InhomeSports started when Michael Krouse began to get tired of his wife beating him of the golf course. He knew he wanted some extra time with his golf trainer, but didn’t have the time to always be taking trips to the putting green. One day, when he was sitting around with his middle school and high school-aged children, he realized an app that would allow him to connect with his trainer remotely would be the most efficient way to work on his stroke, but none existed.
Krouse is now the co-founder and CEO of InhomeSports, a two-way, live streaming app that allows users to connect with golf and fitness trainers remotely on iOS and Android devices. With the app, users can get their workouts in from their homes or on their lunch breaks at work.
“We’re the first that I know of in the app world to do tele-presence commerce: to allow someone who has something to give and they get paid for that being where they need to be, whether that’s being home with their family or traveling or whatever,” Krouse said Wednesday. “And then for students, I can get better wherever I’m at.”
After downloading the app and logging in, users are able to select a trainer. Users can sort through trainers by exercise type: yoga, golf, weight lifting, etc., or by proximity to the user. There is also an option to sort trainers from most expensive hourly rates to least expensive rates. To learn more about a trainer, click on his or her profile screen.
From there, users have the option to book a session. Sessions can be just 10 minutes long, or 50 minutes long depending on what the user is looking for. Then, a calendar pops up and users can choose a date and start time. Users enter payment information and trainers receive payment directly via PayPal.
“We have a ton of fitness instructors: yoga, soccer, sports performance,” Krouse said. “And if you’re a gym owner, we’re just an enhancement. We’re not taking over. The instructors just want a place to teach and students just want an easy way to learn, and we provide it.”
If new trainers want to join the app, either Krouse or someone else from the InhomeSports team will meet with that trainer to “verify” them and make sure that they have the proper credentials to teach.
Krouse uses the app to work on his swing with his golf trainer, as well as schedule yoga routines with other trainers.
“It worked!” Krouse said of the app, laughing. “Now I have a bigger trophy than my wife.”
