, we conducted virtual classes and introduced care packages.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The business continued to pay their team bonuses in 2020 despite the dip in revenue – something the business owners thought was necessary to retain the morale of the team. \u201cIt\u2019s important to give our team assurance – instead of worrying about their jobs, we wanted everyone to focus on ways to grow the business, to emerge stronger together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Also: How Swee Kee\u2019s Third Gen Owner Is Keeping The 82-Year-Old Family Business Going Strong Despite Closing Its Flagship Outlet<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facing New Challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In addition to existing challenges, the pandemic had also thrown a wrench in the founders\u2019 plans. The team was gearing up for the opening of the gym\u2019s newest outlet, only to be left with scrapped plans. \u201cOur plans were in motion for months,\u201d Jansen says. \u201cThe publicity was ready, routes set and we were raring to go.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Rising above the challenges presented by the pandemic, Boulder Movement managed to open the doors to its third outlet in June, after the easing of Phase 2 (HA) measures<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

However, due to Phase 2 (HA) measures, the gym had to postpone its opening, a week prior to the launch date. Despite this, the entrepreneurs remain optimistic, especially with the current easing of safe-distancing measures.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward a couple of weeks, the newest gym has opened its doors. While climbers are gradually returning, guidelines such as reduced capacity and decrease in climbing time continue to pose challenges to the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spite of setbacks, Joe and Jansen remain largely unfazed. On what keeps them going, Jansen says, \u201cWe feel motivated whenever we see climbers making progress and when they feel more confident in climbing. It\u2019s also rewarding to see how Boulder Movement has transformed into a place for people to connect – to us, it\u2019s about providing value to the community, to society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Read Also: Meet Zac Chua: The Singaporean Entrepreneur Who Turned a Popcorn Snack into an Empire<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Climbing their way to success.\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":7785,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[94],"tags":[1140,107,104,981,987],"yoast_head":"\nRocking on Amidst the Pandemic: Boulder Gym Founders Share How They Hang On | DollarsAndSense Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Co-founders Jansen and Joe started Boulder Movement to guide and encourage more individuals to take up the sport.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dollarsandsense.sg\/business\/rocking-on-amidst-the-pandemic-boulder-gym-founders-share-how-they-hang-on\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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