Event Preview Case Studies
Top marks for teacher-turned-
entrepreneur Secondary school teacher swaps the blackboard for barbells to set up a prosperous Anytime Fitness club
A
secondary school teacher has swapped
homework for workouts by opening up an Anytime Fitness club in Harlow, Essex. Onur Saliah decided that after a decade of teaching, it was time for a change. He says: “I had always wanted to open a gym. Even prior to becoming a teacher, I was passionate about training and fitness.” Global number one
franchise Anytime Fitness captured Onur’s attention. “What drew me in was that the model seemed very straightforward and achievable; it’s a gym that wouldn’t need thousands of members to be profitable. Another bonus was the low cost of operations, making it possible to open the gym and have members by the end of the year.”
For a franchise to be a success, hard work and dedication is
required, especially during the crucial growth stages. Onur took on the Harlow club while still teaching full-time, meaning long days at school followed by pre-sale and planning duties. During this time Onur came to appreciate the support provided by Anytime Fitness’s head office. He says: “I had help right from the start. I was operating in a new field and quite frankly, without the support I received, I would have had no idea what I was doing. Having access to Anytime Fitness whenever I needed was vital, especially during the growth stages. Even now they are always available and will give you any advice you need.”
Onur now has the flexibility to shape his own working schedule. He says: “Now I have time with my kids in the morning and do the breakfast and school run. With my previous job I couldn’t do any of that because I was at work by 7am. In that respect, it’s much, much better and I finally have my work-life balance in shape.” In its first six months, Onur’s club reached break-even and was
turning a profit within a year. He is now negotiating opening a second club and predicts a positive future saying: “I will try to open as many clubs as possible. I don’t know what the limit is – maybe five or six. Every year I’ll try and get another.” Founded in 2002, Anytime Fitness is the fastest-growing gym franchise in the world. It now operates more than 3,000 gyms serving more than 2.5 million members across all five continents. For the third year running, Anytime Fitness will proudly sponsor The Franchise Exhibitions.
Quit the rat race for success as a property partner
Father of three discusses how he broke away from the corporate world yet secured a comfortable income and more family time
L
iam Gallagher from Warrington has gone from pencil
pushing to property mogul in just two short years – all thanks to a visit to The Franchise Exhibitions. The aspiring
entrepreneur was tired of being stuck
in the corporate world and wanted to spend more time with his family – wife Claire and three children, Matilda, Brodie and Beatrice. In early
2014, Liam decided he wanted to be his own boss and started exploring his options. He visited the National Franchise Exhibition at Birmingham’s NEC and there he attended a seminar given by Tony Bennett, a Platinum Property Partner.
Liam says: “I’d always liked the idea of being in business for myself but was not too keen on the prospect of going into it alone. I had experience working with licensing businesses, including the likes of Walt Disney and Iconix, so franchising was the natural next step. “I listened to Tony talk for just 15 minutes at the exhibition and it certainly eradicated any doubts – in that moment I decided this was what I wanted to do. I then went home to my wife and said, ‘we’ve found it, this will be a new chapter in our lives’.” Liam then attended a Platinum Discovery Day where he heard existing partners’ stories, which further cemented his decision to take the plunge into property franchising. He joined Platinum Property Partners just a few months after his visit to The National Franchise Exhibition. On the subject of becoming a franchisee, he says: “The entire process was completely straightforward and very easy-going. We were never under any pressure to make quick decisions and Platinum Property Partners were incredibly forthcoming with providing all the relevant information we asked them for.”
In September 2014, Liam and Claire received the keys to their
first property. Liam comments: “I felt like a real weight had been lifted off my shoulders when we completed.” He concludes: “Two years on, we are sustaining a comfortable level of income that enables us to enjoy a better work-life balance and allows us to spend more time with our daughters – it’s definitely the best decision I ever made.” Platinum Property Partners will be platinum sponsors at The British and International Franchise Exhibition.
December/January 2017 |
BusinessFranchise.com | 39
TICKET LINE 020 8394 5294 WEBSITE
www.franchiseinfo.co.uk
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