01
LOWER THE BARRIER.
Make the first step easy.
WERE YOU EVER
AFRAID TO START?
Afraid or uncomfortable to try a sport you did not know.
- BJJ
- KICKBOXING
- MMA
- PADEL
- POWER CYCLE
- YOGA
- STRENGTH
- HYROX
SCROLL
YOU ARE
NOT ALONE.
For most people, that fear is what stops them.
Starting is the hardest part.
THE WHITE BELT
IS THE HARDEST
TO EARN.
A popular saying in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Not the hardest to perform. You just have to start.
THE OPPORTUNITY.
0%
of Dutch adults were overweight in 2022.
0%
projected by 2050. Fastest rise: ages 18 to 44.
0%
of Dutch adults live with obesity today.
Source: RIVM / VZinfo. vzinfo.nl/overgewicht/volwassenen
MY STORY.
0 KG
From 2003 to 2022 I was overweight. Starting was the hardest step I took.
I don't want others to wait as long as I did.
THE VISION.
02
MAKE IT FUN.
Variety that keeps people coming back.
03
HEALTH, SERIOUSLY.
Train like a pro. In one place.
BEAR
ATHLETIC CLUB.
One membership. One roof.
SIX TRAINING ZONES.
Strength & Conditioning · Power Cycle · Yoga & Pilates · Combat Sports · Padel · HYROX.
RECOVERY ZONE.
Sauna · Cold plunge · Sport massage.
BUT FIRST,
THE RESEARCH.
0 respondents · 6 Dutch cities · 4 literature pillars.
SURPRISE 01
4.47/5
The space itself.
Air, light, acoustics. Highest score in the whole study.
SURPRISE 02
4.22/5
One place, everything.
One location, one membership. The thing people actually want.
SURPRISE 03
3.4/5
Recovery is a bonus.
Sauna and cold plunge: nice to have. Not the reason to join.
That changes what Bear leads with.
A PLAN.
NOT FOR NOW.
Bear is a €1.3 million project. I am not ready. Yet.
WHEN AM I READY?
- When I run a business and know it inside out.
- When I can scale it.
- When I can hire and manage like an owner.
- When the business runs without me.
SO WHAT
AM I DOING NOW?
NRL Automations. AI & automation consulting.
-
01
AUDIT.
I find where companies lose time and money.
-
02
DESIGN.
I draw the system. Then plan the fix.
-
03
BUILD.
AI agents, automations, portals. Live in their stack.
I built this entire site with AI. That is what I do.
THE NEW STANDARD
WHAT KEEPS
ME SHARP.
My business did not take off at first. In the last weeks I have landed assignment after assignment. Almost entirely through one network.
TNS, The New Standard. Young entrepreneurs that push each other to the limit. In two weeks: a training camp run by special forces, organised by the community itself.
It raised my standard. Pushed me to finish this degree strong.
STARTING IS THE HARDEST PART.
I'M JUST
GETTING
STARTED.
A white belt in business. I'll earn the next belts year by year.
Bear opens when the time is right.
The vision is clear. The plan is real.
APPENDIX
Q&A DATA.
Full reference for defense questions. Research findings (n=424) and the Tilburg financial model. No animations. Just numbers.
01 · Sample & demographics
METHOD
- Responses
- 424 valid
- Window
- February to April 2026
- Channels
- WhatsApp · Instagram · LinkedIn · gym QR codes
- Pillars
- 4 (Barriers · Servicescape · Recovery · Convenience)
- Pricing
- Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter
- Scale
- 5-point Likert (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree)
CITIES · n & %
| City | n | % |
|---|---|---|
| Tilburg | 113 | 26.7% |
| Den Haag | 77 | 18.2% |
| Amsterdam | 68 | 16.0% |
| Nijmegen | 54 | 12.7% |
| Utrecht | 35 | 8.3% |
| Eindhoven | 17 | 4.0% |
AGE & ACTIVITY
| Cohort | Share |
|---|---|
| Age 18–30 | 52.8% (n=224) |
| Age 31–40 | 17.0% (n=72) |
| Age 41–50 | 12.0% (n=51) |
| Train 2–4× per week | 58.3% |
| Train 5–7× per week | 14.9% |
| Train ≤ 1× per week | 9.7% |
| Self-rated fitness | 3.58 / 5 |
EXISTING MEMBERSHIP MIX
- Active gym or studio
- 37.3%
- Both gym & sports club
- 26.7%
The 26.7% group already splits training across two memberships. That is the core segment Bear consolidates.
02 · Pillar A — Barriers to trying different sports
| Item | Mean (1–5) | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| A12 · One location to sample multiple sports lowers the barrier | 3.97 | Strongest barrier reducer |
| A1 · Clear beginner classes available | 3.93 | Starter routes matter |
| A11 · Coaches notice and assist hesitant beginners | 3.74 | Proactive staff signal |
| A10 · Small-group coaching helps get started | 3.50 | Format preference |
| A3 · Worry about doing it wrong | 2.38 | Anxiety low in active sample |
| A2 · Fear of judgement | 2.16 | Lowest item in pillar |
Pillar A is most relevant for join intent. The multi-sport format + proactive coaching combination directly addressed access barriers.
03 · Pillar B — Servicescape & premium standards highest-scoring pillar
| Item | Mean (1–5) | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| B4 · Good air quality, lighting and acoustics | 4.47 | Highest item in the entire survey |
| B8 · Smooth booking & check-in | 4.38 | Operational quality is non-negotiable |
| B9 · High-standard changing rooms & showers | 4.38 | Premium positioning across the room |
| B1 · Visible cleanliness and hygiene | 4.25 | Baseline trust signal |
| B10 · Crowding limits my willingness to return | 3.96 | Capacity management = retention factor |
Pillar B produced the highest average scores across all four pillars. Premium positioning is judged across the entire service environment — not just equipment or programming.
04 · Pillar C — Recovery integration
| Item | Mean (1–5) | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| C7 · 10–15min post-workout recovery is realistic | 3.91 | Format people will actually use |
| C6 · Interest in recovery even though not competitive | 3.74 | Demand exists across users |
| C4 · Recovery on-site makes me more likely to choose | 3.54 | Commercial impact, but secondary |
| C8 · Willingness to pay extra for recovery | 3.40 | Lowest item in pillar. Add-on, not driver. |
Recovery is a value-enhancing add-on. It raises appeal and price acceptance, but it does not on its own trigger a membership decision. 3.40 / 5 is still above neutral.
05 · Pillar D — Integrated convenience & habit formation
| Item | Mean (1–5) | Reads as |
|---|---|---|
| D6 · Save travel time by doing everything in one place | 4.06 | Time scarcity drives consolidation |
| D10 · Coaching & open gym under one roof | 4.04 | Format preference confirmed |
| D3 · Consistent class times help me build a routine | 4.03 | Habit formation enabler |
| D5 · Variety helps me stay active when motivation drops | 3.90 | Retention lever |
| D12 · Convenience helps me maintain attendance 3–6 months | 3.87 | Direct retention prediction |
Pillar D is the strongest retention driver — supports the commercial logic of a single-membership model.
06 · Market outcomes (Pillar E)
HEADLINE OUTCOMES
| Item | Mean (1–5) |
|---|---|
| E3 · One-membership preference | 4.22 |
| E5 · Retention intent | 4.09 |
| E6 · Premium willingness | 3.90 |
| E1 · Intention to join | 3.44 |
E3 is the highest-scoring outcome item in the whole survey. Retention (4.09) scores above join intent (3.44), meaning people who see the value stay.
JOIN INTENT BY CITY · E1
| City | Mean |
|---|---|
| Den Haag | 3.55 |
| Tilburg | 3.46 |
| Amsterdam | 3.41 |
| Nijmegen | 3.38 |
| Utrecht | 3.33 |
| Eindhoven | 3.29 |
CONVERSION ESTIMATE
- Top-2-box join intent (4 or 5)
- 50.5% (n = 214)
- Standard intention-behaviour deflation
- 20–30%
- Realistic conversion estimate
- 35–40% of interested respondents
The intention-behaviour gap is well documented (Cheval et al., 2024). The 35–40% figure is conservative.
07 · Pricing — Van Westendorp
| Package | Too cheap | Bargain | Getting expensive | Too expensive | Strategic launch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training Only | €20 | €35 | €57.50 | €85 | €40–50/mo |
| Training + Recovery | €30 | €50 | €70 | €95 | €55–65/mo |
Gap between bargain points = €15/mo. That is the price respondents attribute to integrated recovery. Supports a two-tier launch.
08 · Open-text feedback (n = 312)
- Price-to-quality ratio · most frequent theme
- Physical environment quality · echoes Pillar B (4.47)
- Coaching quality & proactive staff · echoes A11 (3.74)
- Variety & consistency in programming · echoes D5 + D3
- Social atmosphere & community · weak in the questionnaire, strong in open-text
Recovery (sauna, cold plunge, massage) appeared rarely and was framed as a complement, not the reason to join. Open-text reinforces the quantitative finding.
09 · Competitor positioning — Tilburg
HEALTH CLUBS · BEAR'S DIRECT FIELD
| Operator | Price/mo | What they have | What they miss vs Bear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club Pellikaan | €95–€130 | Fitness · HYROX · padel · tennis · squash · pool · sauna · restaurant · kids | No combat zone · no cold plunge · family-format friction · documented cleanliness issues at price |
| Arendse Health Club | €42–€85 | HYROX-certified · fitness · spinning · yoga · Les Mills · sauna · PT · physio | No combat zone · no cold plunge · padel only at separate paid location · admin friction |
| Quality Sport Centre | €36–€48 | 24/7 fitness · spinning · yoga · Les Mills · boxing (school) · sauna · 30y community | No padel · no HYROX · no cold plunge · no MMA/BJJ |
| Bear Athletic Club | €45–€65 | S&C · Power Cycle · Yoga & Pilates · Combat · Padel · HYROX · Sauna · Cold plunge · Massage | — |
COMBAT SPECIALISTS (NOT DIRECT)
- Renzo Gracie Tilburg · BJJ-only
- Mahakala · Muay Thai / kickboxing
- Kamae · combat sports
These serve members who have chosen one discipline. They do not compete for the same member as Bear, which consolidates training across six modalities.
STRATEGIC GAP
No operator in Tilburg combines all six modalities + full recovery zone + dedicated combat area under one integrated membership. Pellikaan is most comprehensive but +50% price and family-format. Quality is community-loved but narrow. Bear sits in the gap at €45–65: focused, athletic, premium, without Pellikaan's compromises.
WHY BASIC-FIT IS NOT THE COMPETITOR
Basic-Fit is a low-cost, high-volume operator. The survey segment that ranked environment quality (4.47) and one-membership (4.22) as the top two items is structurally not the Basic-Fit segment. The competitive question is not "why would they leave Basic-Fit for Bear," it is "why would the 26.7% who already pay for two separate memberships consolidate into one premium one." The research answers that question directly.
10 · Financial plan — Tilburg · Best case
INVESTMENT & UNIT ECONOMICS
- Total initial investment
- €1,229,852
- Blended ARPM
- €55.80
- Monthly churn
- 2.5%
- Break-even members · Y1 cost base
- 1,248
- Break-even members · Y2+ cost base
- 1,374
ANNUAL OPEX · Y2+
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Rent & occupancy | €220,000 |
| Staff (incl. 1.40× employer) | €444,000 |
| Utilities | €54,000 |
| Insurance | €10,800 |
| Software & booking | €12,000 |
| Marketing | €96,000 |
| Total OPEX | €836,800 |
5-YEAR P&L
| Year-end | Members | Revenue | EBITDA | Margin | Cumulative cash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y1 | 1,239 | €484,576 | (€268,224) | −55% | (€1,608,960) |
| Y2 | 2,648 | €1,301,109 | €464,309 | 36% | (€1,333,118) |
| Y3 | 4,021 | €2,232,806 | €1,396,006 | 63% | (€365,958) |
| Y4 | 5,361 | €3,141,210 | €2,304,410 | 73% | +€1,275,238 |
| Y5 | 6,667 | €4,026,903 | €3,190,103 | 79% | +€3,573,619 |
Investment recouped in Y4. Y1 is the ramp-up loss year; break-even reached during Y3 on the cost-base side, full cash break-even early Y4.
MEMBERSHIP MIX · Y5
| Tier | Members |
|---|---|
| Training · Annual | 2,800 |
| Training · Monthly | 1,867 |
| Training + Recovery · Annual | 1,200 |
| Training + Recovery · Monthly | 800 |
| Total active members | 6,667 |
11 · Dutch market context
| Indicator | Value | Reference year |
|---|---|---|
| Adults overweight (BMI ≥ 25) | 50% | 2022 |
| Adults overweight · projection | 64% | 2050 |
| Adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30) | 16% | 2024 |
| Fastest-rising cohort | Ages 18–44 | 2020s |
| Weekly sport participation NL | Stable, not growing | 2024 |
Sources: RIVM / VZinfo Overgewicht volwassenen; NOC*NSF 2024.
12 · Limitations & validity
WHAT THE STUDY DOES AND DOES NOT CLAIM
- Convenience sample. Recruitment via personal network, gym QR codes, and city-specific channels. Not statistically representative of the Dutch adult population.
- Activity bias. Already-active adults are over-represented. The concept was nevertheless expected to appeal more strongly to this group, which the data confirmed.
- Cross-sectional design. Captures a single point in time. Supports associations, not causal claims.
- Stated vs revealed preference. Van Westendorp prices reflect intention, not actual spending. A 20–30% intention-behaviour deflation was applied in the conversion estimate.
- Self-report risks. Social-desirability bias and recall error apply to all items. Mitigated by neutral wording and anonymity.
- No practitioner interviews. Intentional design decision (Entrepreneurship track). Compensated through Dissemination Act 1 — structured investor feedback session.
SUFFICIENT FOR WHAT
- n = 424
- Directional answers to main research question
- 6 cities
- Geographic spread across major NL urban areas
- Pillars A–D
- Defensible inputs for the 5-year financial model
- Van Westendorp
- Pricing windows for a two-tier launch
IF I DID IT AGAIN
- Panel-based recruitment with strict city + age quotas (representative, larger budget)
- Wave 2 survey six months after launch to track preference evolution
- Mixed-methods: add qualitative interviews to enrich the Pillar A anxiety findings and refine brand tone
13 · Dissemination acts
ACT 1 · INVESTOR PRESENTATION
- Audience
- Louk Beerens — dentist & entrepreneur, multiple operating ventures (and the researcher's father — realistic first investor)
- Format
- Structured session: MRQ, key findings, facility concept, two-tier membership, Tilburg location, three financial scenarios
- Outcome
- Positive overall, willing to revisit once full business plan + location finalised
Three flagged items integrated into the implementation plan:
- Renovation contingency. €350,000 budget considered conservative — ventilation, acoustics, and changing-room fit-out can run materially higher.
- Staffing shifts. 06:00–23:00 operation requires close to three daily shifts, not two. Year 1–2 personnel costs need revision.
- Loan vs equity. Both viable. Financing structure will define how the deal is framed in the formal investment conversation.
ACT 2 · EMAIL UPDATE TO RESPONDENTS
- Audience
- 47 opt-in respondents — most engaged segment of the survey
- Content
- Summary of concept + key findings + next steps
- Purpose
- Close the loop with people who voluntarily expressed interest; gather feedback from the prospective-member side
INTEGRATION OF FEEDBACK
Investor session directly influenced Chapter 7 — Implementation: renovation contingency and staffing-shift revisions are flagged as required adjustments before the formal investment conversation. The dissemination process produced practitioner input that the survey alone could not deliver.
14 · Conclusions — why this concept works
- Top two valued items in the entire survey are exactly what Bear delivers: environment quality (B4 = 4.47) and one-membership preference (E3 = 4.22).
- 26.7% of respondents already hold both a gym and a sports-club membership — Bear consolidates an existing behaviour, it does not create a new one.
- Retention intent (4.09) scores higher than join intent (3.44). The audience that gets in stays in.
- Conservative conversion of 35–40% of interested respondents is sustainable across all six surveyed cities.
- Strategic price corridor (€40–50 / €55–65) is feasible, with a clear €15/mo add-value for recovery.
- Recovery is a feature, not a pillar (C8 = 3.40). It improves perceived value without driving the decision.
- Demand strongest in mid-sized cities (Tilburg, Nijmegen, Den Haag) where direct competition is thinner than in Amsterdam or Rotterdam.
- The macro trend is structural: 50% overweight today, 64% projected by 2050, fastest in the 18–44 cohort that is Bear's primary segment.
- Financial plan reaches positive cumulative cash flow in Y4 and €3.57M cumulative by Y5 under the best case.
Niek Beerens · 702048 · LYCar Defense · Hotelschool The Hague 2026 · niek@nrlautomations.com