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Is the Anytime Fitness Franchise a Healthy Investment Choice?

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Anytime Fitness Franchise Propels Industry

The fitness industry was first put on the scene by the baby boomers from the late 1960s through the early 1970s.  During the ‘Golden Era of Health,’ many Americans found new ways to exercise by joining health clubs.

The fitness industry spiked in growth again beginning at the turn of the millennium. Now, 57.3 million people in the U.S. are participating in active health club membership. In the past 12 years, there has been over a 37% growth rate in U.S. gym membership.

Those looking to get a sweat going have over 36,550 different clubs to choose from. Yet the momentum has been felt the strongest in the one name that has been tattooed on over 800 gym employees and member’s biceps—Anytime Fitness Franchise.

That’s right.

Anytime Fitness franchise’s brand loyalty is so strong that employees and members alike have been known to tattoo the company logo on themselves. The company has over 3 million members. Anytime has over 2,255 U.S. owned franchises, while 1,240 locations operate internationally. 38 franchise locations are retained by corporate. The Anytime Fitness franchise, along with thousands of other thriving gym franchises have changed the landscape of the fitness industry.

  • Initial Investment: $114,950-$434,521
  • Net Worth Requirement: $300,00
  • Liquid Cash Requirement: $100,000
  • Initial Franchise Fee: $19,000-$37,500
  • Royalty Fee: $449-549/mo

What Makes Anytime Fitness so Competitive?

The fitness industry is far from monopolized. Any style of person with any varying styles of working out can find a gym franchise to their liking.

Gym franchises like Orangetheory, Snap Fitness, and Planet Fitness are all recognizable brands with cult-like followings. But the Anytime Fitness franchise dominates the market surpassing all other franchises by the pervasiveness of locations alone. The company’s revenue has arrived at $1 billion in sales revenue and claims to open a location every day with a member joining every 3 minutes. Hard to argue with figures like this when you can’t  drive through a Midwest strip mall without seeing Anytime’s  running-man purple logo.

Anytime Fitness is a 24 hour, seven days a week. 365-days-a-year exercise facility. All locations come equipped with aerobic and weight training equipment, changing areas, and showers. Members receive key-card access with a panic button. Advanced surveillance and security systems allow for members to workout literally whenever they want.

This was integral to the founder’s philosophy. Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen—the men who founded Anytime—both believe that membership retention stems from convenience. On Average, most members exercise between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m., with 11 members working out between 9pm and midnight, and five members that prefer the early morning between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

With every location equipped with security systems, there is no need for the gym to be staffed as constantly as competitors. Combined with massive support from regional offices, this is how the Anytime Fitness franchises have been able to reduce overhead.

Anytime has also been one of the leaders in engaging with customers outside of the gym. The launch of the Anytime Fitness App shifted the franchise from a ‘workout space’ to a dynamic brand. The app offers fitness guidance and tools. Goal setting, customized workouts, and a health feed are all available through the app. This digital platform maintains steady engagement with the Anytime Fitness franchise’s brand and helps customers achieve healthy results.

How Did it All Happen?

Anytime’s founders hail from the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes.’ Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen were working for a fitness club in St. Paul when they decided to jointly purchase Southview Athletic Club. At the time, the club only had 500 members. 7-years-later the club swelled to 4,000 members thanks to work of Mortensen and Runyon. The two also worked in a consulting firm dedicated to under-performing athletic clubs which gave them the foundational knowledge behind the industry.

After watching their athletic club grow the two drew up the first franchise agreement with another employee Eric Keller and the first Anytime Fitness franchise location opened in Cambridge, Minnesota. (Keller is now Vice President of International Franchise Support for Anytime).

Shortly after, two more employees opened locations in different cities in Minnesota. The pattern continued until forty locations later the first corporate store opened. This lateral movement is pretty atypical for franchise beginnings. Usually, a few corporate locations are open and thriving before founders decide to franchise out. After the first international location opened in 2005 the brand was an undeniable juggernaut in the gym franchising world.

Many cite the Anytime Fitness company culture as the means of success for the franchise. The founders wanted a place where people could go workout without the grunts and machismo of average health clubs. Franchise owners seem to genuinely want to help their members. Runyon who is now CEO, describes franchisees who helped a 71-year-old grandmother loose her goal of 110 pounds and a location owner who donated a kidney to a member. The intimacy and personal connection encapsulated in the Anytime brand are big pushes for their success.

The contemporary economic climate—consumers wanting more experience and connection—combined with hard work and talented marketing, drove the Anytime Fitness franchise to carve the path for the rest of the gym franchising world. What other franchises should investors consider that followed this same model?

Gym Franchises:

  • Get In Shape for Women
  • GYMGUYZ
  • Charter Fitness
  • Planet Fitness
  • Pure Barre
  • Baby Boot Camp

Top Ranking Franchises:

  • 7-Eleven INC.
  • McDonald’s
  • Dunkin’ Donuts
  • The UPS Store
  • Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches
  • Splash and Dash for Dogs

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique

  • Initial Investment: $152,000-$360,300
  • Net Worth Requirement: $500,000
  • Liquid Cash Requirement: $150,000
  • Franchise Fee: $25,000
  • Royalty Fee: 6%

When one boils down Anytime’s business model, at the Axiom, a prevailing concept that has nothing to do with marketing or rapid unit growth appears. The company is a family. Franchise owners care about their employees, members, and themselves.

There is no disingenuousness when Runyon tells media outlets, “In this industry, I’ve learned there are three types of people. There are people who care about lifting weights, people who care about lifting money, and people who care about lifting people.” Anytime Fitness is undeniably about “lifting people.”

Another franchise that shares this same outlook is Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique—the brick and mortar franchise segment of Splash and Dash for Dogs.

The company was founded on a principle of bettering the world around us. Of course, when individuals invest in a franchise they want to profit. But half the battle of acquiring those profits maintaining the focus to ensure one doesn’t burn out.

This takes fiery passion.

This is why Splash and Dash was built on core values that give shop owners the reins to be leaders in their community. Educating on sustainable and wholesome means of pet care, providing love for animals, and lifting the people in their community are a few ways owners can do their part to better this place.

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique aims to bring all the love of familial mom-and-pop stores with all the advantages of big-box shops.

 

Follow Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique:

 

Starting a Pet Store Franchise – How to Succeed

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When starting a pet store franchise there are many factors that come into play. At Splash and Dash, we do everything we can to help franchisees succeed. This resource will help you better understand things you should do and some of the things you should not do. That said, remember that each market is different and it may be the case something works in Florida that would not work in Texas. If you would like to know more about starting or growing a pet store franchise reach out to us at 1-888-815-2254, or click here.

pet-store-franchise-dog-success

Table of Contents

The Investment of Time Upfront

How to Find the Right Industry for Your Franchise

Falling in Love with Pets

Creating Free Time to Market Your Pet Store Franchise

The Investment of Time Upfront

When it comes to a pet store franchise, business endeavor or any type of financial growth it is accepted there is a certain amount of time that must be put in upfront. This devotion of time today will pay off in the long run. A great entrepreneurial quote is “Entrepreneurship is about living a few years of your life like most won’t so that you can live the rest of your life like most can’t.” In essence, those that have had great success are willing to work extremely hard now knowing that three, five, or ten years down the road they will be able to take a Tuesday off to spend time with their children. They will be able to spend a Wednesday afternoon playing golf or they can enjoy a vacation without having to beg for those two extra “holidays”.

This can be a difficult concept for some to understand. Although it may seem difficult in the first 30 or 60 days of your pet store franchise it will improve over time. We will be more than willing to help you through the process and offer educational materials. Being a franchise, we have seen what works and what does not work. You can trust our corporate level to offer the best material for your financial success. Your financial success is our goal so you are in good hands. You may want to check out the 6 Things Successful Grooming Franchise Owners Do.

 

How to Find the Right Industry for Your Franchise

When you are looking for a pet store franchise, one of the first things you need to do is figure out the industry that you want to go with. From there, this will help you to narrow down your options. Here are a few aspects you will want to consider this.

Start With Self Evaluation

Go With Something You Love

Go With Something You Know About

Look at the Potential of the Industry

Start With Self Evaluation

The first thing you will want to do is understand why you want to own your own franchise. You should think about what you hate about your job as well as what your ideal working conditions would be. Try to stay away from the obvious or over the top, such as “I want to be a millionaire.” Rather think about aspects such as do you want to help people? This is also a helpful way to set priorities when narrowing down your list of potential franchises.

Go With Something You Love

The first thing you should do is to choose an industry that you love. Something you are passionate about. You know the saying “find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life?” While obviously owning your own franchise is still work (and a lot of it), by going with something you are already passionate about you will be able to make this more fun. You won’t notice all the work you are actually doing because it is something you enjoy.

Go With Something You Know About

Choosing an industry for your franchise that you have no knowledge of is a recipe for disaster. This does not have to be something you have a degree in, but something you have an understanding of. For instance, if you love your pets, then a pet store franchise may be the perfect option for you.

Look at the Potential of the Industry

It is good to have a franchise that you love, but you will need to make money. This is why you will want to choose an industry that is known for making money. For instance, the pet industry saw $66.75 billion in revenue last year in 2016, making it a lucrative option for your franchising needs.

 

Falling in Love with Pets

It is not hard to fall in love with pets, especially dogs. They are “man’s best friend” for a reason. A funny joke that many people will tell is leaving a spouse and a dog in the trunk of a car. After leaving your spouse in the trunk of a car for two hours see how they react when you let them out. Do the same thing with a dog and see how it reacts. As you already know, the dog will likely jump out and lick your face while the spouse will be upset and likely react in a negative way. This is obviously a joke as no one would lock a dog or a spouse in the truck of a car.

The story illustrates just how wonderful dogs can be. No matter how upset you may be a dog will always be around to make you feel better. Most people have been in a tough situation in life and felt down. One way to get a “pick me up” is to spend time around dogs. The University of North Carolina actually has stress dogs that come in during exam week. This allows the students to de-stress by petting and playing with the dogs in the library.

If you are a true pet lover now might be the time to open a pet store franchise. We have opportunities available internationally and in the US market. There are plenty of great opportunities in your county. Please reach out to us so you can get your pet store franchise up-and-running sooner rather than later.

 

Creating Free Time to Market Your Pet Store Franchise

Free time, who has any? When owning a small business or franchise it is nearly impossible to get hourly, daily and weekly tasks complete. It seems that we are working late on Friday and have to come in on Saturday and Sunday almost every single week. Does it have to be this way? Recently, we published the blog post How Franchise Owners Can Create More Free Time. In this particular resource, we explain some of the ways in which very busy business professionals can delegate takes, come up with structure and ultimately create free time to market a business.

Any successful business owner knows the importance of marketing. Unfortunately, marketing takes a lot of time and resources. It is not something that happens naturally. It is imperative that business owners come up with some extra time to devote to creating a successful marketing plan. While almost all businesses have a marketing department or marketing team, final decisions are usually made by the owner or CEO.

In the year 2017, we strongly suggest trying to create more time for marketing. This might be going to local business meetings. It could be creating an Internet presence through social media or a website. You could even build relationships with some of the local business owners. Any type of extra exposure will be helpful when it comes to your pet store franchise this year and beyond.

Could Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique be the Right Fit for You?

If you have already fallen in love with pets, and want a life with more freedom to enjoy your work and spare time, becoming a franchise owner might be the right choice for you! The Splash and Dash model has received numerous awards for our excellent service and uncompromising ability to succeed. We are currently ranked 59th in Entrepreneur’s 500 List! Current shop owners are breaking sales records and expanding into unpenetrated markets allowing them to be leaders in new communities and obtain beyond satisfactory earnings. You could be a variable in Splash and Dash’s formula for success! Besides the financial success, the best part of joining our franchise family is you’ll own a place you can pour your pride and love into! If finding a new passion sounds interesting to you get more information here.