By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA–The Helena Health Club located on 4766 Shelby County 52 will be analyzed by an MBA level class at Samford University in February to provide feedback on the club’s business model and more.

A strategic marketing class in the Brock School of Business will make the trip to Helena one day in February to provide tips on the club’s business plan, demographics, what more the club could offer, nearby competition and more.

The Helena Health Club was provided the opportunity through its involvement with the Helena Business Association and Club Manager and Sports Dietician Brandon Booth discussed how the opportunity came about.

“It’s set up through the Helena Business Association through a partnership,” said Booth. “When I went to my first meeting with the HBA before I joined, I did the pre-meeting before I joined and Bob Van Loan discussed it and then I just lit up and said I’ll come and be a part of it. It was just too good of an opportunity not to be involved.”

Helena Health Club opened to the community in April 2014 and Booth said he doesn’t see any negative to having a group of graduate students come out and assess the business.

“Terry and I have had numerous conversations about how hard it is to market out here, and we just thought that this would be a great way to gain some insight,” said Booth. “They will do a full-fledged business and marketing analysis. They will essentially be dissecting us as far as what we do and what’s worked for us, what hasn’t and they’ll kind of guide us.”

The Samford University Brock School of Business was established in 1965 and was recognized as one of the top five universities in the South among regional universities, according to US News & World Report.