I need help with Flip Factory Inc. case analysis.

FLIP FACTORY INC. In June 2014, Darlene Traviss, owner and chief executive officer of Flip Factory Inc. (Flip Factory), stood in her fitness centre in a flurry of activity and excitement. Toddlers, youths, teens, and adults participated in a multitude of gymnastics-based activities throughout the 10,000-square-foot facility. Three years had passed since Traviss relocated Flip Factory from an inner city church hall to an industrial park in northeast Calgary. The business had evolved from a one-woman show with a few seasonal part-time staff to a team of more than 20 highly skilled and specialized coaches from around the world. The new facility was already near capacity. Despite her success, Traviss was driven to innovate further and change the landscape for gymnastics in Calgary. Through Flip Factory, she was determined to create a culture of inclusiveness and fun fitness and promote the concept of gymnastics for all. Her team had enthusiastically expressed ideas for further expansion of the organization during the last staff meeting. As an entrepreneur and innovator, Traviss was keen to capitalize on Flip Factorys popularity and success. Her previous experience, however, dictated that she temper this enthusiasm and take a pragmatic approach to continue to develop and expand her business successfully. The next staff meeting was only a week away and she felt the need to clarify her position on the future of Flip Factory. Had she finally reached the point in her career where she should relax and enjoy the results of her hard work, or should she capitalize on the organizations momentum and seek new paths for growth and expansion? ABOUT FLIP FACTORY Flip Factory was a Calgary-based fitness centre that offered unique, non-competitive, gymnastics-based programs. It was owned and operated by Traviss, an entrepreneur with a passion for physical fitness and gymnastics. Traviss established Flip Factory to make gymnastics more appealing to the mass market. She wanted to provide fun and challenging classes for all ages and abilities, and her classes incorporated nontraditional components such as circus arts, trampolining, demonstration gymnastics, and parkour.1 1 Parkour is the activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, typically in an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping, and climbing. Oxford Dictionaries, Parkour, Oxford Dictionaries, accessed December 17, 2015, www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/parkour. Authorized for use only by Sondos Benabdalla in BSMM-8510: Business Strategy at University of Windsor from Jan 14, 2020 to Apr 09, 2020. Use outside these parameters is a copyright violation. Page 2 9B16M071 Traviss noted that a two-tiered system, competitive and recreational, prevailed in gymnastic clubs as well as in the provincial and national governing bodies for the sport. Most participants in gymnastics clubs were recreational; however, most high-level coaches, equipment, and resources at these sites were funneled toward the competitive athletes, who were far fewer in number. Recreational gymnastics was often viewed as a step down. Competitive gymnastics was what coaches and, to some extent, parents and athletes focused on as the preferred route. Few options were available to children who wanted to continue to feel challenged through high-level, non-competitive gymnastics programs. Traviss saw that this dynamic created a void in the marketplace. She believed that recreational members deserved to have great facilities, highly qualified coaches, and opportunities for advancement in the sport. Flip Factory, therefore, aimed to provide customers with quality, non-competitive programs. Traviss also saw a need for programs that accommodated former competitive athletes who wanted a challenge outside the competitive arena and a creative outlet for the skills they had honed. Flip Factory offered services in three core areas: 1) youth, teen, and adult programs; 2) preschool programs; and 3) bookings (see Exhibit 1). After three years of operation in the new location, Flip Factory had grown from a few hundred to more than 1,500 weekly, on-site program participants. It organized more than 450 birthday parties per year, arranged other on-site events for more than 2,000 participants, and had more than 200 off-site participants through the Flip Mobile preschool programs (see Exhibit 2). Traviss also contributed to the greater community, since giving back, and making a positive difference were part of the organizations culture. Flip Factorys various philanthropic initiatives included donating passes, camps, and classes to underprivileged youths, schools, and organizations; providing birthday parties for underprivileged kids; and raising funds for charities. These activities were consistent with Flip Factorys mission statement, as follows: Create an exceptional environment and offer cutting-edge gymnastic-based programs that captivate, excite, and challenge our members. Create a community of like-minded individuals who understand and support the value of challenging, yet non-competitive, programs. Develop a culture of understanding, acceptance, and support for all who choose to be a part of Flip Factory and contribute to the organizations goals and ideals.