This month we sat down and chatted to Richard Giles and Kate Manning of One Element.

What’s your name and your role in the company?

We’re Richard Giles and Kate Manning, co-owners of One Element Tooting, an outdoor fitness business based in SW London. Kate is also our head trainer. We purchased the Tooting franchise, which is one of about 350 possible territories across the UK.

Tell us about your business

One Element is an outdoor fitness and social company, formed in 2007 in SW London by Tom Marien.

At One Element we provide inclusive, fun and effective fitness sessions which have been professionally written, often in partnership with professional sports coaches and players. Based on pre-season fitness training for sports (HiiT style) such as rugby, hockey and triathlons, our sessions are unique and our members, with consistent attendance, see fast fitness gains. Many members have been coming for 10 years. It’s varied, addictive and social.

Developed on the basis of a sports club model, One Element provides its members with a range of social activities in addition to the fitness sessions. It encourages members to socialise and make friends off the training field which also helps with member retention. The social activities include brunches, black tie dinners, ski trips, touch rugby tournaments, Halloween parties, and much more.

One Element Tooting is based on Tooting Bec Common and we have 4 sessions per week which sees our members of all ages and fitness levels get outside and get fit, no matter the weather. We invite everyone along for a FREE TRIAL so you don’t have to commit without trying it.

What drove you to start the business?

Both of us have been members of One Element and benefited from the effectiveness of the fitness sessions, as well as the communities it builds. For the last few years Kate has also been a trainer at a number of park locations for One Element in SW London.

We’ve invested in the One Element as franchise owners as we believe in the business model. We’ve seen how it has sustained growth and development over the last 12 years, and are looking forward to being part of One Element’s future. The benefits of being part of a franchise with the support of Tom and the One Element HQ team, and other franchisees, makes it a no brainer!

The fitness sector is a big business in the UK which is expanding and continually developing. We believe One Element offers an exciting alternative to other fitness businesses in the market.  It’s great to be one of the first franchises. We’re looking forward to seeing the network of franchises grow across the country, and being part of a national fitness company.

Why did you choose The Accountancy Partnership?

We chose The Accountancy Partnership because when we started the business, we needed an accountancy firm that would be cost-effective and willing to provide succinct timely advice. Having read the reviews from existing clients of The Accountancy Partnership we thought it seemed a great company to try.

The pricing model for a new business with limited cash flow was sustainable, and as we grow the services they offer will support us with that growth.

Would you recommend The Accountancy Partnership?

Yes, we’d recommend The Accountancy Partnership. We’ve found them to be swift to respond to queries whilst we set up the company, they provide ad hoc advice when we’re not sure on things, as well as making sure we’ve also been doing everything correctly.

Pandle, their free bookkeeping software, has also saved us from spending extra on other systems, which all helps with our cash flow.

What do you have planned for your business in the future?

We have lots of plans for our One Element business. We already have four sessions a week and are seeing strong membership growth this year. As we build the business we want to add more sessions on Tooting Bec Common and in other parks in the territory, as well as kettlebell-based sessions.

Off the training field, we’ve a raft of socials planned to help grow our community focused business, from drinks to picnics, fun-runs, sports days and much more.