Anytime Fitness or Snap Fitness

I've been thinking about opening an Anytime Fitness...can anyone give me an idea of the true start up costs, with the rental market in my area. I'm in Nassau County, Long Island. From what I understand, rents and contractor fees are what changes the initial start up costs...

Depends. Do you want to have your territories sold out from under you? Do you want to see greed drive a business and not care about you? Do you want support getting your franchise going? Do you want to see all prefered vendors make the wallets of the franchise owners bigger? Then go with Anytime Fitness. That's a wise choice.

Is it permissable to open a Snap or Anytime Fitness franchise with a misdemeanor petty larceny record. This was a youthful indiscretion over 13 years ago and not indicative of overall character, just a bad decision that unfortunately never goes away.

I've got a Snap Fitness Franchise for sale. We're at about 500 members which pretty much takes care of rent and equipment payments. It practically runs itself, but is perfect for someone who wants to take it to the next level. No competition within a 5-6 mile radius of any sort. We're in a small city of about 36,000 people and this place has a LOT of growth potential. I've been doing it on my own, but can't manage it anymore. I have another career and two kids so my plate is full!
We are in California. Answer this post for more information.

Not including 2007, the fitness industry has stagnated or declined for years, according to a survey released in the summer of this year. With health club membership dwindling, franchises are rowing against the tide. That is amazing considering that the American population is booming.

Some of you like the thought of adversity, the survival of the fittest and smartest. Others will wonder what industries have a more benevolent tide that lifts.

In 2007, the United States had 41.5 million health club members, according to the “2008 IHRSA Global Report: The State of the Health Club Industry” from the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). That number is 1.2 million less than the 42.7 million members that IHRSA reported for 2006.

IHRSA says the 2007 decrease is a non-statistically significant change over 2006, 2005 and 2004. In 2004 and 2005, memberships were at 41.3 million, according to the Boston-based trade association for for-profit health clubs.

Does anyone have a feel for what is happening to club membership now during the 2008 recession?

And what happened to club fitness? Are people becoming less desirous to keep in shape?

Or are they moving to DVD workouts at home?

This comment is not related to the forum and has been moved here.

After reading this thread I couldn't help but offer an alternative. Full disclosure: I work for the company I'm about to plug, CoachMeFit.

It's a fitness franchise but very different than Snap or Anytime. The concept is private personal training and current locations are doing very well despite the down economy. The reason for this is that we have a higher end concept which attracts higher end clientele. Our clients realize that they're running out of health a lot faster than wealth. Our concept offers accountability for those looking to reach their health and fitness goals.

As a newer company (franchising began last year) we pride ourselves on providing franchisees with unparalleled support.

www.coachmefit.com.

I am on my 4th week since soft opening and I have 90 members so far in a 3500 SQft Club -
I am pleased with the counts,I'll be trying to pick up the pace now that we have it running pretty tightly
My customers hate the gyms in the area so its an easy sell for me
because we have so much to offer in the way of convenience
Buying one of these franchises is tricky,the salesman are totally FOS and blew ALOT of smoke at me - I am happy I only bought one instead of 3 - Its alot of work to do it right,don't let them fool you and expect the costs associated with building your biz to be higher than advertised and that goes for both franchises - Anytime was even more money and more smoke(which is why I chose snap)
Sure there are owners with multiple shops and I may buy another in the future but in my terms and not being hustled by some franchise sales man -

I love the customers and being with the people who come into my place..They all know me by my name and vice versa
I have no shower and never will,I get very few people who ask for one and I tell them the truth I'm a neighborhood club so go shower at your house! I have no desire to see fatties and old farts naked anyways do you....Thats exactly what I say,no BS.
I have all Cybex and love the product and support (plus its USA made) -my customers also love the cybex stuff..
As for Snaps support its OK,just need to find out who the right person to speak too,they are spread out over lots of different departments,I find them all friendly and knowledgeable
but the whole process could be better and more personable
but remember nothing is perfect and it could be worse you could own a Subway or a UPS Store and really be screwed.......

I see the haters on this thread,most are talking from inexperience and fear - negativity will ruin anyones dreams and if I listened to every moron who said "Are you nuts" Id never be able to afford my Mercedes Benz -
Give it a rest haters & buy a franshise

I see that Snap Fitness centers are just now reaching us in Wisconsin. I love the 24 hour availability and it was so affordable I signed up my whole company. Also, I have been a small business owner for 15 years and I see many businesses come and go - I don't remember the statistics 50% failure 1st year or is it higher? That applies to all businesses. Sounds like snap has a much better record than that. It comes down to smart business practises - being around the place, keeping it clean and well-maintained, responding to needs - marketing when things are slow. I am a chiropractor and I send my massage therapist into gyms to network - in reverse you could market in chiropractors offices or other health care professional offices. Do company talks on fitness statistics - decreased work injuries. You could do a talk on any one article of thousands of the health benefits of exercise. Be assertive - people show up to sign, NOT think about it. Support people's commitment to BE better, healthier, skinnier. You make the business - that is why some make it some do not.

I happen to own a pretty successful Snap location and overall am satisified with the ongoing support and programs corporate offers. Are they perfect, no. Is Anytime, I doubt it. I definately feel for those that have not been successful and are having financial hardship but doesn't the franchisee have some, if not most of the responsibility? We are all adults right? Was due dilligence performed prior to cutting the franchise a check? My guess is the reason most clubs fail is location (remember, location, location...)Plus, who really knows how many Snap and Anytime's are or have closed? Say 800 Snap's or Anytime locations are open...if 40 have closed (and I don't think its that high) that's still 95% that are still open...what's that about 60% more than going out on your own independently. Plus, don't you think the potentially worse economic conditions since the great depression might have something to do with the challenges. Don't blame it simply on the model. It's location, economy and how you run the business....I can't tell you how many Snap websites I peruse who have never put up pictures of their club or utilize other parts of the website at their disposal...makes me wonder if they are out pounding the pavement and marketing, marketing, marketing...probably the best advice I have gotten from Snap is they won't just come to you...well some will but what about the other 50% or more that don't even know you are there...it is just as much about what you make of it...anyway dem are my thoughts.

You had better know a lot about the fitness industry and fitness consumer before buying a SNAP franchise- but then if you did- you wouldnt waste time with a franchisee that doesnt support its base of franchisees. In Colorado, there are 5 facilities going out of busines- forcing their owners into bankruptcy. The same is true for SNAP in Phoenix, in Orlando and in South Dakota. These are closing daily- and you want to get into one? What you truly buy with SNAP is their buying power to access security systems- electronics- and fitness equipment. Big Deal. They have no brand- no identifiable brand awareness, no product, no patents, no support. Call the franchisees themselves that are failing and see what they say about their "success". Bottom line- rent vs. members. Do it yourself- its the same- and save the franchisee fees for something more important, like a life.

wow, if you want to see the true personality, tell the sales person you are considering going with his competitor. I was in discussions with Snap but after reading this blog, decided to pursue Anytime Fitness. The Snap "person" became very nasty and it became obvious he was trying to end it on his terms. I had already told him i was done with Snap, but he continued until he made me mad and he finally said, "well, you are not the type of person Snap wants anyway". Problem is now Anytime Fitness takes forever to return your call. i think i will just open Monster Mini Golf and do birthday parties!

Snap just received 111,000,000 from an investment firm for internaitonal growth. Gary Findley (who used to be the President of Curves) is not the new president of Snap Fitness. There is alot happening with this franchise.

Tom Garmon
Fitness Franchise Business Brokers
www.fitnessfranchisebrokers.com