Owner: Sonia Sharp

Product or service: An express 30-minute total body workout using real weight equipment, not hydraulics.

Address: 1727 E. Daily Drive, Suite C, Camarillo.

Date established: April 2005

Hours open: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays; 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays; closed Sundays.

Telephone: 987-2484

E-mail: Sonia@contoursexp.com.

Web site: www.contoursexp.com

Employees: Three

Franchise fee: $18,000, in addition to $395 per month royalty.

Questions to Sonia Sharp: What prompted you to start your own business? Fitness is my passion and I wanted to pursue a business doing something that I loved.

What is your educational and career background? I have a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and worked as a weapons systems engineer on the Naval Base Ventura County for 15 years before starting the business. I am a certified personal trainer and have a black belt in tae kwon do. I have also competed in marathons and triathlons.

How much research did you do before starting your business? I did research for 1 1/2 years before pursuing the business. I read trade magazines, investigated the various fitness franchises for women and studied fitness trends and statistics. I also visited other fitness centers for women and talked to the owners.

What were the most helpful sources, including Web sites? I scoured Entrepreneur and Inc. magazines and their Web sites, found useful information from the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association.

When were you the most discouraged? I was the most discouraged when getting our lease signed because the landlord's broker took such a long time. What should have taken a month took three months. I wanted to open the business in January but I ended up opening in April.

What company or individual do you admire? I really admire Oprah Winfrey. Despite being born illegitimate, poor, a woman minority, and having suffered though molestation, she beat all odds and became one of the world's most successful women. She is a great humanitarian, and donates more of her money to charity than any other show-business celebrity in America.

What will make your business stand out from competitors? Our interval training program has been proven to be the most effective and time-efficient total body workout for women. This is because we use doctor-recommended, weight-based equipment designed specifically for ladies. Since it is interval training, women get both a weight and cardiovascular workout. It is perfect for busy women who are short on time. Our main competitors use hydraulic equipment, which cannot be adjusted as a woman improves. Hydraulics is a "one size fits all" workout, which is unfortunate, since a workout should be as individualized as the person.

Who is your target client/customer base? Our customer base is primarily women in their 30s to 80s. Our oldest member in Camarillo is 98 years old and is doing very well.

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