0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997
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54 ● 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business<br />
Once they had a prototype, they tested it with positive results at a local<br />
sports club. Then, he approached the New York Sports Club.<br />
“People in spin rooms are a passionate group who show up consistently<br />
<strong>and</strong> train hard,” said Ed Trainor, vice president of business <strong>and</strong> product<br />
development for Town Sports International (TSI), which owns the New<br />
York Sports Club <strong>and</strong> other clubs around the country.<br />
TSI installed the first eGreen Revolution equipment on spin bikes in New<br />
York City <strong>and</strong> Washington, DC, in 2010. So far, response has been positive.<br />
“The spin classes were the perfect place to start using the technology,”<br />
said Trainor. “It gives people a way to measure their effort <strong>and</strong> performance.<br />
It’s a hard workout but great to know at the end of the class that they’ve<br />
generated power.” So far, it’s just enough power to run the video screens<br />
attached to the cardio equipment.<br />
Trainor declined to say how much money the company has invested<br />
in the eGreen Revolution technology, but said it was thous<strong>and</strong>s of dollars.<br />
“Our company has a strong green initiative <strong>and</strong> this fit right in. It is an<br />
investment, <strong>and</strong> it will take a while to recover that investment, but it’s<br />
definitely worth it. . . . It has added real value <strong>and</strong> people like it.”<br />
According to eGreenRevolution.com, 20 people participating in a spinning<br />
class could collectively generate about 3 kilowatts of electricity. A<br />
spinning room, with four classes of 20 people a day could generate 300<br />
kilowatts a month—enough power to serve a typical home for six months.<br />
Prior to starting his own business, Whelan spent 18 years as a consultant<br />
for Accenture.<br />
“After 18 years on the road, living in hotels <strong>and</strong> airports, my two kids<br />
didn’t really know who their dad was,” said Whelan. At 46, he cashed out, planning<br />
to retire <strong>and</strong> putter around. But six months later, he was bored. He looked<br />
into buying a franchise, but decided he’d rather start something on his own.<br />
So far, he’s invested close to $1 million in cash <strong>and</strong> time. He has also<br />
been reluctant to collect a salary.<br />
<strong>Test</strong>ing the concept on spinning bikes at clubs has been invaluable. “It’s<br />
one thing to develop a product that works in the lab, but another to make<br />
it commercially viable,” explained Whelan, who was lucky to connect with<br />
the big fitness company.<br />
Finding the right strategic partner is a critical key to success for many<br />
small companies. Teaming up with a bigger, financially strong partner can<br />
provide a source of cash for growth, marketing, <strong>and</strong> expansion.
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