Client connections with Optus Business Fusion: Step into Life Elwood

Step Into Life is a personal training business with franchises Australia-wide, offering locals the opportunity to lead healthier lives, make new friends and enjoy the benefits of exercise.

Rob Marshall saw an opportunity to set-up his Step Into Life business in the Melbourne suburb of Elwood, where he could offer his clients a fun, social atmosphere to work out, and see results. Step Into Life Elwood is one of 140 franchises already operating in Australia, with around 50 located in Victoria. Since opening the Elwood franchise in early 2010, Marshall already has around 40 clients, and plans to double this number in the near future.

Value for Money

The sole owner and operator of Step Into Life Elwood, Marshall trains a diverse client base, aged from 20 years to 50+. The need to be accessible to his clientele was highly important for Marshall in order to successfully run and grow his business. Given that he predominately communicates with clients via email and phone, Marshall sought a business plan that would allow for this at the best possible rate.

Since opening the franchise, Marshall has been using Optus to service his business needs. The Optus ‘Yes’ Business Fusion $79 plan offers a fixed, flat rate with broadband internet access and unlimited national calls to Optus GSM each month, which combined with the affordable price point was exactly what he needed to better manage his outgoing costs.

“I chose the Optus Business Fusion plan because of its price and value. I looked at other provider’s plans but the Optus service was a better option for my business” said Marshall. “Essentially, I needed a unified and efficient communications solution that was cost effective and hassle free since the Elwood franchise is a small business, and I am the sole owner.”

Two-fold Communication with Optus Business Fusion

Commenting on the business benefits the Optus Business Fusion plan provided, Marshall said, “The Optus plan allows me to connect with my clients at the best possible price. The unlimited calls feature was a definite factor in choosing the plan over other services. Since I mostly communicate with clients over the phone and email, Optus’ plan was more beneficial for the business.”

Not only does the service provide unlimited calls, but it also offers a fixed amount of broadband internet use per month. This was a key factor for Marshall in choosing the Optus plan, as not only does it allow him to communicate with clients over email, but also online through social media channels. Because Marshall is on a fixed plan he’s also able to better manage his outgoing business expenses.

Business growth and online maximisation

As a relatively young business, and with a smaller client base than other franchises, Marshall saw an opportunity to grow his clientele through social media. The fixed amount of data Marshall receives through his Optus broadband allowance has enabled him to set up a business Facebook page, which he uses to connect with new and existing clients, in addition to using email.

Marshall set up his Facebook account shortly after opening his franchise, and more than three quarters of his clients now use it to connect with him and receive updates.

Popular among his younger clients, Marshall’s Facebook page created an entry point to social media and allows him to put out notices, merchandise information, events, information links and notes to his clientele. Although the Facebook page is currently mostly a one-way information stream Marshall is optimistic it will add value to his business and eventually become a useful interactive portal for communicating with his existing clients, and attracting new clients.

“I became involved in social media primarily as a way to drive sales through acquiring new clients and holding on to the existing ones. It’s a great way to network and build relationships, especially with my younger clients who have their own Facebook accounts too,” he said.

However, Marshall admits his Facebook account has a long way to go. Plans to increase the business’ use of social media are intended as it further develops, with the possibility of creating a Twitter account, in addition to his Facebook page. He would also like to see his clients using Facebook as a discussion forum and to provide feedback on sessions and training.

While Marshall admits he’s not extremely ‘Tech Savvy,’ he believes social media can help smaller businesses, “There are a lot of small and medium businesses that are using social media successfully to grow their business. It’s a very affordable option to create brand awareness and obtain referrals through existing clients online, and it also enables me to engage with potential clients. It’s also not time intensive, so I’m definitely intending to expand my business use of social media in the future,” he said.

Find out how Optus can help you build your business with a great range of solutions designed for business builtforbusiness.com.au .

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