Strengthening Business…
ABST 001 scaled 2ndrea James and Muskoka Futures share a common goal: to help their clients overcome hurdles and achieve success. Andrea motivates her clients to strengthen their bodies, while Muskoka Futures worked with Andrea to strengthen her business. Together, they came up with a winning plan. Here is her story:
I’ve always loved coaching and sports, and I began teaching cross-training classes from my home garage in 2016; but my business grew to the point where I had to either cap the membership or get a bigger facility. When I found a space on Barron Drive, I jumped at the chance to buy it. But financing was an issue.

The banks weren’t interested, because I had only been in business for a year and a half, so I looked online and discovered Muskoka Futures.

I went to their office and spoke to Tyler, the Investment Consultant. He was super-easy to talk to – in fact, I’d already met him through our children, but I didn’t know where he worked. I submitted a business plan, and he got the ball rolling on my loan application right away. A little bit of paperwork, and I was approved!

MERGED COLOUR LOGO MF 300x245 1But they did a lot more than provide me with my mortgage! They partnered me with a mentor, who is an accountant. Through personal meetings, phone conversations, and emails, he taught me how to organize my financials, submit the HST, and set up new employees. It was amazing.

The renovations are complete, and I opened the gym in December of 2017, with four part-time coaches working for me. It’s doing very well, but I can always touch base with Muskoka Futures if I run into any problems or need any advice. It’s a good thing to know!
– Andrea James, Owner and Coach, Bracebridge Strength and Conditioning
www.bracebridgestrengthandconditioning.com