Payment Solutions for Small Businesses

Mija Fitness

Monique Flores always wanted to help women in a powerful way. She discovered how when boxing entered her life. Boxing was therapy for Monique. Mija Fitness is Monique’s love offering for women to resurface their confidence. What started with her lugging gym equipment around has turned into a sisterhood of 50-plus women and growing.

Manifesting a safe space rooted in community and family.

When Monique made the leap to step away from her 9-to-5 life, she didn’t have a designated place to build her business. But, she wasn’t alone. Her family and community supported her by offering space and showing up. “My family has stepped up in a huge way. My parents opened up their backyard for me to use, so I have one location where women can come and train with me,” said Monique.

Showing up for your own is a huge part of Mexican culture and the LA community. “I grew up between the US and Mexico. And the biggest difference that I’ve seen is that Mexican culture is all about family,” said Kéo, Monique’s business partner. Speaking about the women who come to Mija Fitness she expressed, “Not everybody is Mexican. Not everybody is Latin. But everybody has the same intention of nurturing, and this energy of everyone here is welcome. I really think that stems from Monique and how giving and generous her family is.”

This community-minded approach has allowed Monique to really connect with the women she trains. It’s a symbiotic relationship, where she’s learning just as much from them as they are from her. As the sisterhood of Mijas expands, Monique uses Square to keep her business and payments on track.

The reporting comes in clutch.

Monique currently offers private and group sessions. It’s easy for her to take a quick payment after a session using Square Reader. All she has to do is connect the reader to her phone, take a payment, and her client is on their way.

Using Square for payment processing also gives Monique access to her business’ stats from the Square Dashboard. “The reporting comes in clutch. It keeps track of everything that comes in and I get a really solid idea of what I’m making year by year.”

Hear how Monique grew her business with Square Payments

“I am running a business and I want it to look professional and feel professional and Square offered that, you know? I was able to get that little reader and offer people invoices and keep them on automatic payments.”

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Square has pulled through.

To serve the regular Mijas who continuously train with her, Monique uses Square Invoices as a convenient way to set up payments. “Square has pulled through. Square has made it so easy for me to do things like automatic payments.”

She appreciates the tool’s customization capabilities. “I was able to tailor the invoices and payment forms to what I needed. I actually wasn’t able to find that with any other platforms.”

Kéo has found the ability to keep track of clients useful. “There are so many women that come through. It’s really nice to be able to look up a date and say ‘Oh it was this person, at this class, on this day.’ That’s super helpful.” From reports to payments, Monique has been able to rely on Square to help manage her business.

Reclaim women’s voices.

Monique understands the demands of being a woman in this society. Plus, the added layer of being a woman of Latin descent. Mija Fitness is a home for those aspects of her identity. “Especially for Latin women, it’s all about give give give giving. So I think that being in this space opens up a portal for women to take a little bit for themselves.”

In creating this space, she’s allowed for women of any ethnic background to show up as they are. “In addition to being a space for women of color, it’s like being able to reclaim women’s voices in general,” said Kéo.

In the future, Monique intends to open up a true brick and mortar location for Mija Fitness. She’d like to add on strength and conditioning classes to compliment the current boxing offerings. Breathwork, meditation and stretching are also in the cards to provide offerings more focused on mental health and wellness.