Anytime Fitness

Start an Anytime Fitness Franchise | Costs and Requirements

If you’ve always wanted to own your own business, you’re ready to get into your next business venture, and you love the fitness industry enough to make it your business, opening your own Anytime Fitness could be the perfect opportunity. 

Here’s everything you need to know on becoming an Anytime Fitness franchise owner. 

What Is Anytime Fitness’s Mission?

Anytime Fitness prides itself on being authentic. It strives to create plans for its customers that fit into their lifestyles and support their journey. 

Anytime Fitness understands that everyone runs on a unique schedule, which is why they are open 24/7 — it doesn’t get more real than that. 

In addition, Anytime Fitness promises its customers four things when they join:

1. Members are supported by staff, no matter what.
2. Members will have access to training tools throughout their entire journey.
3. Anytime Fitness will remain the most convenient gym on the planet.
4. Anytime Fitness is more than a gym; it’s a community.

The History of Anytime Fitness

Anytime Fitness makes some pretty significant promises. But how did these promises develop? 

In 2002, founders Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen identified a problem within their Minnesota community and became determined to find a solution. 

The problem was this: no gym around fit everyone’s needs. There was not a gym around that was affordable, convenient, welcoming, and open 24/7. 

When they introduced their idea, the two had plenty of doubters, but they went on with their business venture. Since then, Anytime Fitness has grown, even through hard financial times. 

Since 2002, Anytime Fitness has grown to over 4,800 gyms with over 4,000,000 members from all demographics in over 38 countries.

Should You Become an Anytime Fitness Franchisee?

What exactly comes with owning a gym franchise? Whether you’re a new business owner or seasoned in the franchise system, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons of becoming a franchise owner. 

Pros of becoming a franchise owner include:

1. Proven successful roadmap for business
2. Brand name recognition
3. Broad purchasing benefits
4. Profit margin potential

Cons of becoming a franchise owner include:

1. Limited creativity and possible restrictions on ideas
2. Continuous cost of investment
3. Franchisors have access to your financial records

Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now and take this quiz to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget.

Why Might Anytime Fitness Be a Good Franchise Choice?

There are so many business ventures to choose from, so you must pick the right franchise opportunity. If you’re researching reasons to own an Anytime Fitness center, look below at some of Anytime Fitness’s most attractive aspects. 

Brand Name Recognition

Did you know that Anytime Fitness gains a new member every minute of every day?

Because Anytime Fitness is the first franchise on all seven continents, with over 4,700 territories sold and 4 million members worldwide, your location will have built-in visibility and customer loyalty. 

Because Anytime Fitness is an internationally recognized name, you won’t have to worry about building a following or customer base from scratch. Customers who know Anytime Fitness will already be familiar with the company's unique offerings and environment. 

Growth Potential

Because you will join an established franchise with a successful business model, your location will have a head start versus starting your own fitness franchise from scratch. While you might only be looking to start with one piece of real estate, 60% of Anytime Fitness’s existing franchisees own more than one club because of the income potential of owning multiple locations. 

The Culture

Anytime Fitness cares about the culture in its gyms, not just for members working out but for employees and franchisees who run their locations. The company wants its franchisees to strive for financial success but have fun. 

Anytime Fitness focuses on four P’s of its culture: 

• People
• Purpose
• Profit
• Play

Care and Involvement

Anytime Fitness wants its franchisees to succeed. When you open your location, Anytime Fitness will be there to support you throughout your tenure. 

You can count on the following:

• Low-cost investment
• Low royalty fees
• Simple process
• 360 personal support
• Top-ranked business
• Volume buying power
• Startup support
• Ongoing support
• Marketing support

Employee Perks

Naturally, you’ll employ a team of people when you open an Anytime Fitness location. Finding great employees isn’t always easy, but with the many incentives Anytime Fitness provides its workforce, attracting excellent workers and high-quality trainers may not be as hard as you might imagine. 

For instance, when it comes to benefits, healthcare is one of the most competitive and important areas that potential employees expect support from their employer. Aside from traditional healthcare benefits, Anytime Fitness prides itself on lowering employee’s healthcare spending by helping them live a healthy lifestyle. 

To do this, Anytime Fitness provides all employees global reciprocity, which means full access to Anytime Fitness clubs worldwide. Employees also have access to personal training services. This is done to encourage and enable Anytime Fitness workers to prioritize their fitness, anytime and all the time. 

Other perks offered to employees include:

• Group membership program
• Fitness reimbursement program
• Voucher program
• Physical fitness assessment testing

Anytime Fitness Franchise Costs and Requirements

If you’re interested in owning an Anytime Fitness franchise, Entrepreneur is here to help. Before getting into the step-by-step process, look over the initial financial requirements below and ensure you’re ready to move forward with the process. 

• Initial Franchise Fee: $42,500
• Initial Investment: $381,575 - $783,897
• Net Worth Requirement: $350,000
• Liquid Capital Requirements: $175,000
• Royalty Fee: $699 per month
• Ad Royalty Fee: $600 per month
• Term of Agreement: 5 years

If financing is a potential roadblock to opening an Anytime Fitness location, the company may be able to provide the support you need. Anytime Fitness has relationships with third-party sources that offer financing to cover franchise fees, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable and payroll. 

In addition to that, veterans can get $2,500 - $7,500 off the franchise fee.

How To Become an Anytime Fitness Franchise Owner

1. Apply

You will fill out an application with essential information, including your name, contact information, experience and why you chose Anytime Fitness over its competition. 

2. Due Diligence

Once Anytime Fitness accepts your application, they will complete a background check and ask for your business plan. Then, you’ll have some time to go over the franchise agreement and research and give you time to conduct your research on prospective locations. 

Business Plan

Anytime Fitness asks for your business plan to get a sense of your goals and to pinpoint how they can help you succeed. 

The contents of your business plan should include the following:

• Executive summary
• Market analysis
• Target audience
• Logistics and operations
• Financial details

Franchise Disclosure Agreement

Anytime Fitness will provide you with their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) to help you with your research. 

Key details of the FDD should include the following:

• Company’s description and history
• Current or previous litigations
• History of bankruptcy
• Investment costs and fees
• Products and services details
• Copyrights, patents, and proprietary information
• Financial statements

The Location

Anytime Fitness will likely provide you with parameters and geographical locations where it is looking to expand. Once you receive those guidelines, you can do further research to discover the right place to open your business. 

As you hunt for the perfect location, you should consider the following: 

1. Are there competitors in the area? (Gold’s Gym, Planet Fitness, L.A. Fitness) 
2. Do your competitors offer 24/7 access, or will your location fill that void?
3. What kind of traffic does the area get? 
4. Is the location easily accessible to customers?
5. What are Anytime Fitness’s regulations for its locations?
6. Will the space accommodate the setup, equipment, and amenities?

3. Put It in Writing

Once you’ve settled on a location, it’s time to make things official by signing the franchise agreement. While anyone can open a location, the process can be selective. There is still plenty of work to be done, but make sure you take a moment to celebrate and reflect. This is a big deal. 

4. Onboarding and Training

After accepting your franchise application, you’ll undergo an onboarding and training program with Anytime Fitness. The training program will help you learn the tricks to maintaining your business operations, developing your management skills, and promoting growth.

7. Open Your Gym

The research is finished. All the documents are signed, the gym is built and you’ve finished your training. Now, it’s finally time to open your own Anytime Fitness franchise business. Get ready to offer your customers state-of-the-art fitness equipment, various classes, and quality services including: 

• Treadmills
• Ellipticals
• Stair Climbers
• Rowing Machines
• Free Weights
• Racks
• Kettlebells
• Personal Training
• Team Workouts
• Tanning
• Spin, Zumba, cardio, conditioning, and yoga classes
• 24-hour access and security
• Private restrooms and showers
• Health plan discounts
• Wellness programs

If you’ve got the financial means and love for the fitness industry, Anytime Fitness could be a rewarding new business opportunity.

Looking for more info on franchising? Explore Entrepreneur’s Franchise Center here.