Measuring Support For Vienna's Small Businesses: One Owner's Take

VIENNA, VA—By nature, Cycle Chi, Grass Roots Fitness and SourceCore Studio should be competitors in Vienna. Their fitness offerings are different but they have the same goal: attracting fitness-minded customers. It may seem add that the three businesses are collaborating on a promotional video together, but that's just the collaborative style that Vienna's small businesses use.

"I don't think I could have this business in another town," Cycle Chi owner Krista Chichester tells Patch. "People in Vienna want you to succeed as a small business."

A loyal group followed Chichester from her days as a cycle instructor when she opened the indoor cycling studio in 2016. Located at 211 Mill St NE near the bike trail, it's no surprise Cycle Chi tries to attract bikers. But rather than marketing to younger people that tend to join trendy fitness programs, she wants to appeal to people of all ages and fitness levels. In fact, members range from kids to 74-year-old Margaret, whom Chichester calls a "rockstar" that comes every day.

Chichester describes cycling as a "high intensity workout that's easy on your joints and muscles. She has found creative ways to get people interested in cycling, from the Queen Sing-Along Cycle with DJ Darin Pusker this Black Friday to the holiday-themed 12 Days of Christmas with giveaways and Ride to the North Pole. She's also recently introduced a class designed for people with Parkinson's Disease.

Customers can purchase classes individually or in packs; classes don't expire and can be shared with family. The first class for new customers is $10.

Aside from working with the two other fitness studios, Chichester is preparing specials for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, as well as a display for Vienna's window decorating competition. Cycle Chi's display will be a gratitude tree, where customers can add what they're thankful for.

Chichester says events like the Church Street Holiday Stroll give small businesses an extra advantage during the holiday shopping season. Not to mention, between fitness studios, restaurants and shops, she says "you can get anything in Vienna from a small business."

For more on Small Business Saturday and Thanksgiving holiday weekend events in Vienna, click here.

Image via Erika Everhart Photography