Archive for November, 2009
Monday, November 30th, 2009
So the question is what do you need to know about franchise fees androyalties? So you are looking into fitness franchises and you are curious about these initial franchise fees and royalties. First of all the initial franchise fee is what buys you into the fitness franchise model. This fee basically purchases you the training, the applications and the complete operation manuals of the franchise model. This fee should also buy you a specific allotted territory so the franchisee can rest assured that the franchisor will not sell another franchise unit within their territory. The last thing a franchisee should want is for a another franchise to move in too close to them because it could impact their business negatively. The franchise fee usually also includes payment for the franchisor to send a knowledgeable associate to oversee the franchisee’s grand opening.
After you understand what is included in the franchise fee then it is important you understand the specific royalty you will be paying to the franchisor. This amount of money is important because the percentage is based on your gross total income not your net. This royalty fee basically is the life line of the franchise and pays for the continued support in advertising and other fascits of your business.
These fees are very important to compare when you are shopping for a fitness franchise or any franchise for that matter. These numbers could be what makes your decision from one franchise to another. Good luck in finding the right franchise for you if that’s what your business future holds. If you are interested in getting into the fitness industry then check out illuminate gym at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php. I guarantee our franchisee fee and royalty fees are among the lowest in our industry. Good luck to you and have a healthy day!
Tags: fitness franchise, fitness franchises, fitness industry, franchise, franchise fee, franchise royalties, franchisee, franchisees, franchises, franchisor, franchisors, gym, illuminate gym
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Saturday, November 28th, 2009
Nobody could have foreseen the the economic breakdown in our nation over the past year. Many people are not as fortunate as the personal trainers and other employees of illuminate gym this holiday season. We have much to be thankful for as we look forward at the remainder of the holiday season and then on to 2010. I remember over a year ago sitting in my office and watching the national news as the stock market plummeted realizing I had just invested a lot of money into organizing my business as a franchise opportunity. People began to look at me as a young entrepreneur telling me that it was the wrong time to grow a business, but it was too late. I had already made the major investments into growing the illuminate gym model because I believed in what we did and difference we made in people’s lives and I knew it could be duplicated. Fear swept across the nation and the older and wiser generation began to scare me just for a moment. However, our business survived and more than just surviving we grew and began to grow within our current facilities. Today we look out over a nation that’s ready for a change in the fitness industry that we know we can provide. However, we find like many franchisors of the time that people are sceptical and scared to take risks during such intense and confusing times. Maybe things will change in these perspective franchisees minds because they must understand that their our pros and cons to starting a business during a slower economy. As I have said before the negotiating leverage of a franchise unit is incredible during times like this and also in many economists minds fitness is a recession proof business. As a fitness franchise owner I can tell you that my customers are making cuts in their lives but they understand that fitness is not a place to cut. People will cut that steak dinner they used to enjoy every Saturday night but they won’t miss that personal training appointment at illuminate gym.
As we move past Thanksgiving we give thanks for all the success we have here at illuminate gym and we also give thanks to our bright futures here as we move forward in our franchise growth. If you’re a person looking for a new career in the fitness industry you should check out our franchise opportunity at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php. Thanks for reading and have a healthy day!
Tags: Fitness, fitness franchise, franchise, franchise growth, franchise opportunity, gym, illuminate gym, personal trainer, personal trainers, personal training
Posted in illuminate gym the franchise | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
Over the past few years illuminate gym has kept its hands and eyes on other fitness franchises around the United States. I personally started observing fitness franchises long before we were even ready to roll out our fitness franchise opportunity here at illuminate gym. The one major concern I have for the fitness franchise model is that when they become bigger franchise models they completely forget about the fitness part in hopes that their future franchisees can figure it out on their own. The conversations with these franchisors has had little to do with fitness and more about the bottom line. At illuminate gym we completely agree that dollars and cents are the most important thing when starting a business however, to sustain a business your product has to be in line. And let’s face it if you own a fitness facility you’re selling fitness and results to your customers and you can’t provide that or at least the perceived means to that then you will undoubtedly be unsuccessful. At illuminate gym it always been extremely important that all of our staff ‘live’ the product of fitness. This is a philosophy I learned early in my fitness career at 24 Hour Fitness and though it wasn’t always true there it was a philosophy that 24 Hour Fitness pushed on us. At illuminate gym the most important attributes a person can have when they work for us is a passion for fitness and helping people. And we never ever ever lose sight of the fact that fitness is our product and our business depends on the results of our clientele. This is the reason we developed the ‘High Oxygen Training’ methods to help our future franchisees and the personal trainers that work for them with getting results for their clients in a way that maximizes the profits of the franchise unit. At illuminate gym our focus has never waivered from fitness and we are sure that anyone who speaks to perspective franchisees about the illuminate gym model has direct knowledge and experience about the fitness industry and ‘High Oxygen Training’. Fitness is the product and that can never be forgotten and if you’re dealing with a fitness franchise who seems to be more interested in selling you a car, so to speak then you better find a franchise opportunity that is passionate about their product. There is no doubt that understand the numbers and the structure of the business is just as important as selling your service/product however, at the end of the day the product is what will sustain your success in the franchise world. Also on the other end of the spectrum at illuminate gym we think you need to be passionate about fitness to truly be a success in the fitness franchise world.
Thanks so much for reading this franchise blog from www.illuminategym.com and if you would like to read/hear more about illuminate gym’s exciting franchise opportunity please check us out at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php.
Tags: Fitness, fitness franchise, fitness franchise opportunity, fitness franchises, franchise opportunities, franchise opportunity, gym, illuminate gym
Posted in Franchise updates | 4 Comments »
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Over the weekend illuminate gym got closer to getting a ntreal estate deal done in Greenwood Village and also began to get closer on making a deal in the Saddle Rock, Colorado area. We are very hopeful to have 2 more locations opened here in Colorado by early 2010 and it looks like it may happen. There is a lot of concerns out there from franchisees about the future of the economy in the United States but what we have found over the past few weeks is there may not be a better time to start your own fitness franchise for a few key reasons.
1. Landlords have never been more open to negotiating leases. We won’t get into exact details of our current lease negotiations but I will tell you that during this time if you have good representation franchisees will have the leverage to negotiate the best leases I have ever seen. However, times are bad and landlords would like to see successful businesses that thrive and then hopefully in a five years times will be different and they can fill their available spaces with higher paying tenants. That’s why we are pushing our perspective franchisees to start moving on their goals of owning there own business in the fitness industry because now is the time to solidify a long term lease at a low rate.
2. The second reason we are pushing franchisees to move forward with their goal of owning there own franchise is because in my career in the fitness industry I have never seen such low prices on exercise equipment. I think at this time like most industries there is just so much exercise equipment out there and not enough buyers which give us buying power.
I like to look at starting a business as an overall investment like buying stocks. The question you have to ask yourself is do I want to make an investment when stocks are at the highest and hope they go higher or do you invest when the market is down and build a business that will flourish when the economy turns. The only thing I can say to future entrepreneurs is I wish I was negotiating our lease and purchasing weight equipment today because I would have saved myself a lot of time and money. If you are thinking of starting your own business now is the time to start laying the ground work. If you are interested in hearing more about the franchise opportunity at illuminate gym please give us a call at 1-877-427-2615 or you can check us out at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php. Thanks for reading and have a healthy day.
Tags: equipment, fitness franchises, fitness franchsie, fitness industry, franchise, franchise opportunities, franchise opportunity, franchises, gym, gym equipment, illuminate gym, landlords, real estate, weights
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Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
We all remember the crash of the stock markets over a year ago. Entrepreneurs like myself watched the television as the economic structure of the United States and the world began to crumble. We then watched as we wondered about our franchises as our nation’s leaders told us we needed to bail out our banks across the country with billions of dollars in order to keep our banking system alive.
Today we are looking out over 2010 and franchisors and franchisees are looking at a banking system that is making it almost impossible to start a business. America was founded and prospered on the entrepreneurial spirit and today the banking system our tax dollars saved is turning its back on American business. Now I agree that 3 years ago was not the right direction when banks were lending money out to anyone with a valid identification card. However, today capable and qualified people are being turned away by banks as they try and open their own franchise units. This is not a problem unique to illuminate gym or fitness franchises. People can’t get funding for their businesses and they watch as their hopes of becoming entrepreneurs get put on hold as the banks try and swing back to get ourselves out of this pickle. My only question for the banks is where did all our bail out money go? It seems to me rather than opening up the credit markets to get commerce flowing again the banks have decided to sit on the bail out money or acquire more assets making them much more powerful when the economy turns. Either way entrepreneur and our nation will suffer as entrepreneurs cannot get money to keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive in America. What people who aren’t entrepreneurs don’t understand is the entrepreneurial spirit is the ingenuity that makes America so great. Hopefully, in the near future the banks will get back on track where they don’t loan money out to everyone but they do loan money to those people who deserve it most.
Thanks for reading and have a healthy day! If you would like to check out how illuminate gym is making it easier to become an entrepreneur in the fitness industry you can check us out at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php. Thanks for reading.
Tags: bank, banks, credit market, credit markets, economy, entrepreneurs, fitness franchises, fitness indsutry, franchise, franchises, illuminate gym
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Sunday, November 15th, 2009
A fitness franchise like illuminate gym has mastered the art of creating a low cost business model for future franchisees to take advantage of. The very first illuminate gym was opened on a shoe string budget and within 6 months illuminate gym was a money making venture. Today we are offering our franchise opportunity to the world and it’s important to us that showcase how a fitness franchise like illuminate gym can be a lower cost than a food franchise.
1. Build-Out Cost - A food franchise usually has a more extensive build out which could cost a franchisee as much as $50,000 more than a fitness franchise like illuminate gym.
2. Utilities - A food franchise will always and I mean always use more electricity than a fitness franchise. The first illuminate gym ever opened in Denver, Colorado had to pay a utilities deposit on the prior tenant which was a pizza shop. The Utility deposit was based on 2 months of the pizza shop’s utility bill. We had to pay over $3,000 in deposit when our monthly utility bill ranged anywhere from $60 - $100. Remember at a restaurant you have a lot of refridgeration and ovens/burners where at illuminate gym we have a few computers, cardio equipment and the lights.
3. Continued Product Supply - At illuminate gym we do carry some nutrition products and supplements but none of them are perishable, meaning they don’t go bad. At food franchises one of the major balancing acts a franchisee will have to learn is how to order product properly because you don’t want to order too much of a perishable product because you will have a lot of waste which will impact your bottom line. However, you also can’t order too little of these same perishable items because you can’t have customers coming into your business unable to order the items they want off of your menu because they may never come back.
Above are some reasons why we have always believe that the fitness industry is the easiest industry to get involved in. The only issue is you have to make sure the fitness franchise you buy into can be competitive in your community. At illuminate gym we believe the next generation of fitness franchises must be creative in their approach to the fitness experience of their customers and the way they approach their business model. At illuminate gym we know our business model is the future of the fitness experience in America. We are now just looking for the right entrepreneurs to help us take our franchise model to other regions of the country and the world. If you are interested in hearing more about illuminate gym, High Oxygen Training, and our franchise opportunities please check out an informative video at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php or give us a call at 1-877-427-2615. Thanks so much for reading and have a healthy day!
Tags: business model, fitness franchise, fitness franchises, fitness industry, franchise, franchise opportunities, franchises, illuminate gym
Posted in Fitness | 2 Comments »
Sunday, November 15th, 2009
A question we hear all the time from perspective franchisesees is what is better an older more established or a newer more aggressive franchise. It’s an interesting question that can be answered in one simple way… There is no right answer about which franchise would be a better fit for you. You simply have to look at both business models and make a decision that best fits your goals and aspirations. I can tell you that illuminate gym is a franchise opportunity that is by all standards a newer member of the fitness franchise world. However, our model is proving to be a success even over some of the older franchise models offered out there. I’m not trying to say illuminate gym is a better business model but when dealing with a franchise opportunity you have to realize that the model is proven weather it is older or new. If it is not a proven business model then you should run away from that franchise because there is no real franchise ‘opportunity’.
At illuminate gym this week we have been in discussion with someone who is interested in becoming a multi-unit franchisee. He has narrowed his choices down to two different fitness franchises. We are of course one of the fitness franchises and the other is an older and more established franchise. Both models have their advantages and disadvantages. Number one is when a business or franchise is heavily developed there is less of a chance of becoming a major player in the franchise where a newer more aggressive franchise may offer some larger opportunities to someone who is looking to develop a newer brand. You can also make an argument that larger franchises have a brand that smaller ones do not. However, in the fitness industry I can really only make the argument that ‘Curves’ is a known entity where other larger brands will not be recognizable to the average person in the public. The reason being that the fitness industry tends to have less locations than lets just say a burger franchise may have. So what I would say is branding is less important in the fitness franchise world because no one’s brand is developed enough to cause that many waves. People want results from their fitness facility that’s your brand in the community…. Nothing more nothing less.
Here at illuminate gym we don’t think there is any difference between dealing with a bigger or smaller franchise. Bigger franchises have told perspective franchisees that we are not a proven entity in the fitness world. However, they forgot to check that we put one of their facilities out of business 2 blocks away from one of our locations. That’s proof enough to our franchisees but the key for a a future franchisee is to look into each franchise opportunity and make an educated decision about the people you will be getting trained by and about the business model itself. As a franchisee you must really believe in the franchise model you are about to buy into. Thanks for reading and if you are interested in hearing more about the franchise opportunities at illuminate gym then check us out at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php. Have a healthy day!
Tags: business model, fitness franchise, fitness franchises, fitness indsutry, franchise, franchise opportunities, franchise opportunity, franchisee, franchisees, franchises, illuminate gym
Posted in Fitness | 5 Comments »
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Yesterday I watched at illuminate gym’s location in Denver as Barack Obama addressed the nation and the troops at Fort Hood in central Texas. It was sad day as 13 United States Army Soldiers were memorialized at Fort Hood. It sounds strange that these 13 soldiers’ deaths would hit home so hard as we have watched thousands of others die over the past 8 years…. but this time it was different. One of their own turned his arms on his fellow soldiers and country and began to fire. Barack Obama took the stage yesterday after meeting the families of the deceased and wounded and gave a speech that is burned into my mind. The speech was powerful, humbled, and in honor of all that makes us the greatest nation in the history of the world. People who join the military take the ultimate chance to be a part of so much more than most of us. Yesterday, I was frustrated with some employees and some other very minor things in my office when I turned on the memorial service at Fort Hood. As a man I stood inside of my office and I was humbled by the service of our military and all the things they provide to us civilians without a thank you from me. I personally would like to apologize for taking for granted all the amazing things our armed services provide my family and I with. I would also like to say our prayers are with all the armed services.
Yesterday I also took some powerful lessons away from Barack Obama’s speech. I consider myself a leader and future leader within my business career. What Barack Obama showed me yesterday was no matter if you’re a President or franchisor you have to be a leader. A leader is someone who doesn’t shy away from conflict yet they know when not to fight. A leader is humble yet confident enough to lead during the toughest of times. A leader has the ability to listen yet they also have the ability to be deaf to those who appose what he or she feels is just. A leader must also “Pray he is always on the side of God” (a quote based on Abraham Lincoln’s quote). It was a powerful day for me and instead of blogging about the business of being a franchisor or fitness franchises I thought this moment was much more important than just business.
Thanks for reading and I hope you have a healthy day! If you have any other questions about the franchise opportunity at illuminate gym please give us a call at 1-877-427-2615 or you can check us out at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php.
Tags: armed services, Barack Obama, business, CEO, fitness franchise, Fort Hood, franchisor, leader, leaders, president, soldier
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Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
Over the past week illuminate gym has had a lot of really good responses when it comes to the video posted at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php. The video is a short 3 minute video which gives perspective franchisees an over view of illuminate gym, our franchise opportunities and of course ‘High Oxygen Training’. Over the past year illuminate gym has begun to offer future entrepreneurs and the personal trainers who have worked at illuminate gym since its inception, the opportunity to become their own boss by opening an illuminate gym in a new community. It definitely has been an up hill battle getting into the business of franchising over the past year with the economic down turn and the freezing of the credit markets. However, illuminate gym has been causing a bit of buzz of its own over the past year as people familiar with our business model in the Colorado area have begun to push the growth of our company forward. However, within the last few days we have been receiving reviews on our franchise video over view from franchisees around the United States. And all of them agree that the use of the video makes our business overview much easier to comprehend for franchisees looking at a variety of different companies. In a society that now looks to be entertained it was only fitting for us to allow our future partners to watch our CEO and founder speak about the business in detail. Thanks so much for reading and please check out the video of our CEO and founder at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php.
Tags: business model, Colorado, companies, credit freeze, economy, fitness franchise, fitness franchises, franchise, franchisees, personal training franchise, United States, www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php
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Monday, November 9th, 2009
For More Information:
Jamie Juergens
1-877-427-2615
Franchise@illuminategym.com
www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php
illuminate gym offers to invest in future franchisees
DENVER—November 9, 2009—illuminate gym is on the cutting edge of the fitness industry offering its proprietary ‘High Oxygen Training’ in a private and personal setting. Today illuminate gym announces that they are making it easier to begin your own illuminate gym.
Illuminate gym really has decided to be very aggressive during these slow economic times to help the future entrepreneurs of America get their businesses started. “At illuminate gym we understand how hard it is to get funding for a new business venture so we’re willing to help with some of the expense a future franchisee will have on such things as initial franchise fee and equipment costs,” David Sedbrook CEO and founder of illuminate gym said. There is no doubt that over the past year banks have had a strangle hold on funds for new entrepreneurs and illuminate gym feels that there are many sophisticated and capable entrepreneurs out there who just need an opportunity to create a successful and lasting business. Because of this view illuminate gym is offering future franchisees the opportunity to get huge discounts on initial franchise fees and equipment costs.
“We want to give the future of our company the best opportunity to succeed and because of the current state of the credit markets we feel the best thing we can do is keep funds in our franchisees’’ businesses to give them the funds to grow and succeed,” David Sedbrook said. Currently, illuminate gym is offering discount their franchise fee by as much as $15,000 and they are offering to help with the cost of equipment by awarding qualified franchisees with some of their own equipment. The franchise specials offered by illuminate gym are unheard of in the franchise world and lead many to wonder about the illuminate gym model. “We’re not a company looking to make a lot of money up front from future entrepreneurs. We feel our success will be determined by our franchisees long term success and that’s why we don’t mind acting like a minority partner with qualified franchise owners,” David Sedbrook said.
If you have any questions about some of illuminate gym’s franchise specials then please fill out a franchise inquiry form or check us out at www.illuminategym.com /franchises.phpHave a healthy day!
Tags: bank, banks, business, credit, credit markets, entrepreneur, entrepreneurs, fitness franchise, franchise, franchisee, gym franchise, High Oxygen Training, illuminate gym, invest, personal training franchise
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