PROactive Fitness Hermanus Lockdown Action-Plan For All Staff, Tenants & Members

Please read the following important message below covering the following:

1. A word of thanks and appreciation from Mathew.

2. The reality of the situation.

3. Our contingency plan for our valued members.

4. Some heart.

1. A WORD OF THANKS

A huge PROACTIVE thank you from Mathew to ALL of our incredible staff, tenants and to all of our loyal members and clients.

I’d like to sincerely and gratefully thank all of you for your loyal patronage, support and friendship since we opened our business on the 11th of May 2009; almost 11 years ago. For me and certainly for all of our dedicated and professional fitness team, Proactive Fitness is more than just a gym, it’s our home from home and the business was founded by all of us because we are all uniquely skilled and able to work happily, productively and PROACTIVELY alongside each other and combining with our many years of combined fitness industry experience to offer a service which meets and hopefully exceeds the expectations of all of our incredible members and clients.

2. THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION

The feeling that I and all of our fitness team experienced exactly a week ago when we were forced to close our doors for business for the very first time in 11 years in solidarity with the wishes of our State President was the single most devastating and definitely the most helpless feeling that all of us could have felt together as business colleagues and I am sure that everyone who we know felt exactly the same thing and for exactly the same reason. For any one of us who work for a living, this is a VERY tough and uncertain time and for me personally as a business owner and as a provider, it is extremely challenging as MANY people look up to me for leadership, wisdom and for their future provision, especially those who rely on my business being open in order to earn their income and their salaries. Whilst we all have great hope and faith that we will be given permission to reopen our business again at 5 am on Friday the 17th of April 2020, I have a greater responsibility towards all of you and towards all of our team to look at the bigger picture and to think wisely by planning for a “worse case scenario” which could well be that we are not permitted to reopen on the 17th April. That decision is unfortunately not mine to make, it is our President’s and it will depend purely on the combined, statistic and actual success of us all staying at home right now and in the hope that it successfully flattens the curve of this pandemic in the RSA. The result of a more prolonged national lockdown beyond this current 3 week period of time will most definitely have a far more negative impact on many people’s businesses, their staff and their future financial livelihood.

3. OUR PROACTIVE, CONTINGENCY PLAN

That all said, I am overwhelmed by the HUGE level of human positivity, support, loyalty, commitment, solidarity and love that we have received not only from our fitness team and all of our amazing staff members and tenants during this lockdown time but I am also bowled over by the loyal support and encouragement that we have all revived from all of our members. We rely not only on your moral support but we also rely heavily on your financial support at this critical time because your combined support will ensure that we can pay our rent and all the rest of our essential, fixed running costs but most importantly it will also allow me as the business owner to pay our many loyal staff members who most certainly are the life and soul of our fitness business. You have my absolute assurance that I am not sitting around aimlessly watching paint dry or taking a break from reality but that I am doing absolutely everything in my power to safeguard my business alongside all of our tenants and those amazing people who tirelessly work alongside me. I therefore kindly ask that you all try to refrain from the urge to cancel or freeze your memberships and to please continue paying your monthly membership subscriptions to Proactive Fitness regardless of how long we are forced to close our doors for and I will reward you all financially in the following PROACTIVE business manner:

- For every month that we are forced to stay closed starting with this month of April, I will NOT increase your membership fee for one year by the usual annual increase of 8%. The next annual membership fee increase is scheduled to take place on the 1st of September this year but because you have already loyally paid us your membership subscription for April and because I cannot provide you with service this month you will already all be exempt from that increase for the next year (September 2020 until September 2021)! 

- Furthermore, if we are still forced to keep our doors closed next month in May and you continue your commitment to pay us again on the 1st of May upfront for the month of May 2020 then you will once again not be subject to next year’s annual subs increase (that is September 2021 until September 2022). 

- In other words, if you remain loyal and steadfast to paying us your monthly subs during lockdown, for each month that we are potentially forced to close our business for, you will receive a subs price freeze for one entire year, starting from September 2020 which means you will get back what u have already paid us for in April throughout the course of next year and so on. 

I hope that all makes logical financial sense to you right now?

It’s the only conceivable manner in which I as a business owner can reward and thank you all financially for your ongoing financial support during this very uncertain time. If however you are forced to cancel or to freeze your membership subscription due to your own personal financial constraints or for any other reason beyond our control then I have to remind you that you are still contractually bound to give us one month’s written notice which you have the full right to do by sending us an email notice letter of your intent by no later than this coming Tuesday, the 7th of April 2020.

If however you do decide for whatever reason to freeze or cancel your membership during lockdown and you then decide to rejoin us after lockdown then you will be subject to the usual annual membership fee increase which will take place on the 1st of September 2020. For now though to all of you loyal clients that have in good faith paid us for April you will continue paying the same monthly membership rate as you have paid us this month until the 1st of September 2021. If you calculate like I have done on your behalf what you will save (8% per annum) by continuing to pay your subs during each month of lockdown and by thus not incurring this year’s scheduled 8% increase then you will quickly realise that you will get back what you have paid us in April over the course of the next year. I hope that makes logical sense to all of you and from everyone’s perspective, it will ensure that we as a business will continue despite current or potential future lockdown. It will also ensure that the amazing new Proactive Fitness building work that we have already started at the HSC can continue without risk and I know for a fact that this time next year we will have all forgotten the international crisis situation that we are all in together today. 

4. SOME HEART

On behalf of our Proactive Fitness family, I thank you and I hope and pray that you all experience a safe, fit and happy time with your family and with your loved ones. To all of you fellow business owners, I urge you to stay positive, focused and to think laterally by reaching out to your own loyal staff members and to your own clients like I am trying to do right now with this “proactive gameplan” because they are the ones that have the power and the ability to help you and your business to also survive right now. Your business future is literally also in their hands but you have to be humble enough to ask them for their help.

Yours in fitness and with much love and respect. 

Mathew Browne

Director: Proactive Fitness