Opening your own studio

The opportune time for a franchise?

by Phil Kaplan

When you find a system that works for anyone willing to follow it, reinventing the wheel becomes an exercise in futility.  If the formula you’re looking at is something to the effect of, "invest dollars and time, work hard loving what you do, and remain committed to business growth so you soon become less of a workhorse and begin to thoroughly enjoy your profits," Fitness Together has laid the groundwork, not once, but over 400 times. 

I have had the privilege of getting to know Forrest Walden, Pete Piranio, and Cliff Latham, all FT owners, and haven’t anything but praise for their operations.

Years ago when people asked me whether they should invest in a franchise, I couldn't find comfort in saying, "yes." I'd always lay out pros and cons, but there has always one predominant question that must be asked and answered before any franchisee can be said to have made a wise investment (continued below).

AUDIO SPECIAL

Rick Sikorski shares the foundational keys to business growth

Phil interviewed the founder of the Fitness Together Personal Training franchise organization to help fitness professionals gain insight into business, professionalism, and entrepreneurship.

This interview will be revered as a spark promising to set trainers free of the mundane, day to day, same old one-hour-one-client rut. It's powerful and it's the first time Rick's shared this information outside of his own network. Listen with a pen and pad, and be prepared for your business life to take a leap forward.

The audio file is a large file and may take a few minutes to download. It's a wav file and should automatically open your preferred media player, but in the event you have difficulty, right click here and click "Save Target As." You can then load the file onto your computer and listen.

EXTRA: After listening to the audio above, you can hear another feature interview with Rick recorded for Phil's Mind & Muscle Fitness Hour.

Is the system proven?

Is it replicable and proven to be so?

When it comes to personal training, there are so many variables ranging from the personality of the owner to the style and mode of exercise prescription it's been challenging, prior to our industry finding some level of maturity, for anyone to find promise with a franchisable model. The founder of such a model would have to be someone who spent years in the trenches, who actually owned and operated first one profitable studio, then a number of profitable studios, and who went on to systemize the tools and strategies that led to success. Rick Sikorski has been more behind the scenes than in front of the field, but he has decades of experience and his education in the realm of systemizing personal training studio success is priceless and to date unmatched.

Rick's track record, my experience and interaction with successful FT owners, and the recent trends and turns I see our industry taking have changed the landscape favorably for trainers considering the FT franchise option. Before I get into those trends and turns, there are factors you should consider, beyond the "proven" question, when evaluating whether a franchise is for you.  

Are you prepared to put yourself on the line with a significant investment? 

Are you comfortable following a proven system (some trainer egos require that they innovate, experiment, and go through the trials and tribulations of learning from their own mistakes)? 

If you feel you may be ready for this step, here’s the great news.  You don’t have to feel pressured to decide until you go through a full discovery process.  Not only will you gain an extensive understanding of the specific elements that go into bringing a franchised training studio from conceptualization to profitability, but you’ll be able to meet and interact with existing owners to understand the long term responsiblities and the day-to-day operations.

Can you open your own studio with lower risk and less startup expense? 

Yes.  You can start in your basement or garage, you can lease a 300 - 800-square-foot space and market, train, thrill, and grow, or you can find a corporate or residential fitness center that serves as a host for you to build your business.  This may sound as if it’s the easier option, but speak to owners of studios built from ground up.  I don’t believe any of them will use the word easy.

The Realities of Independent Ownership

I’ll share something I found eye-opening.  When Juan Carlos Santana and I were looking to recruit a trainer / manager, we received applications from no less than a dozen studio owners.  They had pursued their dreams of opening their own studios, but without systems, without guidance, and without a track record of success that could be called upon, they felt swallowed up by their businesses and wanted to go back to “just training people.”  I know Forrest.  I know Pete.  I know Cliff.  Not a one of them has entertained a single thought of “going backwards.”

The Time Has Never Been Better!

Timing is important in selecting a business, and while you’ve never heard me say this before, I’m full-confident telling you that this very well may be the ideal time to consider a Fitness Together franchise.  The field is opening up, a rift is developing between trainers who earn professional income and trainers who struggle through old-school mercenary training operations, and with 400 Fitness Together facilities the network of owners is opportune without it in any way being close to saturation. 

There’s one more reason, if you’ve made it this far, to consider a Fitness Together (FT) franchise. 

I’ll give you $2500 toward your investment if you opt to pursue your own FT. 

E-mail me with the words, “I’m interested in FT” in the subject line, include your full name and mailing address in the email, and I'll mail you a $2500 certificate. I'll also forward direct contact information for my friend Rick Sikorski, the founder of Fitness Together so you can contact him personally if you choose.

Note: You don't need to have $100G sitting in a bank account. There are creative ways to find startup capital and Rick and has team are more than happy to assist those who have the right stuff. If you even have the "maybe" bug, email me for the certificate. You have nothing to lose and lots to gain.

If you haven't done so yet, listen to the audio discussion featuring Rick Sikorksi followed by a second audio with Rick as a guest on Phil's Mind & Muscle Fitness Hour:

Listen to Audio1

Listen to Audio 2

Articles Worth Checking Out:

Programs of Interest to Fitness Professionals:

Visit the following pages:

[ Home ] [ Site Menu ] [ For Fitness Professionals ] [ Superstore ] [ Update Menu ] [ Ask Phil ]
[ Small Group Workshops ] [ Programs ]

This site is designed and operated by Phil Kaplan
Phil Kaplan's Fitness is located at
3132 Fortune Way, #D1
Wellington, Florida 33414
The TOLL-FREE Product Order Line is 1 800 552-1998
The Direct Office Number is 561 204-2014
The Fax Number is 561 204-2184
e-mail phil@philkaplan.com
All Rights Reserved. Copyright © Philkaplan.com, Phil Kaplan's Fitness Associates 2006.