Busy Body

Exercise Equipment Houston

We’d like to introduce you to Busy Body, one of the largest commercial fitness equipment providers in Houston, TX. This company was founded in 1992, and only sells the highest quality products to their clientele and customers. They also have a large inventory of options that can cater to any individual, and provide them with the results that they are looking for. Ultimately, their mission is not just to sell fitness products, but to help you succeed on your road to health. To learn more about Buys Body, check out our interview with the company owner, Stan Terry.

Stan, what is your background?

At 18 years old I knew I could never go to college with my friends because I was not prepared for college and I did not have the money to attend. So after high school, I decided to enlist in the military. I served in the Army for 3 years and then I enrolled at Texas State with the help of the GI Bill. I then graduated with a Bachelor of Business Management and accepted a position with Ford Motor Credit in Austin TX. 

While employed with FMC, I realized (during my first year) my true passion was in sports and fitness. It was at this point I knew I would never be happy working at a position that did not fulfill my personal dreams. I decided to open my own business selling exercise equipment. Since I was a recent college graduate, I had limited funding so instead of making a major investment in selling new fitness equipment, I started buying used gear from garage sales and out of the classifieds in the paper (there was no internet or Craigslist in these days). 

Once I filled up my apartment as well as my mother’s barn with enough used exercise equipment, I left my new wife and moved to Houston to find a location for my first location. My wife is my biggest supporter and she agreed to stay in Austin (keeping her job and income) until I could find a location and start turning a profit in the new business. 

After 4 months of operations, she was able to transfer to Houston so we could be together again. We lived with my mother for 6 months before the business was turning a profit and we could move out on our own. Currently, my company operates 9 locations in the Greater Houston area and all stores are unique in what they offer as well as the brands they sell. Currently, there are 3 different brands that we operate under Busy Body, Fitness Unlimited, and Winston Fitness.

Why should a customer choose Busy Body?

I feel customers will choose one of the brands of stores (Busy Body, Fitness Unlimited, or Winston Fitness) because our team understands “customer service”. All of our stores work together to bring a great buying experience and the team understands that every customer matters. This includes new customers, past customers, customers that may be a little difficult, and future customers that may be referred to our stores. 

It is our goal to properly help everyone that is considering the purchase of fitness equipment for their home regardless of the different personalities we represent and serve. Customers come into our stores not to buy fitness equipment but rather tools to help them have a healthier life. It is with great satisfaction that our company can offer such a final product to people that are looking to become fit, recover from an injury or simply start a health and wellness program for the first time.

What made you want to start this business?

I guess you can say it was from my mentor… my father. My father owned and operated dry cleaners, shoe repair shops and later opened restaurants. From a young age and I watched him every day I knew how hard he worked to make each business successful. He was a very hard worker but more importantly, he was passionate about his work. He was good to his employees and they responded by working hard in return, When I had the opportunity to open my own business, I was able to find a niche in the market and I knew what it would take to be successful.

What are the advantages and disadvantages that come with owning your business?

There are advantages as well as disadvantages to owning your own business. First the disadvantages: It requires very long hours (currently it is 4:15 am and I am writing this to you as there is not much spare time in the day to day operations of running your own business). Unfortunately, your family will pay a price. During the first 2 years of running my company, I literally went to work 7 days a week and took 3 days off (Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter). You are responsible for many others and they will become part of your family. 

These are the employees you entrust to run your business so they are either with you (part of your family) or they will be against you. It is the responsibility of the company to take care of these people. One of the greatest rewards of owning a business is you get to participate in many people’s lives. This includes your employees and seeing them as well as their families grow up. I feel the greatest benefit in owning your own business is the ability to bring people together to find a successful idea of how your business should operate. One person is not smart enough to overcome all the situations that will arise in a business and the more input you can receive, the better the decision will be.

Where do you see your business in the following years?

My company has been in business for 28 years and as far as the future of this business… Helping people make decisions about fitness equipment is all we know, so we will continue to adapt to the current situations (today it is changing our business due to COVID19). We have made it much easier to buy on our websites and customers can either pick up their orders or we will deliver and install it in their home. 

All our delivery crews wear masks and gloves at our deliveries. It is my goal to maintain our current position as the leader in home fitness equipment within Greater Houston. We do not want to take over the world, we only want to help Houstonians better their health and wellness.

What is your mission statement?

Every customer matters, make sure you matter to your customer.

What are the biggest issues for running this business?

Currently, the biggest issue we have is inventory shortages. With the Home Fitness business booming due to COVID19, many people are leaving the gym to workout at home. This has led to huge shortages of weight plates, dumbbells, and electronics that are required for many treadmills and ellipticals. Even the group cycle bikes are hard to find as the outdoor bike business is booming and many of the components of the outdoor bikes are the same as the indoor bikes. We have started bypassing our suppliers to not only help with inventory issues but to keep the cost down. We have also expanded our warehouse in Houston to add stock of the major brands that are in demand, These brands include Life Fitness, Precor, Inspire Fitness, and others.

How is your team structured?

Our company operates with 56 employees. This includes our delivery teams which consist of 16 crewmembers operating 7 box trucks and 4 service techs to keep our customers up and running.

Where can people learn more about your business?

We have a corporate page the explains a lot about our company at www.exercisehouston.com