Winner: Rookie Small Business: Your Fitness Instructor

Petar Sibinkic began training in kayaking at age 7 in his native Serbia. His efforts brought him to two Olympic games: Atlanta, in 1996, and Sydney, in 2000. Today, Sibinkic does a different kind of training: He’s the owner of Your Fitness Instructor, a personal-training studio he opened in January 2010 to provide clients with one-on-one instruction to meet their physical goals.

Sibinkic, who has a bachelor’s degree in sports technology training, usually wakes up at 4:45 a.m. and is opening up his studio by 6 a.m.

“The most important thing is to have a hands-on business,” he said.

The facility currently has five personal trainers, and, eventually, Sibinkic hopes to expand, possibly adding more locations.

Although you’ll find Sibinkic at his studio working up to 12 hours a day, you won’t find him working out there. Because he spends so much time at his facility, he usually goes elsewhere to work out.

At the gym, Sibinkic’s favorite exercises are pull-ups and bench presses. On a rare day off, you’ll still find him on his kayak.

Bottom line
Your Fitness Instructor

Location: 20 Ave. of the Flowers

Business start date: January 2010

Number of employees when started: Three trainers

Number of employees today: Five trainers

First job ever: Professional kayaker

Something you wish you had known when you started: “I would go wider and bigger,” Your Fitness Instructor owner Petar Sibinkic said of his studio.

Typical day on the job: “A typical day begins very early,” Sibinkic said. He’s up by 4:45 a.m. and opening up the studio by 6 a.m. Often, he’s training clients and handling business until 6 or 7 p.m.

Favorite way to spend a day off: Kayaking. Sibinkic especially enjoys kayaking around north Longboat Key, especially Jewfish and Sister keys.

Business idol: “I admire Donald Trump. He says that any media exposure — positive or negative — is beneficial.”

Biggest challenge: “Figuring out how to scale the business and make it bigger.”

Where do you see your business in five years? “Being a leader. Possibly, we’ll have multiple locations throughout the Sarasota area.”