Diary of a Startup: Part II Showing great resilience, our young entrepreneur doesn't let unexpected obstacles derail her business plans.
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When you last saw Karen Jashinsky (December 2005), she was knee-deep in herbusiness plan to start a gym/lounge/cafe for teenagers. However,shortly after we spoke in August 2005, she was in an accident--acar hit her as she was traveling on her bicycle. Thankfully,Jashinsky survived, but she suffered serious injuries. Shefractured her lower back, and broke her collarbone, right hand andleft pinky finger. Not paralyzed, but in a back brace and with verylimited mobility, this 28-year-old fitness expert was facing thebiggest challenge of her life-getting back on her feet.
As she recuperated at home, Jashinsky had to re-evaluate her oldbusiness plan and management structure if she still wanted to openher gym. "I'd laid out the entire game plan for the year,but because I couldn't drive and work, everythingchanged," she says. She originally planned to visit highschools to speak to PE and health classes about fitness, and togather market research during the tail end of 2005, but she had topostpone those plans until January.
At the time of the accident, she was seeking help for gettingthe business started, but now she needs it even more. "I[started] looking for interns or students who were interested inbeing a part of the concept and helping me develop theprogramming," she says. As she recovered, she interviewedprospects at her home.
Now, she's looking for a business partner with a fitnessbackground. Jashinsky is also building up her advisory board,trying to get more pediatricians and psychologists who work withteenagers onboard to help her promote the idea and start buildingan e-mail list.
At press time, she'd had another meeting with a loancounselor at the SBA, and she's finalizing her business planand meeting with equipment vendors to complete the financials forher loan applications. She has also finally chosen a name for herbusiness--2 Nax Fitness. One especially positive note: An oldhigh-school classmate heard about her business idea and contactedher about seed funding--he works in a real estate firm and knows ofinterested investors.
Though life threw her a curveball, Jashinsky is turning heraccident into something positive. "I'm learning a lotabout rehab and sports injuries," she says. "This isdefinitely a testament to how important it is to behealthy."
