Posts Tagged ‘franchisees’
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
Illuminate Gym was started on the principle that personal trainers should have the opportunity to become their own boss by joining the Illuminate Gym franchise model. That’s not to say that a business man wouldn’t be able to succeed at owning an Illuminate Gym, but we do offer our franchise opportunities to both fitness professionals and perspective franchisees who are interested in the fitness industry.
Personal trainers have been faced with a tough issue that plagues most individuals in a service industry which is, ‘there is only one of me, and 24 hours in a day.’ This dynamic makes it very clear that there is so much money that a personal trainer can make and if they miss work well then the revenue stream will definitely slow down and eventually that stream will turn into a drought. I personally started my actual fitness career (I did work in high school at the front desk of many larger membership gyms) as a personal trainer and I became very successful. In no time I had become the highest producing personal trainer in the whole gym, but I found that I was working from 5 AM - 9 PM. Now don’t get me wrong because anyone who truly knows me is reading that last sentence and saying to themselves, ‘David Sedbrook you still work that hard,’ which by many accounts is true however, as a personal trainer I had hit the ceiling of my profession at 24 and I had no where to go except down. That’s when the ‘Illuminate Gym model’ was born. Today it is my goal to provide business people and fitness professionals the opportunity to work in a low overhead business with high margins. Within our franchise model we actually promote personal trainers’ businesses and if personal trainers wish to build their businesses within the franchise model then franchisees can work themselves into an area developer position within our franchise development.
If you have any questions about our franchise development at Illuminate Gym then please check out our franchise opportunity at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php and don’t forget to have a healthy day!
Tags: fitness franchise, fitness industry, fitness professionals, franchise, franchise development, franchise model, franchise opportunity, franchisee, franchisees, franchisor, gym, illuminate gym, membership gym, personal trainers, personal training, personal training industry, perspective franchisees, service industry, www.illuminategym.com, www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php
Posted in Franchise updates, illuminate gym the franchise | 2 Comments »
Monday, August 2nd, 2010
The number one concern you’ll hear from franchisees are that a franchisor was misleading on royalties or there was a lack of support from the franchisor after the franchise unit is open. First of all you should always have a franchise attorney look over the FDD and Franchise Agreement to make sure you fully understand what will be expected of you when sign on with a franchise. These expectations will also include how much money you will have to pay back to the franchise development company.
The second issue is how much support will the franchisor give to you after your doors open. I have spoken to quite a few franchisees in the fitness franchise world and many of them claim that after signing the franchise agreement and sending the check in to the franchise development company that the communication went silent. Now sure the franchisees all went to training and they had discussions about sites, but for the most part communication went silent. I have the answer for these confused franchisees. The simple answer is that these franchisors were more concerned with selling franchises rather than supporting their existing franchise units. It’s all about sales! So as a future franchisee you must ask the question “WHAT SORT OF FRANCHISE SUPPORT AM I GOING TO RECEIVE ON A DAILY BASIS?”
This is important to ask this question to a franchisor you are interested in working with after all, you are paying for it. Would you start paying a car company $300-$1,000 a month without knowing what kind of car you’ll be driving??? I didn’t think so. Just remember to ask these franchisors questions.
Thanks so much for reading and if you have any questions about Illuminate Gym check us out at http://www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php. Have a healthy day and good luck!!
Tags: FDD, Fitness, fitness franchise, fitness franchises, franchise, Franchise Agreement, franchise attorney, franchise opportunity, franchise support, franchisee, franchisees, franchises, franchisor, franchisors, gym, gym franchises, gyms, illuminate gym
Posted in Fitness | 3 Comments »
Monday, April 19th, 2010
A question we hear a lot from perspective franchisees is why should someone pay an initial franchise fee for a business like Illuminate Gym? First and foremost Illuminate Gym has one of the lowest initial franchise fees for a franchise of its size. Also our franchise fee is based on numbers that prove to be beneficial to our franchisees because with our contacts with insurance companies, exercise equipment dealers, and our legal councel we ensure that our franchisees will save at least as much as our initial franchise fee is. We also are always willing to show perspective franchisees how our model will save them money over starting their own fitness facility.
Thanks so much for reading and if you are interested in learning more about our franchise opportunities here at illuminate gym please give us a call at 1-877-427-2615 or you can check out a short franchise video at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php. Thanks so much for reading and have a healthy day!
Tags: exercise equipment, franchise, franchise opportunity, franchisee, franchisees, franchises, illuminate gym, insurance, perspective franchisees
Posted in Franchise updates | No Comments »
Monday, December 7th, 2009
Earlier this week one of our franchisees was ready to sign a lease. As a franchise we had agreed with the landlord to all the key issues that will appear on the lease such as, price per square foot, how many months free from rent and how many months at half rent. On paper the deal looked really good however, in the 12th hour the landlord shot an email out to our real estate agent telling us that they would not agree to warranty the HVAC system which sent up red flags for us at illuminate gym. However, our franchisee had been inside of the space and the HVAC appeared to be working great. However, using our wisdom and experience we wanted a company we trust to check out the HVAC sytem so we put a call into the landlord and told them we wanted into the space. The landlord quickly responded by saying they would have thier HVAC guy check out the heating and cooling systems and let him know that I wanted our own specialist to check it out.
Two days later our HVAC guy was at the space and he called me up and I asked, “is the unit working?”
“Yes,” he responded.
“Great,” I said.
“No not great David… The HVAC system is working but I have no idea how.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well the unit is 23 years old and it appears that the system hasn’t been serviced in the last 23 years.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Well there are a few broken parts… The coil has been damaged by what looks to be hail and the unit is absolutely filthy. I’ll send you some pictures.”
Sure enough pictures were then sent to our franchise offices and the unit looked awful. We have since responded to the landlord letting them know that we won’t be interested in a lease if the unit isn’t up to par with the illuminate gym standards. The space is perfect for our franchisees’ needs but as a franchise we can’t put our franchisee in a position where they could be liable for a $10,000 HVAC system. This is another example of why it makes sense to join a franchise unit like illuminate gym. I know I made a lot of mistakes within the first lease of illuminate gym years ago and it ended up costing me a lot of money. Today we have attornies and specific real estate specialists ready to help our future franchisees with issues just like this one. People are always afraid of their initial franchise fee but the truth is you are buying a brand, a territory, training on a franchise model, and the support to make sure your business gets started on the right foot. If you are interested in learing more about a fitness franchise please contact us here at illuminate gym or check us out at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php.
Tags: franchise, franchise fee, franchisees, franchises, franchisor, ftiness franchise, illuminate gym, landlords, real estate
Posted in illuminate gym the franchise | No Comments »
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
At illuminate gym we are very aware of the current state of our credit markets and the way the last year has affected the franchise community. Because of this we have made the decision to offer some incredible savings to our future franchisees because we believe now is the best time we have seen in the last decade to start a business. Franchisees looking into franchises over the next few months should definitely take a look at the illuminate gym franchise model because you won’t find a better offer from any other franchise in the country guaranteed. Owning a fitness facility like illuminate gym isn’t for everyone however, if you’ve ever though about becoming an entrepreneur in the franchise world there is no excuse not to check out the franchise opportunities here at illuminate gym. For those of you reading our blogs in hopes that I will reveal our franchise specials you’re just going to have fill out a franchise application on this site or give us a call at 1-877-427-2615. As I said before our franchise specials are better than any other franchise unit in the country and we are so sure of this claim that if you can find a better deal from another fitness franchise we will match it. We are so confident in our business model that we are merely looking for qualified franchisees to build their own businesses in new territories.
If you are interested in hearing more about illuminate gym, High Oxygen Training, or our franchise opportunities then please give us a call or check us out at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php. Have a healthy day!
Tags: business model, fitness facility, fitness franchise, franchise, franchise fee, franchise royalties, franchise specials, franchisee, franchisees, franchises, gym, illuminate gym
Posted in Franchise updates | 1 Comment »
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
Posted in Franchise updates | No 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 »
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
Posted in Fitness | No Comments »
Monday, November 9th, 2009
Burger franchise or fitness franchise?? That is the question… or at least the question I have been hearing from a few perspective franchisees who are getting their feet wet with the idea of being an entrepreneur. Many of them will probably not have what it takes to even pull the trigger and take a risk on themselves as franchisees and some of them will take their time as they sift through the mounds of information from franchisors from all over the country. Lately, I have been getting the question about which franchise direction is the best path for a franchisee to take. After all the franchise world was built on burgers and fries so it only seems to natural for people to look at becoming a franchisee as a means to owning the next pizza or burger joint in their community.
“So I am very interested in the illuminate gym franchise opportunity but I have mostly been looking at food franchises. What’s different about the two business models?”
“What do you mean?” I asked the interested franchisee.
“Well what makes the illuminate gym different from this burger franchise I’m looking into?” The franchisee asked.
I scratched my head as I began to try and link a burger joint with illuminate gym in some other way other than the term ‘franchise opportunity’. And quite frankly their is nothing that connects illuminate gym’s franchise opportunity and that of a hamburger establishment. At the core of the illuminate gym model we offer personal training to help fight against the American epidemic of obesity. While hamburgers… well hamburgers make you fat. Our business is all about helping people become a better version of themselves by offering them amazing service and personal training that gets them results. A burger franchise rarely cares about your service or experience. The bottom line with a fast-food franchise is taste even at the expense of nutritional value. Needless to say there really is no link to the two business models except they are both franchise opportunities and they are both businesses.
So it’s clear that the difference between fitness franchise owners and other franchise owners are that people who get involved with food franchises are really only interested in business. While people interested in fitness franchises like illuminate gym are interested in making money and helping their community at the same time. We consider ourselves as the antithesis to many of the food franchises out there because we feel that they are pushing obesity on our citizens and future. At illuminate gym our training and guidance helps our clients make decisions that will help them live a healthier and better life. Many of our clients have already learned what illuminate gym is all about and our future franchisees will have to surround themselves with people who are passionate about people’s success. Thanks so much for reading and if you have any questions about the illuminate gym franchise opportunity then please give us a call at 1-877-427-2615 or check out www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php. Have a healthy day!
Tags: burger franchise, burgers, fast-food franchise, fitness franchise, food franchise, franchise opportunity, franchisee, franchisees, franchisors, illuminate gym, nutritional value, personal trainer, personal trainers, personal training franchise
Posted in Fitness | No Comments »
Friday, November 6th, 2009
“Is this a good time to buy a franchise… and start a business??” is a question we have been hearing from perspective franchisees at illuminate gym for the past 6 months. People are concerned about the economy and the buying power of America as the long recession continues to carry on. In Colorado, we have plans to open at least one more franchise unit by early 2010 and we continue to speaking with people across the United States. However, it’s the question that lingers on which is making people hesitant to become entrepreneurs…. ‘the economy??’ …. ‘it’s the economy stupid!’ , we heard from Bill Clinton in the early ’90’s and we have come full circle again. I can appreciate people’s fears as they look into opening a franchise and the fear that goes into investing money at a time when Americans are not spending as much money. However, at the end of the day starting a franchise during any economic climate is always going to be a risk you have to be willing to take to be a business owner. Today there are some definate pro’s to starting a business during these times….
1. I have never seen landlords so willing to negotiate with franchises on price per square foot because many centers are only partially filled and some money is always better than no money. When the economy turns for the better these same landlords will be less likely to negotiate with such aggressive demands by franchisors and their franchisees.
2. If your business is successful during these tough economic times then you should find your business or franchise flourishing when this economy turns around.
3. At illuminate gym we have also found that some of our preferred vendors are much more likely to offer deals to our franchisees on such things as, exercise equipment.
I personally think right now is wonderful time to start a business and really to start laying the ground work to be very successful in the next few years. You have to remember as an entrepreneur that their is always risk involved with starting your own franchise or business. That risk is what separates entrepreneurs from employees or leaders from soldiers. You have to be willing to take that risk on yourself. As a business owner myself I know that owning your own business can be very challenging but it can also be the most rewarding adventure of your life.
Also as a side note we would like to let you know that we also understand that every franchise opportunity is different but illuminate gym continues to prosper during these tough economic times because we offer incredible service from our personal trainers and the results we obtain with ‘High Oxygen Training’ is really second to none. We have also found in a tough economy that people are still focused on their over all health and fitness. People understand the importance of feeling and being healthy as it pertains to their quality of life. Working out at a place like illuminate gym with a personal trainer is good for people’s physical and psychological well being. At illuminate gym we have found that over the past 6 months we have had an influx of clients who are even out of work right now, yet they still find a way to take care of themselves physically and mentally with future success on their mind. Maybe it’s time you think of your future success! If you are interested in illuminate gym’s franchise opportunities then please give us a call or check us out at www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php. Thanks so much for reading and have a healthy day!
Tags: business, commercial real estate, economy, fit, Fitness, fitness franchise, fitness franchises, franchisees, franchisors, gym, gym franchise, gym franchises, health, High Oxygen Training, illuminate gym, landlords, personal trainer, personal trainers, personal training, personal training franchise, real estate, risk, www.illuminategym.com, www.illuminategym.com/franchises.php
Posted in illuminate gym the franchise | 2 Comments »