Snap Fitness is revolutionising the fitness industry around the world

Join the movement

The fitness industry is booming around the world, making it one of the most competitive franchise opportunities. But even among fierce competition, Snap Fitness has always strived to be a leader in the small to medium gym category by evolving with the trends since its inception in 2003.

The company’s business model and fitness concept has evolved from a turnkey 24-hour solution to a 24-hour solution that features robust offerings, lively communities and personal trainers focused on results.

Peter Taunton founded the Chanhassen, Minnesota-based company with the goal of creating the world’s best fitness experience. As a franchise concept from the beginning, Peter believes in providing franchisees with all the support they need to thrive and providing their members with a results driven, affordable and innovative fitness experience.

Innovation is key

Snap Fitness prides itself on offering variety, which includes functional fitness, cardio and strength training, group fitness and personal training.

In its continued efforts to stay on top of the demands of the industry, Snap Fitness is rolling out ‘MYFIT’, a new 18-minute daily high intensity workout concept that is available for members at any time of the day.

In-club TV screens display GIFs of the movements on a timer, so members of all fitness levels can complete the workout when it’s most convenient.

Unlike many boutique and big box gyms, which have set times for group classes, members at Snap Fitness have so many options to get fit on their schedule.

Whether you can get to the gym at 6am or 10pm, the daily MYFIT workout features nine different exercises that loop continuously on the TV, allowing you to get a high intensity workout when it works for you. MYFIT will become a key differentiator for Snap Fitness - it’s convenience to the max.

Snap Fitness’ goal of being a results focused fitness concept inspired more than just the creation of MYFIT, as the company now offers members heart rate training powered by Myzone to monitor their performance.

Myzone is one of the most accurate heart rate monitoring technology options available and by utilizing a Myzone belt members can see their progress in real time and track how hard they need to work to burn fat, build muscle and achieve their goals. It also adds value to every personal training package, since it gives trainers a way to measure and show tangible results to help their clients exceed their goals.

The average Snap Fitness location ranges from 3,000 to 6,000 square feet and has evolved into a boutique-like fitness centre with high end detailing and state of the art equipment.

“The clubs are designed to inspire and deliver results fast,” Caitlin Tvrdik, director of marketing, says. “By offering the convenience of 24/7 access alongside our results-only training philosophy, Snap Fitness is the answer for today’s consumer: real, results-based workouts for a busy lifestyle.”

Exceed expectations

Snap Fitness has more than 2,000 locations open or in development around the world. The company prides itself on being an affordable option for those interested in getting started in the fitness industry and passionate about changing lives in their communities.

In one of the fastest growing industries in the world, Snap Fitness offers the opportunity to make your mark through a globally recognised brand. Very few industries provide the opportunity for members to reach their fitness goals in addition to helping owners reach their business objectives.

Fitness is one of the most rewarding businesses to be in due to the high volume of consumers who are more in tune with their health than ever and are making a commitment and investment in fitness to live happier, healthier and longer lives.

Snap Fitness franchisees include people who have a background in business, personal trainers, as well as people who just want to help change people’s lives for the better.

As one of the most mature franchise systems in the fitness industry, Snap Fitness has had years to learn and mature and, as such, has created a robust training programme for franchisees to operate their businesses.

Full suite of business support

Snap University, the first step in the Snap Fitness training programme, provides franchisees with a full week of education and training, including operations, sales and personal training, in an effort to continue the education of owners and help them evolve.

Every owner is provided with the latest information in fitness technology, training methods and marketing tactics. Every year the training programme is refreshed to allow both fitness experts and owners to stay on the cutting edge.

In addition to being an affordable franchise opportunity, Snap Fitness also prides itself on the flexibility it affords its franchisees. From personal training to group classes to powerlifting, owners can make this business their own and choose the offerings for their gym that reflect their communities and markets, which owners find a very attractive attribute of Snap Fitness.

After an initial franchising conversation, Snap Fitness conducts research on behalf of a potential franchisee to determine the viability and potential revenue of the specific market of interest.

Snap Fitness is involved in real estate selection, from initial identification to the assessment of the return on investment per square foot. Its dedicated finance team also offers a variety of turnkey programmes to help new owners get started with essential equipment.

Once a location has been selected, an in-house team of personal trainers and interior designers develop a custom club design that’s specific to the market and franchisee. The owner and the Snap Fitness corporate team work together to maximise the space, while making it look and feel like a boutique gym and making sure the space is transformed into something to be proud of.

Every owner receives assistance in hiring and training their personnel.

Many markets are saturated with a variety of qualified personal trainers, while others may be sparse. Snap Fitness makes it its business to ensure every club has the right staff: from owners to managers and trainers.

Although Snap Fitness can be found by word of mouth, the company offers substantial marketing assistance to each franchisee, with the freedom to market on their own. For example, once the franchisee was trained on the Myzone heart rate belt, the marketing team provided them with digital and printed marketing collateral to help promote heart rate training, so members could understand the benefits to achieve better and faster results.

Franchisees first

Snap Fitness’ focus is on providing franchisees with all the tools they need to stay on trend and evolve in the ever changing fitness world. The corporate offices invest in research and development to stay on the cutting edge of the industry and to build relationships with innovators around the world.

The company collaborates with franchisees in the research and development process and listens to those who bring new ideas to the table. Franchisees are encouraged to test out concepts on their own and find out what works for their club and then share their best practices with the larger franchise system.

The high demand of the fitness industry keeps every fitness concept on their toes and moving forward. Snap Fitness will continue to rise to the occasion. The company is focused on evaluating the trends as they emerge, identifying those that have longevity and integrity and implementing them into the business.

Looking to the future, Snap Fitness will be focused on opening more locations on an international level. Approximately 50 per cent of franchisees have more than one location globally, with hopes to open more than 130 new Snap Fitness locations in new markets.