Katelyn Psovsky (Prokop) of Lanigan and originally of Sturgis never dreamed when she opened her spin cycle business that it would take off with a lot of interest.
Psovsky opened Dog House Spin Studio in Lanigan in March 18, 2019 for fun and to offer something different to the community and to help promote physical and mental health.
"My husband and myself moved to the area a few years ago where we are both gainfully employed,” said Psovsky "I love spin cycling and was traveling to Saskatoon to attend classes and decided that I wanted to be able to offer spin cycle classes right here in my town. There was not a lot of options available in town. When I first opened up I was pleasantly surprised on how busy I was with many patrons. I had seven different instructors each offering a different workout," she said.
The business was preparing for a first anniversary party but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and Psovsky was forced to close for a few months. She re-opened at the end of June but with changes that followed the guidelines and restrictions. She was only allowed five participants. Online classes were offered for a while but she discontinued online classes in September due to not being able to rent out enough cycling bikes.
“I have really been impacted by COVID with losing lots of clients,” Psovsky admitted.
She was recently awarded $3,000 from the Sagehill Community Futures Innovation Through COVID-19 program. The businesses that were nominated received votes online with the top five businesses each receiving $3,000.
“In today’s challenging times, businesses have had to be creative to ensure their business remains sustainable, while keeping their employees and customers safe. Small business owners have shown resiliency and courage as they have had to think of new and innovative ideas, doing whatever it takes, to continue operating their businesses, while navigating through COVID-19,” stated the Sagehill Community Futures website.
Five businesses in the Sagehill region were awarded $3000 each for their unique way of responding to the curves that COVID-19 has thrown at them.
Psovsky will be using the monies to help her with expenses of moving into a larger building where she will be able to offer more classes that will help promote a healthier lifestyle and build relationships in the community.
She grew-up in the Sturgis area and attended school for kindergarten to Grade 12 at the Sturgis School. She is the daughter of Harvey and Pat Prokop.
