b-fit
Grant
Turkish social enterprise which has pioneered a sports system for women, owned and operated by female franchisees in Turkey
b-fit is a Turkish social enterprise which has not only pioneered a sport system for women (which allows individuals to do 30-minute station workouts effectively), but is also challenging the stereotypes of women in Turkish society. The b-fit sports system itself primarily consists of station exercises using hydraulic equipment with which you exercise through your own power of pull-push and platforms on which you do aerobic exercises.
Compelling even to those who are not naturally attracted to sports, this exercise regimen helps people keep fit and maintain a healthy cardiovascular system for a better life.
Moreover, b-fit is empowering women in Turkey to become successful business entrepreneurs - in a country where this is highly unusual.
Awards and Achievements:
Endeavor Entrepreneur - 2009
ASHOKA Fellow - 2012
Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur in Turkey - 2013
Summary
b-fit started its journey when one of the founding partners, Bedriye Hülya joined a similar club in the United States. She got slimmer by two sizes in 6 months. She was inspired to bring the same system to Turkey, and started an in-depth research of all the aspects of the system. This sports system is widely proven and accepted both in the America and Europe. It has already been used by 13 million women in the United States. However, the system had never been applied to Eastern cultures such as Turkey. To recreate the whole concept according to Eastern women’s special needs and requirements, b-fit was founded by 6 Turkish women who specialised in different aspects of the business.
Social Impact
The b-fit franchising system is a special franchising system that focuses on female entrepreneurship and in providing employment for women. The quality guarantee of b-fit is assured by its dedicated focus on women and the rigorous selection process of the women who will take part in this business.
b-fit has already given an opportunity to more than 250 women to start their own businesses.
b-fit now has 226 branches in 49 cities throughout Turkey. Altogether b-fit’s 200,000 members have lost 225 tons, but what is truly exciting is that many of them have changed their lives for the better after engaging with b-fit.
Aside from being run by and for women, b-fit is a role model in the sense that it is socially responsible - a rare example of a scaled-up social enterprise in Turkey. Each b-fit franchise functions as a social club for women in the middle and lower income classes in Turkey. These groups typically don’t value women’s self-esteem and this then becomes a self-reinforcing problem. b-fit aims to improve the quality of life for Turkish women, and it is using sports in a strategic way to achieve this.
Note
*Grant proceeds will go towards funding b-fit's general operating expenses and internal capacity building.
This is a grant. Grants do not provide principal or a financial return back to your account.
