A yoga and Pilates instructor who took a calculated risk by opening a high-end studio in the heart of a popular spa town has marked a special anniversary with a major announcement.
Enterprise Answers client, Ebru Evrim, started her fitness journey with six mats in a village hall and is now the proud owner of the largest yoga and Pilates studio in the north of England.
Against a backdrop of struggling town centres, the Harrogate-based studio – which boasts two floors dedicated to wellbeing and a recently opened ground-floor café – is thriving.
As Ebru celebrates three years since hosting her first class at the venue, she has unveiled her vision for the future: an online training academy.
She said: “Yoga and Pilates are my passion. I always wanted to create a space to move, to make people happy, feel great and, above all, stay healthy.
“Since moving to the UK with my family nine years ago, I’ve focused on teaching – starting in a village hall in the Yorkshire Dales and growing to the point where I felt confident opening a high street studio.
“My dream has always been to provide a space that is modern, inclusive and a destination for people who want to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
“Now is the time to expand the reach of what we do so people across the UK – and perhaps beyond – can benefit from the yoga and Pilates we teach.”
Ebru trained as a yoga instructor in India and as a Pilates instructor in her native Turkey. Now that expertise will be shared with students nationwide through the Ebru Evrim Academy.
She has thousands of hours teaching experience and as a PIlates instructor, already has more than 100 Pilates teacher training graduates to her name.
The academy launch marks another milestone in a remarkable journey for the driven entrepreneur.
After word of her community-centre classes spread, she opened her first yoga studio in Skipton – a venture supported by a finance package provided by the team at Enterprise Answers.
The team worked with Ebru to help make her studio dream a reality – and it was on the back of that success that she eventually made the move to Harrogate.
Grahame Latus, Chief Executive of Enterprise Answers, said: “Ebru is an extremely inspiring businesswoman. She has found a niche and developed it to the point where she now runs a vibrant, busy studio in one of the most desirable towns in the north of England.
“She has created jobs, opportunities and a facility that is a genuine benefit to the people of Harrogate and beyond, and it has been our pleasure to support her journey.
“The launch of the Ebru Evrim Academy is very exciting and an incredible next step on this impressive journey of growth.”
Enterprise Answers recently published its 20-Year Impact Report, which shows that since its launch in March 2005, the organisation has completed 544 client deals, channelled £20.3 million into ambitious businesses, safeguarded or created 2,033 jobs and contributed an estimated £81.2 million to the regional economy.
Speaking about the support she received, Ebru said: “The difference between Enterprise Answers and other lenders is that they are always there; they’re almost part of our team.
“For start-ups, the problem is getting a loan to help feed growth and investment – it’s almost impossible to do this with high street banks, but Enterprise Answers believed in the vision and worked with me to make it a reality.”
More details of the Ebru Evrim Academy will be revealed soon as plans for the first intake gather pace.
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