Meet the Mumpreneur: Eleanor Finn, owner of Finesse Fitness in Maynooth

Eleanor Finn started out as a self-employed physical therapist, working out of a small room in a hotel gym until setting up Finesse Fitness three years ago. She lives in Straffan with partner Karen and is mum to Georgie (7). We started by asking Eleanor what makes Finesse Fitness unique..

Finesse is a fitness studio and pain management clinic. We are the only place in north Kildare offering a full package from physical therapy to group training, offsite training for sports teams, and a full range of in-studio classes such as pilates & TRX.

How did your business evolve from those early stages?

I wrote a business plan to lay out the ground work for where I wanted my business to go.  Over time I slowly built up a team of trainers, therapists, a masters graduate in Strength & Conditioning and a rehab specialist to provide a unique service to North Kildare.  I knew I had succeeded in my initial business plan when I got to go on holidays for two weeks after two years!

What are the business supports or resources you’d recommend to another entrepreneur?

AIB were very supportive and I did some start your own business courses too. My advice would be to get a good accountant, get a good PA/receptionist to allow you to work on your business and not IN your business. Also find someone who knows how to build a decent website and get e-commerce set up as soon as you can.

How do you manage childcare for Georgie?

Karen and I work shift, so one of us usually can drops Georgie to school and the other can pick her up from her after-school activities.  One day a week we both work late on the same day so she’s with our childminder.  She can also mind her if we both have to work at the same time other days, but we try hard to limit this as we believe routine and spending time with both of us is very important.

Check out Eleanor's unique health and fitness studio at Finesse.ie Meet another Mumpreneur: Grainne Ferreira from Raise The Bar cocktails