Hands - On Fitness Expertise
The iFranchise Group has numerous consultants who have worked for, held senior executive level positions at, consulted with, and guided sales and unit growth for numerous top fitness franchisors, including the companies whose logos are shown to the right.
Our team of consultants has dozens of years of combined direct fitness experience, and each has on average over thirty years of franchising experience.
Why Franchise?
FRANCHISING PROVIDES THE CAPITAL FOR GROWTH.
Franchising allows companies to expand without the risk of debt or the cost of equity. Since the franchisee provides the initial investment at the unit level, franchising allows for expansion with less capital.
FRANCHISING REDUCES THE RISK.
Since it is generally the franchisee, not the franchisor, who signs leases and commits to various service contracts, franchising allows for expansion with virtually no contingent liability.
Franchising is one of the most powerful methods of business expansion. Over time, franchising’s ability to provide accelerated growth has only increased.
FRANCHISING PROVIDES HIGHLY MOTIVATED MANAGEMENT.
Finding and retaining good unit management is one of the greatest challenges facing expanding companies today. Many business owners know the frustration of training good managers, only to have them one day become competitors. Having on-site franchise owners, who are motivated by the investment of their own money, enables franchisors to eliminate or minimize the reliance on finding and retaining managers. In fact, franchisees who have made a direct investment in their business are more motivated than salaried managers to succeed and operate at a higher level.
FRANCHISING ENABLES RAPID MARKET SATURATION.
To bring a new concept to market, businesses need to be fast enough to outpace the copycat concepts their success is sure to create.
Franchising is generally a company’s fastest growth vehicle since it enables franchisors to leverage off the time, capital, and efforts of their franchisees.
Should You Franchise Your Fitness Business?
The first step to determine whether or how to franchise a fitness business involves a free consultation with one of our senior advisors to answer THREE KEY QUESTIONS :
These questions can only be answered after evaluating your business and determining how franchising fits with your specific goals and objectives. 1 2
Other questions your consultation may answer:
• What is a franchise?
• How to franchise a business
• Criteria for franchisability
• Franchising strategy & feasibility
• Advantages of franchising
• Considering other growth options like licensing
Meet with one of our experts to explore these and other vital questions about franchising before you jump into this strategy.
What Exactly is Franchising?
The definition of franchising helps businesses determine if they are a franchise and therefore must be disclosed as such. In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission and state regulatory agencies have developed a formal set of disclosure requirements and franchisespecific prohibitions that franchisors must follow in their relationships with their franchisees.
Three Primary Elements Define A Franchise Relationship:
The use of a common trademark
The provision of assistance to the franchisee with a certain amount of control
The collection of fees, royalties, mark-ups, or other monies from the franchisee
• If you have all three elements, you are a franchise, regardless of what you call it
• Some state definitions vary, but are generally similar
• Some businesses are already franchising and do not even know it, and could face significant fines and penalties for violations
Advantages of Franchising Your Fitness Business
CAPITAL
The ability to expand using franchisees’ capital
PEOPLE
Franchisees are typically more motivated to succeed than salaried managers
QUALITY
As investors in their businesses, franchisees are motivated to maintain high-quality operations
SPEED
Franchising enables a company to grow faster than through corporate expansion by leveraging the time, capital, and efforts of franchisees
RISK
Reduced risk and liability for the franchisor as it does not invest money, sign leases, or hire employees for the franchisee’s business
OPERATIONS
Fewer concerns over day-to-day operations
• Established and profitable
• Readily teachable to others
• Attractive in terms of the proven return on investment
• Marketable as a franchise opportunity
• Transferable to other markets or types of locations
Continue the dialogue with us to see if your business is ready to franchise
See a more detailed test at:
https://www.ifranchisegroup.com/franchise-your-business/the-ifranchise-group-acid-test/
How Do I Franchise?
The iFranchise Group Can Help
We are a coalition of top professionals in franchise strategic planning, operations, training and documentation, franchise marketing, and sales for franchise companies. Our focus goes beyond documentation – to the actual implementation of franchise programs.
THE iFRANCHISE GROUP was formed in 1998 to provide the guidance and assistance that innovative companies need to compete in today’s market. Our mission is to put the power of the latest technology and franchise expansion techniques to work for our clients’ success.
CLIENT SELECTIVITY: The iFranchise Group accepts a limited number of new clients in any given year. The iFranchise Group is dedicated to long-term relationships with high-potential clients.
STRATEGIC FOCUS: To compete effectively, today’s franchisors need a clear vision of who they are and where they want to be. Each project component is designed to advance a clearlydetailed strategic plan.
REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE: The hands-on, no-nonsense approach of the iFranchise Group comes from the real-world experience of its team members. Our recommendations aren’t based on what we’ve learned from textbooks but from decades of experience building some of the world’s most successful franchise companies.
INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACHES:
The iFranchise Group doesn’t “package” your business for franchising. We provide customized strategies designed to maximize your unique strengths, to work within your available resources, to seize available opportunities, and to achieve your specific objectives.
MARK SIEBERT CEO
DAVE HOOD President
Affiliations, Accolades & Achievements
Our consultants have worked with 98 OF TOP 200 FRANCHISORS
as ranked by Franchise Times
Authored three books on franchising and business expansion
RANKED #1
Franchise Consultants/Developers for six years in a row in a survey of over 1,100 franchisors
900+ YEARS of combined experience
Our consultants average 25+ YEARS of franchise experience Our consultants have held executive positions at over 60 franchise companies Articles appearing in over 300 publications and over 600 live seminars and podcasts, television and radio interviews.
The iFranchise Group Provides a Fully Integrated Approach to Franchise Consulting
FRANCHISE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
• Franchise Feasibility
• Competitive Benchmarking
• Franchise Structure
• Territory Analysis and Determination
• Coordination with Outside Counsel on the Development of Legal Documents
• Strategic Implementation Plans
• Financial Analysis and Fee Optimization
• Business Plans for Capital Formation
• Operations Manuals
• Systems and Forms
• Quality Control Procedures
• Training Programs and Training Aids
• Training Videos and Other Intranet Training Applications
• Operational Audits and Best Practices
• Train-the-Trainer manuals to help avoid joint employment issues
• Content positioning on your Learning Management System (LMS)
• A customized LMS for your Manual and Training Tools
• Franchise Marketing Plans
• Primary Research on Targeted Franchisee Candidates
• Franchise E-Brochures and Other Collateral Materials
• Franchise Promotional Videos
• Franchise Ad Design
• Website Development
• Website Optimization
• Franchise Sales and Marketing Audits
• Franchise Sales Training
• Implementation Consulting and Coaching
• Franchise Brokerage Services
• Management Recruiting
• Company Audits and Best Practices Benchmarking
• Due Diligence
• Expert Witness and Litigation Support
• Franchisee Council Development
• Compliance Audits
• International Expansion
• Franchise Sales Outsourcing
Meet Our Consultants
EXECUTIVE TEAM
SENIOR ADVISORS
FRANCHISE FEASIBILITY & STRATEGIC PLANNING
MIKE BAUM
SCOTT JEWETT BARRY FALCON | CFE DAVID OMHOLT CFE
TOMMY CLARK | CFE
CHRIS MOORHOUSE
JOANNA MEISELES
SUNIL DEWAN LARRY OBERLY | CFE SCOT CRAIN | CFE
EMILIANO JÖCKER
CYNTHIA CLARKIN PATRICK K. WALLS, J.D.
LEONARD SWARTZ CFE
JEFF ABBOTT | CFE
MARK SIEBERT CEO
DAVE HOOD President
JUDY JANUSZ Vice President, Operations
CHIC LEEHAN KEVIN HOSTETTER
Meet Our Consultants
DAN LEVY
TERRY CONROY
JIM GREEN CFE
JASON KILLOUGH MIKE POLLOCK
JOE BARGAS
MIKE GOLDBERG
KERI DES COTEAUX
CHARLIE BEVER
MATTHEW JONAS President
LIA BRAKEL LAWRENCE TUKE PAUL FAGAN CHRISSY EBLIN
JOHN SIEBERT | CFE PETER CRAIN BERNARD RAMCHATESINGH | CFE ANN ANDERSON
FEASIBILITY & OPERATIONS ANALYSIS MOHAMED CHARAFEDDINE CEO
TopFire Media) DIGITAL MARKETING & PR iFRANCHISE GROUP MIDDLE EAST
KARLIE HERNANDEZ
Diverse Experience Matters
FITNESS
• 24 Hour Fitness
• ATA Martial Arts
• Big Blue Swim School
• Burn Boot Camp
• Ellipse Fitness
• Fitness Together
Consultants for iFranchise Group have assisted companies of all sizes in a diversity of industries, including:
• i9 Sports
• Mayweather Boxing + Fitness
• Parisi Speed School
• Pvolve • Sky Zone
• Soldierfit
• The Barre Code
• The Little Gym
• TopGolf
• Velocity Sports Performance
RESTAURANT & FOODSERVICE
• Auntie Anne’s
• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Capriotti’s
• Checkers
• Cosi
• Denny’s
• Einstein Bros.
• El Pollo Loco
• Famous Famiglia
• First Watch
• Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
• Häagen-Dazs
• Honey Baked Ham
• Krispy Kreme
• Marco’s Pizza
• McAlister’s Deli
• McDonald’s
• Nestlé
• Newk’s Eatery
• Nothing Bundt Cakes
• Old Country Buffet
• Perkins
• AlignLife
• Always Best Senior Care
• Avada
• Beltone
• BrightStar Healthcare
• Comfort Keepers
• Delta Dental
• American Family Care
• Farmacia Santa Fe
• General Nutrition Centers
• Massage Envy
• Medicine Shoppe International Inc.
• Motivational Weight Management
• Pearle Vision
• Senior Helpers
• Sterling Optical • Total Nutrition
Walgreens
C-STORE & RETAIL
• 1-800-Flowers
• Ace Hardware
• Amoco (Split Second)
• ASICS
• Blockbuster
• British Petroleum
• Circle K
• Fleming
• Foodini’s (Chevron)
• Hallmark Cards
• Mobil (On the Run)
• Payless Shoe Source
• Pet Supplies Plus
• Sharper Image
• Popeyes
• Rita’s Italian Ice
• Rosati’s
• Sonic Drive-In
• Subway
• Tasti D-Lite
• Togo’s
• U.S. Navy
• WesterN SizzliN
• Which Wich
• Yoshinoya
• Shell Oil
• Successories
• Swarovski
• T-Mobile
• Texaco Star Mart
• White Hen Pantry
• Van Heusen (Gant)
Diverse Experience Matters
Consultants for iFranchise Group have assisted companies of all sizes in a diversity of industries, including:
CONSUMER & BUSINESS SERVICES
SERVICE (B2B)
• Carey Limousine
• Manpower
• Millicare
• PIP Printing
• Snap-on Tools
• Today’s Temporary
• Tribune Companies
• U.S. Filter
HOTELS
• Clarion Hotels
• Comfort Inn and Suites
• Courtyard
• Crown Plaza
• Days Inn Worldwide
• Doubletree
• Econolodge
• Embassy Suites
• Fairfield Inn
• Four Points by Sheraton
SERVICE (B2C)
• 101 Mobility
• Baird & Warner
• Bath Fitter
• Chem-Dry
• Coldwell Banker
• Doctors Express
• Hollywood Tans
• Jackson Hewitt
• Mail Boxes Etc. / UPS Store
• Massage Envy
• MotoPhoto
• Senior Helpers
• ShelfGenie
EDUCATION
• Academy of Learning
• Berlitz
• Chyten
• Dale Carnegie Training
• Encyclopedia Britannica
• E.nopi / Eye Level
• Goddard Schools
• Jacki’s Aerobic Dance
• Mad Science
• Primrose Schools
• Sanwa Research Institute
• Wall Street English
INTERNATIONAL
• Garden Inn • Hampton Inn
Hilton Hotels • Holiday Inn Express / Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts
• Howard Johnson
• Marriott Hotels
• Omni Hotels
• Quality Inn
• Radisson Hotels
• Ramada
• Renaissance Hotels
• Residence Inn
• Sheraton Hotels and Suites
• Sleep Inn
• Springhill Suites
• Super 8
• Travel Lodge
• Value Place
• Westin Hotels
• Albaik (Saudi Arabia)
• Barmetrix (Canada)
• Claire’s (numerous markets)
• Frisby Group / Gundy Corp. (Colombia)
• Goldilocks (Philippines)
• Guinness Imports (Europe)
• IBM (Europe and Argentina)
• Java Times Caffé (Mexico)
• Kabab-Ji (Lebanon)
• Leylaty (Saudi Arabia)
• Locartis International (United Kingdom)
• M&M Meat Shops (Canada)
• Marti (Mexico)
• Pollo Campero (Guatemala)
• Two Men and a Truck (Canada)
• Weed Man / Turf Holdings (Canada)
• Zain (Middle East)
• Zinus/Keetsa Mattress Store (Korea)
“The iFranchise Group far exceeded my expectations. In fact, within two years [we’d] awarded 50 franchises nationwide. We certainly plan on utilizing iFranchise Group in the future as our business grows.”
– Frank V. Fiume, CEO/Founder –
“We made the decision to franchise and began looking for a franchise consultant to help us through the process. After speaking to a number of different consultants, we decided to go with the iFranchise Group because they have a reputation for being the best in the industry. They helped us with our overall strategy, operations plan, and helped us recruit top talent which positioned Big Blue for rapid growth. [Within two years of launch, we had] already awarded over 124 new franchise locations. The upfront work that iFranchise Group did was instrumental in helping us achieve our potential. iFranchise Group is extremely knowledgeable, highly responsive, and provided us the one-on-one hand-holding that allowed us to reach our goals. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking to franchise.”
– Scott Thompson, Partner & Chief Development Officer –
“I heavily contemplated franchising but didn’t really have a clue about franchising. I ended up meeting with Mark Siebert and the iFranchise Group which was the best thing that we ever did. They helped us turn our business into a franchise.
I’m very happy with the way that iFranchise has worked with us and we plan on using iFranchise for the duration as we continue to grow as a franchise organization.”
– Eric Horstman, President
–
“…When we first started, we had a very limited budget. We only had one location open and no franchise locations. iFranchise Group did a great job working within our budget constraints to package our franchise system so that we could go to market. For us as a new franchise, it was an easy decision to work with iFranchise Group. They have a ton of experience, diverse backgrounds, and they really understand the franchise process. Even better they helped us understand the franchise process. iFranchise Group has been a great mentor to our company and we’ve been extremely successful with franchising as a direct result of working with iFranchise Group. We cannot be happier with the progress, having [initially] sold over 50 franchises. This is a testament to the hard work of iFranchise Group. I would highly recommend using iFranchise Group whether someone is an existing franchisor or just starting out in the franchise world.”
– Jeff Platt, President –
Perspectives on the Fitness Franchise Industry
Resource Library
Free Book Excerpt
Read an excerpt from the ultimate how-to guide to employing franchising as a growth strategy.
How To Franchise My Business
Check out this 3-minute video if you want to franchise your business.
International Business Expansion
Explore international business expansion issues and pros and cons of franchise and non-franchise systems.
12 Criteria for Franchisability
Learn 12 predictive criteria that assess the readiness of a company for franchising.
Nuts & Bolts of Franchising
Overview of franchising strategies and requirements from our franchise consultants.
Acid Test
Complete 12-step equation from iFranchise Group measure a franchisee’s projected return on Investment.
Franchise Success Cycle
In infographic form, this success cycle demonstrates the predictability of franchise marketing and sales.
Converting Licenses to Franchises
This paper explores the business issues and pros and cons of franchise and non-franchise systems.
Franchise Marketing & Sales Best Practices
iFranchise Group experts detail top 5 tips for franchise marketing and sales.
How to Franchise a Business
Watch franchising expert Mark Siebert’s full 90-minute seminar on how to franchise.
The Cost of Franchising
Learn about the costs involved in franchising a business from franchise expert Mark Siebert.
When to Franchise a Business
Franchise expert Mark Siebert gives advice on knowing when to franchise.
Quality Control in Franchising
Franchise expert Mark Siebert reveals four pillars of franchise quality control.
FRANCHISING WHITEPAPERS
FRANCHISING SEMINARS AND HOW-TO VIDEOS
FRANCHISING INFORMATION
Schedule a consultation with one of our senior advisors to discuss your concept and its franchisability
Let Your Goals Dictate Your Plan of Action
Don’t simply make the decision to franchise. Rather, make strategic decisions based on your growth goals, exit plan, and more ...and let those dictate the expansion path you take, whether that be franchising or other strategic growth option.
Questions to ask:
Where do you want to be in five years?
What kind of capital and human resources will it take to get there?
Can you do it alone?
Is your fitness business franchisable?
Is franchising right for you?
