An active opportunity

Sarah Stowe

Do you love children? Have a passion for sport and the outdoors? Kid’s fitness franchise BM Sports could be worth a visit, and even better, the brand is on the look-out for franchisees. 

Established in 2008, the Melbourne-based franchise aims to bring communities together by educating children about their health and providing them with the opportunity to take part in a range of different physical activities.

“Sporting organisations are a nexus for the building of relationships that bind suburbs together, through interactions and conversations based on mutual belief in the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

“Through physical education and team orientated sport, children learn valuable life skills such as acceptance, tolerance, self-discipline and self-belief,” says founder Bobbie Evans.

Rather than feel as though they are just another number, Evans explains children receive one-on-one attention, and parents are invited to take part.  

“Each child that attends a BM Sports clinic can be individually assessed to uncover their strengths and areas that may require improvement. We encourage all families to enjoy each others company and reap the benefits of living an active lifestyle.”

If a franchisee were to invest in BM Sports, Evans explains they would initially spend their days making phone calls, attending meetings and really getting their business out there in the local community.

“Once the business is up and running, franchisees will be required to provide staff with the appropriate uniform, customer details and equipment to complete booked sessions.

“They will also be responsible for basic bookkeeping, and more hands-on coaches will be required to run the sessions and deal with employee and customer feedback.”

At the end of each day, franchisees will also follow up on each session and settle any problems or customer complaints that may have arisen.  

Evans looks franchisees that embody eight key qualities:

  • A sporting background
  • Accountability
  • Leadership skills
  • A strong work ethic
  • A willingness to learn
  • Good communication skills
  • Financial management skills
  • The ability to be a team player

When a new franchisee joins the brand, Evans says they will be required to attend an initial planning meeting.

“It is held to build the franchisee’s individual franchise marketing and business plan, which is designed to help the franchisee better understand the administration aspect of their franchise.”

Initial training will begin once the plan is completed, and the focus will be on teaching franchisees all the skills they need to run their business successfully.

BM Sports also offers franchisees ongoing training that covers a range of different topics, from first aid through to business management.

“It provides franchisees with professional learning opportunities so they can continuously improve their skills and become better professionals,” says Evans.

“BM Sports also has an annual general franchisee meeting that goes across two days, where franchisees discuss any issues and changes that they plan to implement in the coming year.”

BM Sports has recently achieved registered childcare provider status, which means franchisees will be able to run what Evans has coined ‘Be Active Vacation Care’ programs, or vacation care programs, for children.

“These programs aim to keep children involved and active, and local community sporting clubs are invited to take part, as this will enhance enrolment in local sports.”

“We are also in the middle of creating our own specialist academy that will allow students in years 10, 11 and 12 to complete certificates and qualifications that will enable them to obtain a position in the sporting industry.”

Evans stresses franchisees are not required to pay any upfront fees for a BM Sports franchise. “I know how hard it is to get a new business off the ground, which is why with greenfield sites (and current BM Sports sites) there are no compulsory upfront costs.

“BM Sports covers the cost of the franchise agreement and sets up a fair payment scheme for the franchisee. They have the option of paying upfront start-up costs, which includes $1,200 for marketing, a website and uniforms, and $5,000 for equipment, whereas in some cases equipment and the full marketing material are not purchased until required.”

The cost of a franchise will depend on location and size, and a greenfield site may cost anywhere between $5,000 and $15,000 plus start-up costs and equipment.

“There is an eight percent quarterly fee of gross earnings, with six percent of that going to the franchisor and two percent for website updating, however it does not get charged until the business is earning,” says Evans.  

The initial term of a BM Sports franchise is five years with options to renew.