A day in the life of a Fitness Space Franchise Owner
Chris Wright owns The Fitness Space Hughenden Valley. It opened its doors in September 2014 and is going from strength to strength. Following a successful pre sales programme, surpassing all expectations, the club made a profit after 5 months and is now a 41% EBITDA performing club.
So Chris, tell me what a typical day looks like for you?
I’ve just become a parent so my first priority is helping my partner and little girl get ready for the day. My working day starts around 9am when I meet with my club’s General Manager to look at the day ahead including the club’s KPIs, what we need achieve that day and where it fits in our weekly and monthly goals. I’ve still got great relationships with many of our founder members so I’m often delivering tailored personal training sessions for them in the mornings.
I try to leave the club over lunch which gives me some time to reflect and plan. The afternoon is usually quieter in the club so it gives me space to focus on our monthly marketing plans, review any data my General Manager has shared with me and keep planning our growth. I track the member data to make sure they are getting the most out of their journey with us and that we’re keeping I touch with them to support their fitness goals and to keep that very personalised approach live and well!
As my working day comes to an end, I make welcome calls to our newest members to check they’re happy so far and make sure that they’re booked in for their member development services. I really enjoy this customer interaction, making sure we’re delivering against our proposition.
How often are you in the club?
The great thing about The Fitness Space’s initial training and processes is just how robust they are. This means I am involved as much or as little as I want to be. The reason I like to be hands on is because I love the fitness industry and am passionate about getting people results. Realistically, because of the nature of The Fitness Space model, I don’t need to be as present but I want to be and love seeing my business grow every day.
But it must have been tough to start?
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not plug and play. You need commitment, focus and drive to succeed. But, with the management of the pre-sales plan taken care of by The Fitness Space, as well as a comprehensive launch programme, I was never alone. I always had support and advice to make sure the results were inevitable with the right attitude from my end.
What’s been your highlight so far?
Definitely seeing our secondary spend initiatives flourish. Being equipped and confident to sell additional member services like hot yoga, health MOTs, DNA testing, personal training and fit camps has been a huge personal and financial highlight. We are seeing members thrive as well as the business.
What’s been the biggest challenge so far?
Once the training was finished and our launch programme had been successful, I remember thinking, wow, I need to recall this stuff and be knowledgeable about all the amazing technology. I needn’t have been concerned as the support I had was incredible and as soon as I started talking to potential members all of the training kicked in. My staff and I were fluent and so confident about the offerings.
What’s the best thing about being a TFS franchise owner?
Aside from being part of something unique in the fitness industry it has to be the ideal combination of financial reward and work life balance. Coupled with doing something I am really passionate about is simply a bonus. It’s the best decision I have ever made and I am already planning my second franchise.
