Mov’Art: the art of movement

“I think that, since covid, people tend to take more care of themselves,” says Fabio Teixeira, co-founder of Mov’Art, a studio dedicated to personal training and posturology. “We offer comprehensive support, from A to Z.”

Along with co-founder Charlie Depaepe, Fabio set up Mov’Art in late 2022. Mov’Art, whose name comes from the expression ‘art of movement’, is all about postural correction, weight-loss, and improving mobility and muscle strength, working with everyone from 11 to 75 years of age “and especially people that spend too much time sitting in front of a computer”, Fabio says.

CLOSED DOORS

But setting up shop means buying lots of expensive equipment, and for that, a significant amount of up-front expenditure is required. “We went to several banks, but they were all quite negative. They thought we were a risky business because during the pandemic many studios like ours closed down. Others felt that the business plan was too ambitious…it wasn’t easy. Microlux was different.” With an EU-guaranteed loan from Microlux, backed by the EIF, Fabio and Charlie were able to get the ball rolling and open up in January 2023.

HUMAN CONTACT

The business model of personal training is an interesting one, with Fabio explaining that many people tend to opt for this type of exercise for a number of reasons: “For some it’s the only way to successfully lose weight. For others it really obliges them to be present, so it’s kind of like a motivation. But for many, it’s the human contact that’s important. Many people look for that – and so do we. It’s the most important part of our job and it’s what we enjoy most. If you’re going to spend an hour with someone without wanting to be with people, then this isn’t the job for you.”

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

As the business grows, with the post-covid return to sport and movement, Fabio and Charlie are throwing themselves at their entrepreneurial adventure: “We work long hours, and there’s a lot more responsibility when you run your own business, fixed costs that need to be paid no matter what. But we’re doing well, took out our first salary this month, and brought in a physiotherapist as well, to offer more solutions in the same space and we’re looking to grow the team soon.”

Location: Bertrange, Luxembourg
Financial Intermediary: Mircolux
SME: Mov’Art
Sector: fitness studio
Number of employees:2
Financing purpose: purchasing equipment
EU financing: InvestEU