Franchising empowers everyday Australians to be their own boss, to get into business for themselves and change their lives.

Nicole Noye, CEO of Collective Wellness Group, believes fitness franchises aim to elevate that concept and empower franchisees not only to get into business for themselves but to do it for their members too.  

“More than just a business or a job, our franchisees are powered by their love and passion for the industry. It is this passion that drives them to be successful both in their business and in their community,” she says.

Collective Wellness Group is the Australian franchisor of Anytime Fitness and Xtend Barre. Here Nicole shares four top reasons for choosing a fitness franchisee.

4 reasons to choose a fitness franchise

1. Make healthy happen 

A fitness franchise is a chance to get involved in a positive, life-changing industry. Our franchisees not only share our passion for bringing fitness to Australians but are committed to impacting their health and wellbeing by supporting, nurturing and inspiring Australians to enjoy a fitter, healthier future. Not many other franchise systems can say they make this kind of an impact.

2. Change your life 

Our business models allow our franchisees to run their own business, set their own schedule and enjoy the personal and financial benefits a franchise brings.

We’ve already invested years and millions of dollars into researching and developing systems and technology which allows our franchisees to put their effort and focus into their business and their members on a more personal level.

Boutique offerings such as Xtend Barre are leading the way in providing variety and innovation within the fitness franchise space. Barre, Pilates, Reformer, to name a few, offer a new perspective on keeping fit and offers a new perspective on keeping fit.

3. Brand awareness

Standalone gyms are hard to get started, especially in a saturated market. Anytime Fitness welcomes our franchisees into a fitness community that’s already more than 560,000 members strong across over 500 clubs nationwide. Our global brand continues to lead the way in this space, being the first and only franchise with presence on all seven continents. 

4. Tap into the fitness mood

Given the events of 2020, now more than ever there is a strong focus on health and fitness, and this presents a great opportunity for hands-on operators and savvy investors alike. Australians have been stuck inside creating demand for fitness consumers who didn’t previously attend gyms. Adapting to the ever-changing market demands, Anytime Fitness is now proud to offer comprehensive health and fitness tools online, expanding our member reach and adding to our franchisees’ success. 

At Xtend Barre we know the marketplace inside-out and know that our workouts need to be innovative in order to be successful in the boutique fitness space. The recently launched XTEND @ Home offers members more opportunities to work out and connect and allows our franchisees to tap into a virtual marketplace, therefore extending their business reach.

How to get it right

When it comes to choosing the brand and the location, there are plenty of things to consider, says Nicole.

“The ideal audience for gyms and fitness studios can be quite specific, so the success of a fitness franchise depends on choosing a territory with a large percentage of your target market. The territory is a viable one where you can grow the franchise to enough members to make substantial profit margins.”

The fitness industry is a competitive one, so choosing the right location for a gym or fitness studio is key to ensuring its success, she says. 

“It’s important to consider competitors in the local area because, if the location is already saturated with gyms, the franchisor may find it more difficult to cut-through the local market. 

“Once you’ve found a suitable location, the site location itself can also make a significant impact on its success – a gym or fitness studio that is poorly located with low exposure to passing foot traffic, no street frontage or poor access to parking may struggle to create a presence in its local community.”

Negotiating the lease terms can take time and energy to ensure that both parties are happy with the end result, Nicole points out. 

“Gyms and fitness studios may require an acoustic report to ensure there is no noise pollution from the tenancy, so understanding these key terms when negotiating a lease is important as they may have a big impact on the franchise business.”

More about Anytime Fitness and Xtend Barre

Founded in 2015 by two co-founders of Anytime Fitness Australia (they brought the brand here in 2008), CWG aims to empower and motivate Aussies to enjoy life through good health and fitness.

Spotlight on Anytime Fitness 

This US-born fitness brand boasts some impressive statistics: in Australia more than half a million members attend more than 500 clubs.

The gyms are open 24/7 and members have access to a health hub, an app, and virtual sessions.

A franchise will cost upwards of $400,000.

Spotlight on Xtend Barre

Boutique fitness chain Xtend Barre provides a ballet-and-Pilates-inspired full-body workout designed to boost cardio and strength.

US professional dancer and Pilates instructor Andrea Rogers launched the concept in 2011 and toady, of the 42 global outlets, 22 are in Australia

It will cost from $120,000 to invest in a studio.