Adapting from an in-person environment
Andy Luaces found himself at a critical turning point for the health of Core Fitness Miami, the business he started 13 years ago. His enterprise aimed to be a fitness destination for clients who want in-person and highly specialized training, but Luaces was forced to adapt the way he did business due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This proved to be an even greater challenge to navigate because many of Luaces’ clients would travel to Core Fitness Miami from around the world.
Supporting a people-first community
Luaces got creative by launching virtual training sessions practically overnight with Microsoft Teams. He says the transition was seamless because his team just downloaded Teams, and it was easy for everyone to use. Core Fitness Miami continued to offer its personalized training sessions.
The move to embracing hybrid meetings not only enabled Luaces to meet with clients subject to travel restrictions, but he also connected with his employees to work remotely without sacrificing safety.
Fostering a thriving digital business model
With the pandemic continuing to affect operations for businesses like Core Fitness Miami, Luaces is reimaging the future of his business, as “Teams has opened up my mind as to how I can be more effective.” In his own words, “without Teams, my business wouldn’t be open right now.”
Luaces uses several Teams features to support his business operations. For example, Luaces uses Teams to meet with various NBA teams and to share documents, video workouts, and chat live about what the best off-season training program for a particular player might be. Core Fitness Miami also offers in-house services via mobile or laptop, which enables clients to meet from anywhere.
How to use Teams like Core Fitness Miami
Small business owners can check out the resources below to learn how you can effectively employ Teams to support your enterprise, even with no IT background.
- Welcome to Microsoft Teams
- How to upload and share files in Microsoft Teams
- How to start a chat on the Microsoft Teams mobile app
To thrive rather than just survive amid these unprecedented times, we encourage other small business owners to get creative with technology like Core Fitness Miami. Hear more about Luaces’ journey with Teams, or learn more about what Teams can do for you and your small business.
Here are a few more Teams features small businesses like Core Fitness Miami can use to adapt to a hybrid world:
- Customize virtual backgrounds in meetings to help customers feel like they’re in the physical space, such as using a picture of the gym to help customers feel like they’re in the gym with their respective trainers.
- Use the Whiteboard function to visually map out ideas or take notes, such as custom nutritional and workout plans with customers.
- Turn on live captions so all attendees can follow along easier, such as in a group fitness class with when loud music.