W HA T ’ S IN S I D E
January 2014 • The CSRA’s Only Monthly Business Magazine
Career Expo...................................................2 Buzz Bits...................................................... 8,9 Business growth strategies............. 10,11 Special career section............................. 21 Economist sees job growth.................. 26 Businessperson of the month.............. 33
Muscling up in the fitness business After 10 years, Garners own 4 Anytime Fitness franchises By Gary Kauffman
A decade is a worthy achievement for any business, but for Tammy and Tommy Garner, it is also a vindication of their faith in a fledgling franchise. When the Garners opened their first Anytime Fitness center in Martinez on Dec. 29, 2003, it was only the 24th Anytime Fitness franchise in the United States and the first in the Southeast. “It was almost like starting our own franchise,” Tammy Garner said. “We were taking a chance on it being successful. But we thought that if this makes it, the name behind it will carry some weight. And it has.” Today the Garners own four Anytime Fitness centers in the CSRA, and Anytime Fitness has more than 2,300 franchises in the United States and several other countries. The appeal of Anytime Fitness is that
24 2300+
Number of franchises Anytime Fitness had after the Garners bought their first
Current number of Anytime Fitness franchises
members can work out literally any time. They gain entrance through an electronic key 24/7, even on holidays. That concept appealed to the Garners when they were looking to start their own business. Tommy found the information on the
Internet about the new franchise headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. Tammy already made regular business trips to the city, so she met with the franchise owners and they struck a deal. Although the concept of people using the gym anytime day or night appealed to them, Tommy admitted that it initially caused some butterflies as a business owner. “That first day we went home with people still in here, we were nervous,” he said. But Tammy said they’ve never had any trouble with the members. “They treat this as their own,” she said. In the beginning, Tommy still worked at his job at E-Z-Go and Tammy became a one-woman show, doing everything from signing up new members to working as a personal trainer to mopping the floors. When they opened their second gym in Evans, Tommy left his job and became a coordinator. He now spends his days hopping between their locations in Martinez, Evans, North Augusta and the newest addition in Grovetown. Tammy, who has an MBA, runs the business side of things in addition to a few personal training sessions. “What’s helped us is that all the stuff Tammy hates to do I enjoy doing,” Tommy said. The Garners attribute their ability to grow their business from one to four locations in 10 years to the personal touch they provide. They determined early on that Continued on page 10
Photo by Gary Kauffman
Tommy and Tammy Garner in their Martinez facility, their initial Anytime Fitness center.