Anytime Fitness is the UK’s largest fitness franchise, with over 188 fitness facilities across the UK and Ireland, and plans to push beyond 200. Across the world, Anytime Fitness boasts 5,000 locations in over 40 countries. Anytime Fitness franchise opportunities may be right for investors looking to work with a brand that’s already well-established both inside and outside of the UK. Let’s explore the Anytime Fitness franchise model and look at how much it costs to open an Anytime Fitness gym and how profitable Anytime Fitness is for its franchisees.
The Benefits and Opportunities of Becoming
an Anytime Fitness franchise owner
Anytime Fitness is an ambitious brand that was the first to have a franchise on all 7 continents. This can give peace of mind to any budding investor that they stand to benefit from the unique positioning, resources, and potential of Anytime Fitness, such as:
- Benefit from joining forces with a strong brand, established in 2002 and ranked #1 Fitness Franchise in the world by Entrepreneur Magazine
- Earn potential profits of around £331,000 per year as an Anytime Fitness franchisee with average gym profit margins of around 15%
- Get business, tech, and marketing support from a team of 30 dedicated experts which won the franchise the ‘Best Franchisee Marketing Support’ at the 2019 Franchise Marketing Awards
- See exponential growth with a brand that already has 4 million members worldwide and welcomes a new member every minute
- Choose from lots of suitable locations available across the UK with advice and help from the Anytime Fitness team
- Benefit from a franchise that has partnerships with high-street banks to help franchisees fund the turnkey costs of their new gym
- Explore avenues for growing your portfolio with 60% of Anytime Fitness franchisees going on to own additional clubs
- Benefit from a broad member demographic, low staffing model, and average 20-month length of stay that can help grow your business
- Provide greater access to members with 24-hour opening, 365 days a year
How does the Anytime Fitness franchise model work?
Anytime Fitness franchise opportunities allow entrepreneurs to open their own fitness businesses while benefiting from the presence, marketing, and audience of the existing Anytime Fitness brand. Anytime Fitness gyms don’t fit into any specific niche within the fitness sector, instead offering all-around fitness equipment and classes including strength training, cardio, and personal training for members in the mid-tier bracket.
1. Anytime Fitness franchise requirements
Before you can join the Anytime Fitness family, you’ll have to demonstrate that you meet the minimum Anytime Fitness franchise requirements set out by the franchisor:
You’ll have to demonstrate that you have sufficient capital to start an Anytime Fitness franchise, which may mean having around £500,000 in capital with a large proportion of this in liquid capital
You must agree to open an Anytime Fitness franchise club in a location that suits the franchisor and demonstrate that you have the drive and expertise to make your club a success
2. Minimum cost to buy and own an Anytime Fitness franchise
The minimum Anytime Fitness investment that all franchisees will have to make is around £170,000, with further investment available from high-street banks Anytime Fitness has relationships with. This minimum investment will cover your Anytime Fitness franchise fees as well as your security fit-out and other essential costs that you’ll have to cover before you can open your gym.
However, this minimum figure is not an accurate representation of the average cost to open an Anytime Fitness gym, which usually ranges from £330,000 to £550,000, although some of this finance may come from other investors.
3. Initial Anytime Fitness franchise start-up fees
One of the first costs you’ll have to pay when you set up an Anytime Fitness franchise is the Anytime Fitness start-up fee of £39,000. This fee will buy you the right to open an Anytime Fitness gym and cover the basic administration and management costs of your contract.
4. Expected Anytime Fitness franchise revenue
The average Anytime Fitness franchise revenue per club is around £331,000 per year. This revenue isn’t huge considering the cost of investing in an Anytime Fitness centre, and it may mean that the average Anytime Fitness franchisee will wait longer to make a return on their investment than franchisees of other fitness brands.
5. Costs associated with running an Anytime Fitness franchise
As well as covering the Anytime Fitness franchise startup cost, franchise owners will have to pay ongoing costs both to the Anytime Fitness group and to cover the cost of running their gym. These franchise fees and running costs include:
- Fixed royalty fees of around £560 per month and fixed advertising fees of around £500 per month
- Technology fees of around £650 per month
- Ground rent, utilities, and staff wages
- Repairs and maintenance costs
6. Predicted average profit of an Anytime Fitness franchise owner
The Anytime Fitness franchise owner’s average profit will be the net result of their revenue minus their running costs and fees. On average Anytime Fitness franchise owners will pay monthly fees in excess of around £2000 as well as significant running costs, rent, and staff wages.
In general, the profit margin of Anytime Fitness franchise owners is thought to be around 15%. This results in an Anytime Fitness franchise owner’s average profit of around £50,000 per year, although this can vary hugely between gyms.
A look at the Anytime Fitness franchise agreement and policies
When you sign a contract to work with Anytime Fitness, you’ll have to agree to the terms of the Anytime Fitness franchise agreement set out by the franchisor.
1. Territory
The Anytime Fitness group will give franchisees a protected territory once the location of a gym has been approved. They use mapping software to draw a circle around the gym location, with the circle’s radius usually being no larger than 3 miles with a population of no more than 30,000 people. Anytime Fitness will not approve anyone else opening an Anytime Fitness centre within this protected territory.
2. Other obligations
Anytime Fitness franchisees are not obliged to supervise their fitness centres personally, although the franchisor recommends that they do. The franchisor also requires that the principal operator of an Anytime Fitness centre completes all of the group’s training requirements and signs a confidentiality agreement. Franchisees must also offer only those products and services approved by the franchisor.
What are the franchise terms of agreement
and renewal for Anytime Fitness?
The initial term of an Anytime Fitness franchise agreement is six years, and franchisees who meet all of their obligations under the agreement will be permitted to renew their franchise agreement for an additional five-year period after this term has ended.
Is Anytime Fitness a good fit for you?
It’s important to consider whether Anytime Fitness is the best fitness franchise for your goals. Anytime Fitness is a successful gym chain but it may not meet your ambitions or suit your future plans. The Anytime Fitness franchise cost total is relatively high, and profit margins are respectable, but it may take investors up to 10 years to recoup their investment through revenue. Anytime Fitness doesn’t really have a specialist niche or USP which makes the Anytime Fitness business model especially difficult to mimic.
1. The target market of the Anytime Fitness franchise
The target market of Anytime Fitness is 18-45-year-olds who are interested in health and fitness training. They don’t target a small niche within the market, which means that Anytime Fitness franchise gyms benefit from a large target audience within a growing sector. The standard membership fees at Anytime Fitness centres are around £39.99 per month, which is neither budget nor high-end.
2. Is an Anytime Fitness franchise right for your chosen location?
Bearing the brand’s target market in mind, it’s important to establish that your chosen location is right for an Anytime Fitness branch. Anytime Fitness publishes an updated map of desirable gym locations on its website, and franchisees should check this to see if there are suitable locations included. With over 180 gyms across the UK already, it’s important to establish that your chosen site isn’t close to an existing Anytime Fitness centre.
3. Other factors to consider when deciding whether owning an Anytime Fitness franchise is right for you
Anytime Fitness is a successful fitness brand in the UK with thousands of members across the country. Franchisees will benefit from the strong brand presence of the group, and word-of-mouth marketing from members at other sites could help new franchise owners to grow their membership base before launch. Anytime Fitness could therefore be a good fit for entrepreneurs with strong business knowledge but less knowledge of the fitness sector or experience with growing a fitness brand.
Are you a good fit for the franchise?
Owning an Anytime Fitness gym franchise is not for everybody. Anytime Fitness is looking for professionals with experience in managing a complex business that involves high H&S regulations, HR management, budget management, etc- these skills are essential when running an Anytime Fitness franchise, which also means that it’s not necessary to have experience in the fitness sector specifically. You’ll have to open your franchise in a location that’s not in competition with an existing Anytime Fitness centre, which could eliminate a lot of areas in the UK.
The process of taking on Anytime Gym franchise
If you want to become the owner of an Anytime Fitness franchise, you’ll have to follow the steps below.
1. Contact Anytime Fitness
The first step to launching your Anytime Fitness centre is contacting the franchisor and arranging a meeting. You’ll be expected to demonstrate that you meet the basic requirements expected of franchisees, and you will discuss your ambitions and plans to establish whether these align with those of Anytime Fitness.
2. Agree on the details of your contract
If both parties want to proceed, you’ll then discuss the details of your contract before signing. This will involve settling on a location and territory for your gym and agreeing on obligations like royalty fees.
3. Set up your gym
After you’ve signed the contract, you can get started setting up your gym. You’ll have to spend money to build, fit out, and equip your gym, as well as install signage and market your gym ahead of its launch.
4. Launch
When you’re ready to launch, you can hire staff and set a date for opening. It’s important to make sure everything is in place before launch day and to build up a solid membership base before launch to ensure your gym is making revenue from day one.
Conclusion
As one of the most recognizable fitness brands in the UK, Anytime Fitness franchisees benefit from a strong support network and a solid brand presence. The gym’s mid-tier, mainstream service level means it appeals to a wide audience, and the group’s plans to grow further in the coming years means that there are plenty of opportunities to start an Anytime Fitness club across the UK. Franchisees should be mindful that the profit margins of Anytime Fitness gym owners may be somewhat lower than other gym franchises, but this may be offset by the relative reliability of the franchise.
FAQs
Before you invest in an Anytime Fitness franchise, make sure you read our more frequently asked questions about the brand.
1. How to start an Anytime Fitness franchise
If you want to start an Anytime Fitness franchise, you must:
- Contact Anytime Fitness with information about your plans and investment
- Make sure that you can afford the cost to buy and own an Anytime Fitness franchise
- Choose a site that’s suitable for you and the franchisor
- Sign the franchise agreement and pay the Anytime Fitness franchise fees
- Build, fit out, and market your new Anytime Fitness gym
- Attract new gym members before the launch
2. How much does owning an Anytime Fitness franchise cost?
The total cost to open an Anytime Fitness franchise is estimated to be between £330,000 to £550,000. This should cover franchise fees as well as the cost of setting up your gym.
3. Is an Anytime Fitness franchise profitable?
After paying the Anytime Fitness franchise price and covering the running costs of the gym, most Anytime Fitness franchise owners should be left with a profit at the end of the month. The average Anytime Fitness gym profit margin is around 15%, although it’s possible to make more or less profits than this depending on how efficiently your gym is run.
4. What questions to ask when buying an Anytime Fitness franchise?
If you’re interested in buying an Anytime Fitness franchise, it’s important to make sure that you ask the right questions before you sign, such as:
- What is the total Anytime Fitness gym franchise cost, including startup fees?
- What support will I receive from Anytime Fitness before and after I launch my gym?
- What are my rights and obligations during the term of the agreement?
- What is the average income of an Anytime Fitness franchise owner?
- When can I put up my Anytime Fitness franchise for sale?
