Cover Story
“Franchisees and customers not only have a fi nancial investment in Anytime Fitness, but an emotional one too”
Testimonials:
“I had been looking at a number of franchises but this was the one that presented me with the best chance of success and the most fun, too! What attracted me to Anytime Fitness was the vibrant nature of the team involved along with the passion they had for the industry. In addition, they really do care about the people using their facility, something that is often lacking in other businesses.” Russell and Laura Valler, Anytime Fitness Colchester and ready to open their next club
The Anytime Fitness head offi ce team
to house all the equipment, on utilities, etc, if we took what members use most and put it into a smaller and cheaper space, offering 24-hour access and lower staffi ng, the whole thing would be so effi cient!” They were not wrong! The Anytime Fitness brand recently took the number- one spot in the Entrepreneur 2014 Franchise 500 list – a compilation widely considered to be the world’s most comprehensive franchise ranking, with well-known franchises like Subway, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s traditionally making an appearance in the top spots. The criteria by which Entrepreneur magazine judges brands include fi nancial strength and stability, growth rate and size. Chuck explains the allure of running a business in the fi tness sector: “There are thousands of franchise options out there, but fi tness has a broad appeal, whether you’re 18 or 80! The industry has grown over the last 30 years, insulated against economic downturn, but there’s room still to grow. There are pressures now (to adopt healthy lifestyles) – from the media, health organisations, governments – and we need to get people more active. Consumer numbers will grow across the globe. There’s also the simplicity of the model; we’re less complex and you don’t need lots of experience to get started.”
95 per cent of franchisees do not come
from the fi tness industry, so what skills does the brand look for in prospective franchisees? “Overall, recruits have to have emotional intelligence and people skills. They need to care about their community, be willing to listen, have empathy and the desire to help people achieve something.” Franchisees and customers not only have
a fi nancial investment in Anytime Fitness, but an emotional one too; at least 2,000 people now have their dedication to the brand immortalised in the form of a running man logo tattoo. Chuck cites three main reasons for the strength of devotion owners feel towards the brand: “Firstly, franchisees get to change people’s lives, helping others to be better by getting them healthy – it’s very gratifying. “With a lot of franchises, particularly in the beginning, franchisees work a lot of hours, but with Anytime Fitness they will also get fi t and feel much healthier. “The fi nal one is balance. Our owners have to work hard, but the model works so that the club will still operate when the franchisee is not there, so they can spend time with family or take up other pursuits. Our franchisees appreciate that. “So really it’s the three: helping others, being healthier themselves and achieving the work-life balance.” n
“I wanted to work for myself, plus Cathy and I were both also interested in working together; we were looking for an opportunity that would give us back control of our lives. We looked at other franchises and into setting up our own business but the more we looked into Anytime Fitness, the support they offer and their proven success, it was apparent it took away most of the risk involved. It’s almost like a family. What we love most is the importance of the members; we enjoy getting to know everyone, their stories and successes.”
Hugh and Cathy Mullan, Anytime Fitness Glasgow and looking for their next club in Scotland
“We did lots of research and due diligence and thought that the Anytime Fitness business model stood out from the rest. The thing we love most is the whole community aspect and getting to know our customers; they tell us that they love the convenience of the 24/7 model and many are surprised at the quality they get for their money. As the brand grows, that perception will change but, with 350 members pre-sold before we opened and the club growing we’re delighted with how it’s all gone and are really enjoying being part of Anytime Fitness.” Linda Crowson, Anytime Fitness Twickenham
ANYTIME FITNESS
WEBSITE:
www.anytimefi
tness.co.uk EMAIL: leads@anytimefi
tness.co.uk PHONE: 0870 478 8770 CLASSIFICATION: Health and fi tness
December/January 2015 |
Businessfranchise.com | 13
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