If you are an aspiring fitness entrepreneur or you are passionate about helping other people achieve their health and fitness goals, you may have thought about opening a fitness center.
And while opening your gym or fitness center from the ground up can be highly rewarding, buying into a gym franchise provides a safer means of venturing into the fitness industry.
By buying a fitness franchise, you will benefit from an established business model, existing customer base and vendor network, brand recognition, as well as help with marketing and advertising, just to name a few.
But, before you purchase a gym franchise, you need to conduct thorough research, to make sure you choose the right one. Fortunately, we’ve already done that for you. In this article, we will walk you through the best gym franchises to own.
1. About Gym Franchises
If the thought of running a fitness business appeals to you but you are not ready to venture out on your own, then buying a gym franchise can provide the ideal solution. So, what exactly is a gym franchise?
A gym franchise is a fitness business with an established owner. The owner of this established fitness business is known as a franchisor. This franchisor will then sell the rights of using the company’s business model to you. In this case, you will be the franchisee.
In simple terms, if you own a gym franchise, you will have a fitness center that’s yours. However, you will be following another person’s business model, marketing strategy, or system. In exchange, you will pay them an initial start-up fee, annual licensing fees or other fees, depending on the arrangement you have with the franchisor.
The main benefit of buying a fitness franchise is that somebody else has already done the heavy lifting for you. Hence, you will get an opportunity to capitalize on the fitness brand, without having to invest years in building it, in the first place.
Furthermore, you will receive ongoing support, even after setting up your gym franchise. This support can include things like mentorship, training, marketing and advertising, among others.
2. The Best Fitness Franchises to Own
There are hundreds of fitness franchises out there, looking for new location owners. In this section, we will take a closer look at the top 6 fitness franchises currently on the market. We made this list based on brand recognition, support system, and growth rate.
2.1 Anytime Fitness
Opened in 2002, Anytime Fitness is currently one of the biggest gym franchises in the world. Since it was launched, it has opened more than 4,000 locations, spread across seven different continents.
What makes this fitness franchise so popular is its unique business model. Its locations run 24/7, 365 days a year. Furthermore, members of this franchise can access any of its locations, regardless of where they are.
And besides the standard exercises that you will find in a regular fitness studio, Anytime Fitness also offers a wide range of other classes like Zumba, yoga, cardio and spin, among others.
So, how much does the Anytime Fitness franchise cost? Well, owning an Anytime Fitness franchise will cost you around $42,500 for the one-time franchise fee and a monthly ongoing fee of $699.
According to Anytime Fitness, the total initial investment will cost you between $98,000 and $500,000. Once you have finished setting up an Anytime Fitness franchise, they will provide you with comprehensive training, a personal support team as well as marketing support throughout your agreement.
On average, an Anytime Fitness franchise will earn you revenue of around $440,000 annually while the Anytime Fitness franchise profit that you can expect is in the range of $110,000 per year.
2.2 Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness was launched in 1992. It began franchising even years later, in 2003. As of today, this fitness franchise has over 2,000 franchise locations in different states around the U.S. It also has locations in Canada, Australia and Latin America. In total, the Planet Fitness franchise has more than 15 million members.
Just like Anytime Fitness, Planet Fitness locations run 24/7. It also prides itself in having spacious and clean facilities, in all its locations. Some of the services offered in its locations include fitness training.
The cost to open a Planet Fitness franchise includes a $10,000 fee, for a 10-year renewable agreement. You will also be paying a 7% ongoing royalty on all sales. The total Planet Fitness franchise cost will be approximately $1 million to get a facility running.
Once your Planet Fitness gym is operational, you can expect to be earning a profit of approximately $180,000 per year. While the initial setup fee may be higher than other gym franchises, your annual profit margins will also be higher. Therefore, the cost may be worth it.
2.3 Orangetheory Fitness
Orangetheory Fitness is one of the latest fitness franchises to join the industry. It started operations in 2010 and began franchising immediately after. Since its launch, it has witnessed massive growth and expansion.
Today, Orangetheory Fitness has approximately 1,400 locations in the U.S and around the globe. It’s, without a doubt, one of the fastest-growing fitness franchises in the world. It’s also highly competitive. According to the information posted on its website, only 0.1% who had enquired about a franchising opportunity were successful.
Its services include one-hour, trainer-led group workout sessions, which are divided into intervals of strength training and cardio. Every participant is given a heart rate monitor, whose results are displayed on large screens throughout the gym. With this approach, the participants can easily track their progress and see how they compare with others in the class.
So, how much does an Orangetheory franchise cost? You will be required to invest approximately $560,000 to $1 million to become a franchisee. Also, you will be paying an ongoing royalty fee of 8% as well as an ad fee of 2%. Its contract runs for 10 years.
2.4 UFC Gym
UFC Gym is a subsidiary of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Ltd. It mainly runs martial arts training classes, offered to individuals of all fitness levels and ages. Apart from mixed martial arts training, this fitness franchise also offers Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, yoga, spin, TRX suspension training, and kickboxing, among others.
All locations come with a training area, featuring cardio and strength equipment, as well as a retail section, where you can purchase various types of fitness-related products like kettlebells, speed ropes, strength bands, training mats and dumbbells.
UFC Gym started offering gym franchising opportunities in 2012. It currently has close to 150 locations in the U.S. The estimated UFC Gym franchising cost is approximately $1million to $4 million. The minimum capital needed to start a UFC gym is approximately $100,000.
2.5 F45 Training
F45 Training offers functional training, featuring a combination of HIIT and circuit-style workouts, geared toward everyday movement. And as its name suggests, each workout session lasts for 45 minutes.
Every F45 Training studio includes several TVs, which will explain each workout drill. Also, these TVs will display each participant’s performance metrics, drawn from personal heart rate monitors.
Some of the information that will be projected on the screens include calories burned, heart rate as well as the percentage of maximum effort spent during the workout session.
F45 Training started its operations in 2010. It then started franchising around 2015. It’s one of the cheapest gym franchises. The F45 Training franchise cost is around $100,000 to $300,000, which is one of the lowest in the industry. Apart from the set-up fee, you will also pay an ongoing F45 franchise fee of 7% for royalties and 2% for advertising. All these percentages are based on your gross sales. You will need a minimum of 1830 square feet to set up an F45 Training studio.
All F45 Training franchisees receive ongoing support that includes, an induction program into its systems, training for marketing, sales and operations, 24/7 online support as well as a full suite of marketing, music and various promotion assets.
2.6 Burn Boot Camp
Burn Boot Camp specializes in workout programs for moms as well as other like-minded women. Every camp runs for four weeks, with each session running for approximately 45 minutes.
This fitness franchise focuses on whole food nutrition, instilling a proper training mindset, strength training and burst training, as well as providing a motivating environment, to boost confidence in the attendees and help them achieve their goals.
Burn Boot Camp has been operational since 2012. In 2015, it began offering gym franchising opportunities. Today, this outfit has grown considerably and it has approximately 275 locations in 38 states.
Burn Boot Camp franchise cost will depend on the amount you are prepared to invest. The minimum amount you can invest to own this boutique fitness franchise is $150,000. But, you can invest as much as $1 million, if you have the finances. You will also pay an ongoing Burn Boot Camp franchise fee of 6% in royalties and 2% of your annual gross for advertising.
3. Wrapping It Up
If you are considering opening a fitness center, there are plenty of gym franchise opportunities available for you. Your experience, knowledge, passion and capital available will determine which fitness franchise to invest in.