Choosing a fitness studio franchise or license
Opening a fitness studio
Premium fitness studios are capital and labour intensive businesses, it takes a considerable amount of time and cash to locate and secure a venue, put together a coaching and management team and then make it through the all-important first 12-24 months of operations.
In a big city like Toronto, Hong Kong or Madrid that represents a considerable barrier to entry, going it alone by launching your own fitness concept onto the market only makes the process even harder, which is where fitness studio franchises and affiliate licenses come in.
CrossFit as a case study
CrossFit is probably the most successful example of an affiliate fitness studio business model of the past decade; in large part this was down to them finding a savvy way around at least some of these hurdles by playing with the levers of location, opening hours, staffing, group size and interior fit-out investment.
As a result, a ‘CF box’ is often found in an ex-industrial space in a non-prime or slightly out-of-town location, with limited staffing and/or afternoon closing hours, 20-25 person class sizes and a proudly no frills ‘garage gym’ aesthetic inside.
The Fitness Studio business model
Seen within the perspective of the fitness studio business model with its key revenue drivers of class size, number of clients per day and revenue per client, this strategy has a certain logic to it, not least the reduced upfront investment cost and lower rental overheads.
If the strength of the CrossFit global brand name and the effectiveness of Founder Coach Glassman’s training method convince 150- 250 loyal clients to look past the less than desirable location and rudimentary gym interiors, it is effectively a way to hack the system. They have over 12,000 licensed affiliate gyms around the world so something obviously worked out for them!
Not every type of client is going to feel comfortable in such an environment however and that’s where the new generation of concept-driven, class-based, boutique fitness studios come in.
Boutique fitness studios
These businesses also lean heavily on offering a sense of community via a shared interest or value system, with specialized coaches working through a daily schedule of group classes, the key differences being the more central location, premium facilities and general attention paid to interior aesthetics. For some people this stuff really matters, and they will pay a price premium for it.
Biofit gyms
In Biofit’s case, we've tapped into an increasingly powerful value system based on respect for nature and the environment via living in a more natural way via organic food, natural cosmetics, adventure holidays in the wild and constant escapes from the city to the nearest green or blue space. Opting for an all-natural indoor gym with green interiors is then an easy step.
We provide a complete natural fitness training system with classes in Movement & Mobility, Strength & Stamina, Play & Fight techniques as well as bespoke equipment packages focused on premium, all-natural products such as sandbags, ropes, beams and balls.
Our design team also takes care of the interior design and landscaping (greenery) for each affiliate gym using our unique biophilic, nature-inspired gym interior concept that offers additional functional benefits on clients’ health such as reduced levels of anxiety, improved positive mood state and a greater sense of nature-connectedness (a proven sign of vitality).
To discuss Biofit’s gym architecture, design and consultancy services simply complete the form below.