HEALTH & FITNESS FRANCHISE
Fit for business! F
emale entrepreneur Sharon Thandi opened her first Anytime Fitness gym earlier this year in what has
been a successful return to the world of franchising. Having previously partnered with
a leading takeaway franchise, Sharon wanted to pursue her passion of health and wellbeing by starting her own independent food brand. With the launch of this brand being a long- term project, as well as unfortunately coinciding with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sharon turned back to franchising to run a second business within the health and wellbeing space. “If you’re starting your own business,
you need to be prepared for it to take some time to become established and gain brand awareness,” said Sharon. “With existing knowledge and experience of franchising, I knew that being part of an existing, established brand would help me enjoy a quicker return on investment.” Having explored several sectors within
franchising, Sharon quickly set her sights on Anytime Fitness. “I wanted to invest in a growing market
and fitness definitely ticked the box,” she says. “Anytime Fitness stood out due to its global presence and its existing brand awareness… Anytime is on the rise and demonstrates continued growth.”
Location, location, location Sharon’s focus turned to finding a location and she was able to leverage expertise and contacts from Anytime Fitness’ New Openings Team to find the perfect site within a thriving property market. “The team at Anytime Fitness has so many great contacts and level of knowledge which can help you get to the right place.” While most new Anytime Fitness gyms
open from scratch, Sharon was given the opportunity to acquire an existing gym in the Derbyshire town of Swadlincote. This approach came with significant benefits for Sharon, including significantly
106 Sharon Thandi, Anytime Fitness Swadlincote
reduced construction time, no requirement for change of use and a small, existing membership base. However, while the property already had the shell and layout of a gym, Sharon realised the importance of bringing the site in line with Anytime Fitness values. “By changing the shape and location of the studio, we were able to maximise the space we had available. This also meant we were able to replace previous (and install additional) equipment from an Anytime Fitness supplier … feedback has been great, members of the previous gym say how much bigger and open it feels.”
“The team help you get to the right place”
The rewards of the fitness industry and looking to the future Having opened at the beginning of 2023, Anytime Fitness Swadlincote has eclipsed previous membership numbers by nearly 800%. Sharon highlights the importance of a strong presale in laying the foundations for success. “Opening a gym is a very sales-
Sharon Thandi is enjoying the benefits of franchising with Anytime Fitness
orientated operation so you need a good balance of strong salespeople and personable individuals with expertise and qualifications in fitness. One of my main lessons has been just how important your team is; once you find the right people, you’re in a great place to grow your business. “As soon as I decided on opening a gym,
I wanted to make sure it was community focussed and a place where everyone feels comfortable … it’s so rewarding for me that people really like the gym, the team and the ethos we have here. “I want to be a multi-site operator at
Anytime Fitness … whether that’s another acquisition, a rebrand or an organic opening – there’s plenty of opportunities out there.”
Anytime Fitness
anytimefitness.co.uk/own-a-gym
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