A new gym in Nairn has exceeded 100 members in its first week of trading.
Dan Moore Elite Training (DMET) has had an outlet on Longman Road, Inverness, since 2018.
Its second venue has opened as part of growth plans for the business.
Owner Dan Moore said the choice of location was due to high demand in the area.
The site in Balmakeith industrial estate has had about £80,000-worth of investment to date.
Meanwhile, DMET has grown the team across both its locations to nine full-time staff.
Building a business plan for Dan Moore Elite Training
Mr Moore is an ex-footballer, having played for clubs including Ross County, Nairn County and Elgin City.
He opened his first gym seven years ago in Culloden, near Inverness, but it did not stay there long as it “outgrew the location”.
Mr Moore and his team spent more than a year looking at ways of expanding the business before the planning approval announcement for Nairn in January.
The 34-year-old said: “We’ve been at our current site (Inverness) for almost five years, building up a client base.
“We have about 270 members there now.
“For the past 18 months we’ve been looking at how to grow the business further.
“We’ve tried a few things – some never worked, so we decided to stick to what we’re best at.”
“A place came up late last year in Nairn. We put a bid in and it was accepted.”
Owner’s ‘delight’ at new member numbers
A total of 105 people signed up for memberships at the new branch in its first three days.
Mr Moore said despite the business’ “lofty ambitions”, the response had delighted him.
He continued: “Before we opened we had a worst case and best case scenario. It’s definitely near the best.
“I’m absolutely delighted. It shows where we’ve got to as a business.
“We’re going to double down on our long-term goals now – the aim is to get 140-150 Nairn members .
“For the last five weeks we’ve been busy with renovating the location and bringing in the best possible equipment.”
The business says its main drivers are “results and delivering a ‘wow’ experience”.
