Additional Insights from Professionals on Franchising

By Rachel Zabonick on August 30, 2013

Photo courtesy of Crunch Fitness.

Crunch Fitness

There are three primary differences between Crunch and other franchises. To start, we are very selective about the franchisees we partner with. We look for people with high character who have good values, a love of fitness and our brand. Our focus is to have fewer owners with more clubs, enabling ourselves to engage in meaningful dialogue with the entire network, as well as maintain very close relationships with each and every one of our owners.

This is the backbone of any franchise company and we spend a great deal of time and effort making sure that we cultivate this approach within our network — just ask any of our franchisees. As a result, we have a terrific culture within our network. Our franchisees are very engaged, we have a great group of owners that are very open to collaboration and they care a great deal about their fellow franchisees. This fosters a lot of idea sharing and support for within the network. We also have a talented and committed team dedicated to helping all the franchisees become successful. Second, our model is fun and very competitive, the most competitive low-price, high-value model in the industry. Finally, we have a tremendous brand – Crunch!

I cant say that an entrepreneur “should” choose us over another industry, as someone’s career choice should always be based on where their passion is. If it is not with fitness, then don’t buy a fitness franchise. But, if it is, the career is fantastic. It’s a relatively low-stress lifestyle. You meet loads of new people in your clubs and it can be very lucrative as well.

In terms of support from corporate, they should expect just about everything they need besides running the club for them. It falls on the franchisee to be the best they can at serving their community.

Key Components:

Total clubs open: 41
Total franchisees: 60 plus
Start-up costs: $1.2-$1.5 million
Franchisee fees: $25,000, 3% gross revenue royalty

For more information, contact John Merrion, the Director of Club Development at john@crunchfranchise.com or call 1.800.669.7162.

Photo courtesy of 9Round.

9Round Fitness

9Round Fitness is a specialized fitness center that brings boxing and kickboxing to the average person in a convenient, affordable, 30-minute, full-body circuit format. The workouts involve aerobic (cardio), anaerobic and resistance training — getting members results, fast. The program is developed around a proprietary, copyrighted system of nine challenging workout stations developed by a professional fighter. Whether members are beginners or advanced in their fitness levels, certified 9Round trainers will help them kick and punch their way to a healthier version of themselves.

A great 9Round Fitness franchisee is someone with an outgoing personality, who loves working with people and loves fitness. We are looking for someone with a net worth of $75,000 and liquid assets worth $25,000. Our franchisees come from all different types of backgrounds, including banking, teaching, personal trainers and stay-at-home moms.

You should choose a fitness franchise because, at the end of the day, you are improving people’s lives. There is nothing more rewarding than a customer coming to you saying, “I haven’t worn these jeans in 15 years.” You just can’t put a price on good health. Here’s a testimony from one of our 9Round addicts: Michelle English: “I have never been motivated to go to the gym … until now! I love that the workouts are different every day, very high energy and challenging at the same time. The trainers there rock!”

We are in our franchisee’s corners every step of the way. Support includes real estate site selection, build-out manuals and support, four-day intensive training at corporate to get franchisees started off on the right foot and a dedicated franchise account manager for the life of the franchise. Our turn-key systems make it easy.

Key Components: