Entrepreneur Natalie Butler opened Barre Balance in Liverpool in 2019 but when coronavirus forced its closure she took her classes online and gained a worldwide audience. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool fitness studio Barre Balance has reopened after lockdown and is taking on new staff due to demand from people in Merseyside and across the world.

Entrepreneur Natalie Butler opened the business in Liverpool in September 2019. Barre is described as fusion of pilates, yoga and ballet, where small movements are combined to shape and tone the body and help you to feel good.

She began to grow the business but was forced to close the studio in March due to the COVID-19 lockdown. However, she decided to continue the classes online and has not only retained her existing client base, but also attracted new clients from across the UK and as far afield as New Zealand, Hong Kong and Gibraltar.

The physical studio reopened on Saturday, July 25, but will still continue to offer the online sessions. Natalie is planning to expand the team adding new instructors to meet the increasing demand.

She said: “I am so incredibly grateful for the huge amount of support my small business has received over the last few months in particular, which really has been overwhelming to say the least.

“When we went into lockdown back in March, I knew I had to adapt my business model quickly in order for my business which was only seven months old at the time, to survive. My focus was on creating and sustaining an online community of like-minded people who were able to enjoy my classes regardless of where were in the world.”

Natalie was inspired to open up Liverpool’s first dedicated Barre studio after returning from Australia, where she lived and worked for three years. During her time Down Under, she gained invaluable business experience in a number of roles.

She added: “Now we are entering the next phase and the reopening of our much-loved physical studio which is very exciting. I can’t wait to welcome my clients back, albeit a little different with some new measures in place to keep everyone safe and comfortable.

“But the online classes are absolutely here to stay, too. The extended community we’ve built over lockdown has been incredible and I’m passionate about keeping this going.”