KX Pilates offers $20,000 travel grant to help one lucky entrepreneur catalyse their business journey

Reformer pilates franchise KX Pilates is giving one aspiring entrepreneur the chance to kick start their very own business idea, with the Australian brand today announcing the opening of its $20,000 KX Entrepreneur Travel Grant.

KX Pilates, which now spans across 110 studios in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, China and Taiwan following the opening of its first studio in Melbourne in 2010, will award the winner of the travel grant with $20,000 to help them to embark on their business journey and to inspire them to expand their mind through travel.

Apart from the cash prize, the winner will also receive one-on-one mentorship for 12 months from fitness entrepreneur and KX Pilates founder Aaron Smith.

Smith, who also released his new book Define Yourself today which delves into how his global adventures helped him to launch KX Pilates, said he was pleased to be able to partner with his company to make the grant a possibility.

“Travel for me was the catalyst for my own self-discovery in terms of where I was in my early 20s,” he said. 

“I knew I wanted to do something. I had an entrepreneurial spirit and knew I wanted to start my business and I had a passion for business, but I had no idea what.

“So travel for me was a way, not only to find myself, but I think there’s so many lessons that I’ve learned through travelling that really helped me to discover who I was as a person which is really important.

“It was in London that I discovered dynamic reformer pilates. I then had the idea for KX Pilates and brought that style of fitness back to Australia.”

Aussies love the idea of being an entrepreneur

Smith said with the looming launch of his book he also wanted to help people who may have an idea, but who struggled to get it off the ground.

“So that’s kind of where the idea for the grant came from. Not only will it give an aspiring entrepreneur the opportunity to travel the world, but it will also help kick start their business, whatever that might be.”

New research released today by KX Pilates, which was conducted through Pure Profile and surveyed 1,000 respondents across Australia, found that 60% of Australians love the idea of starting a business or side hustle.

In fact, 82% of gen Z respondents between the ages of 18-24 years old were keen to start their own business, followed closely by 70% of millennial respondents between 24-35 years.

Approximately 61.2% of respondents revealed that the key reason they wanted to start their own business was to earn more money, with 45.8% citing flexible working hours and 42.5% wanting to be their own boss as their reasons.

However, 27% of Australians stated that money issues were making them reluctant to start a business, with 16% saying motivation was the cause.

Smith said in order to apply for the grant, business-savvy Australians will need to check the KX Pilates website for the application details and outline the vision of their future business idea or interest and why travelling is important to them.

The top three submissions will be invited to a one-on-one interview with Smith and the winner of the grant will be announced on Monday, October 30.