Perfect Fit

Matt and Sally Lovell: 'Turnover went up and we kept on growing'

Anytime Fitness provides impressive returns and an attractive lifestyle for franchisees

Matty Lovell has a confession to make. ‘I’d never even been a member of a gym before we bought one! But after eight years of owning Anytime Fitness in Cashmere, I train five days a week now. I feel I’m a better husband, father, businessman and leader if I’m healthy, happy and strong.’

Anytime Fitness is the largest gym franchise in the world, with 5,000 gyms across 40 different countries. There are currently 58 throughout New Zealand, with a number of new locations in development which could be a very appealing investment for the right people.

‘Anytime Fitness provides 24/7 high value training environments with top-of-the-range equipment backed up with an extremely personalised member journey,’ says Cam Ward, the CEO for the franchise in NZ. ‘We cater for everyone: sportspeople; granddads who want to stay fit to play with their grandkids; mums who come in between dropping the kids off at school and starting work ...

‘Every member receives a fitness consultation and a personalised plan with the correct follow ups to keep them on the right path. We have a great footprint around New Zealand to make sure that journey can continue wherever they are.’

This broad appeal means that Anytime Fitness is booming. ‘Membership numbers are at a record high, and we’ve never had better commercial results,’ Cam says. ‘With continuing growth, we have some great opportunities coming up.’

Working together

Matty and his wife Sally have always worked together, having met at MediaWorks in Canterbury. ‘After the earthquakes we decided to go travelling for a bit, and ended up working on superyachts in the Caribbean. That’s actually pretty good training for running your own business – you learn to put in the hard yards, recognise the damage that disruption in a team can cause, and develop a real work ethic.

‘You’re also earning good money and can’t spend it so, when we returned to New Zealand, we decided to start our own business. We had a friend with a gym which sounded interesting, so we started looking at opportunities. We had no experience, but that’s the cool thing about buying a franchise – you get the training and the systems that you need. We talked to some Anytime Fitness franchisees, and then met a multiunit owner who was selling one of her gyms. It was just meant to be.’

Good lifestyle, good return

Anytime Fitness Cashmere was already established with staff in place when Matty and Sally took over in 2015. ‘In the first six months or so, we were both in there six days a week, doing everything from selling memberships to cleaning the car park,’ Matty recalls. ‘We’d learned on the yachts not to ask anyone to do anything you haven’t done yourself, and that way we learned every aspect of the business. Turnover went up and kept on growing.

‘We now have 10 staff, including trainers, and Sally manages the gym while I’ve been developing other business interests. We’re now in our 30s with two girls under 4, and Anytime Fitness allows us to spend time with them.

‘We have a great team and manager, meaning Sally can be in the gym two days a week and work from home another two days, so she gets a good return on her time – in fact, the gym is doing better than it ever has, both operationally and financially.’

We’d do the same again

Matty says that the Anytime Fitness franchise has developed considerably over the years. ‘They are a really good supportive franchise team in New Zealand now, with great management systems and software, and excellent marketing tools. You need to have the discipline to use it, but there’s constant training to help you make the most of the franchise.

‘At the same time, you have the flexibility to explore ideas to suit your own community and membership base – it’s a good mix. There’s lot of communication with the franchisor and other franchisees, and a good collaborative environment. We’re glad we chose Anytime Fitness, and we’d do the same again.’

Investment and returns

Cam says that franchisees can come from any background, as long as they are commercially astute, comfortable with technology and prepared to put real passion into their business.

‘Our franchisees include couples, single owners, business partnerships, siblings and father-and-daughter teams. Many are hands-on owneroperators, while others are primarily investors who want a managed gym as part of their profile. We also have multi-unit owners.’

Total investment levels vary according to location and site, but are generally in the $500-700,000 range including equipment, much of which is generally leased or financed. ‘Generally, we like new franchisees to have 30-50 percent equity rather than stretching themselves too far at the start,’ says Cam. ‘Returns depend on size of outlet and your management model, but 10-30 hours a week can provide an excellent income well into six figures.

‘As Matty and Sally have shown, once established, a franchisee can enjoy both good returns and a good lifestyle, which is why our franchisees tend to stay with us for many years. If that’s the sort of business you’re looking for, contact our National Operations Manager, Sam Cable, now.’

Advertiser Info

Anytime Fitness

www.anytimefitness.co.nz

Contact Sam Cable

M 021 226 7186

sam@anytimefitness.co.nz

Cam Ward, CEO of Anytime Fitness in New Zealand