Are you an aspiring fitness player? Opt for franchise route for expansion

To remain healthy and fit is the need of the hour. Many organised players are cashing on this latest trend. Considering the need and demand these companies have taken franchise route to make their products and services available across the country thus offering a wealthy opportunity for aspirants. Explore more:

Hectic daily schedules’, working couples, and realisation of the importance of good health has led to the evolution of fitness industry in India. Acknowledging the potential and to match the demand and service for good fitness centres many oganised national as well as international fitness players have opted for franchise route for expansion. Franchising provides best route to make brand popular far and wide and in the interiors of the country. As a result a huge opportunity has been created for the fitness industry aspirants to cherish their association with the organised brands and thus realise their dream to be successful entrepreneur.

India has huge potential for fitness players. “Fitness and slimming is a 40 billion market today, out of which services account for 65 per cent. It is one of the fastest growing segments within the wellness domain,” opines Sandeep Ahuja, MD, VLCC Healthcare Ltd.

Elaborating on the increasing consciousness among Indians for their health, Naveen Kandhari, Managing Director, Ozone Spa Private Limited opines: “Fitness Industry worldwide is increasing with a phenomenal rate. People irrespective of their economic conditions want to stay fit and healthy. More and more people are taking memberships of various fitness clubs available in their vicinity as per the size of their pocket. Fitness Industry in India, by and large, has a bright future ahead.” 

Highlighting the factors for growth of the industry Ahuja informs: “With stressful living, lack of time, poor eating habits and highly sedentary lifestyles – need to keep fit and be in shape is more pronounced today than it ever was. Today’s on-the-go executive wants to be in prim and proper shape and look good.” Similar are the views of Sachin Malik, Founder, Diva Fitness who opines: “With growing economy, spending power of Indians is increasing. As well as the awareness about fitness and the desire to look healthy makes fitness a sunrise industry. It is seen as a very promising business opportunity.”

Some of the other prominent factors for development in this sector are:

·         Desire to live a healthy life while being in a good shape

·         Not getting enough time to plan out workout strategy and exercise schedule at home

·         Increasing belief in prevention is better than cure

·         Professional guidance at fitness centres

·         Readiness to spend for good health

·         Advanced Technology and Better Equipments at Fitness centres

·         Inspiring Bollywood divas with six packs and size zero

Fitness franchise players

The fitness industry is highly dominated with franchise players which are well-known and established all across the nation. Some of these are:

VLCC: VLCC today has a brand recall that is gratifyingly high in all the nine countries that it currently operates in. Presently they have over 160 VLCC Slimming, Beauty & Fitness Centres in India, of which 40 are franchised. In addition, to 51 VLCC Institutes of Beauty & Nutrition, 12 are franchisee-owned and run. The franchise requisites of brand in terms of space is1,500 sq. ft (carpet area) in a suitably located part of the city, and total investment could be in the region of Rs 36-38 lakh.

Ozone Fitness n Spa: Ozone is integrated with all the possible relaxation, exercises and group exercise techniques, i,e., gym, spa, yoga, aerobics centres all under one roof. In terms of franchise requisites on requires a space of 6,000-12,000 sq. ft.

Diva Fitness: Diva Fitness envisions being a magnet for fitness-conscious women owing to its appealing retail design and superior training capabilities. To acquire this franchise opportunity, the franchisee will require an area of 700-1000 sq. ft, and an investment of Rs 15-20 lakh.

Vivafit India: With women getting more conscious about their fitness, Vivafit has emerged as one of the best fitness centres exclusively for the fairer sex. The brand opened its first centre in Gurgaon and plans to open more such centres all over Delhi and Noida in future. The Vivafit franchisee needs to invest Rs 50 to 60 lakh to open an outlet.

Talwalkars Hi Fi: Talwalkars Better Value Fitness Limited is one of the India's largest chain of health centres. It has over 100 ultramodern branches across 50 cities in the country, with over one lakh members. Hi Fi centre requires an area around 1,500-3,000 sq. ft with an investment ranging between Rs 50-90 lakh in terms of capital expenditure.

Gold Gym: Gold’s Gym in India started in 2002, when the first Gold’s Gym India branch was set up in Mumbai. In the next few years this number grew, and today Gold’s Gym has cut out for itself 65 gyms in India.

Healthy opportunity

Fitness industry, offering a rewarding opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs. Malik informs: “Franchise is a fast and efficient model of expansion. The business of running a fitness centre can be taught easily, and it has helped us in coming to a conclusion of adapting this model.” Kandhari also shares: “Franchising undoubtedly is a successful formula worldwide for rapid business expansion; ‘Ozone Fitness n Spa’ has also earmarked its pan India expansion through appointing franchise partners at the selected locations in the country.” Manisha Ahlawat, Master Franchisee, Vivafit India said: “We are looking for partnerships with other like-minded business entrepreneurs who have accumulated business, management, and commercial experience. Experience in the franchising or fitness industry is considered a plus.”

Making franchisees fit to franchising

Franchisees get full training and support by the franchisors which help them to reach profitable remark and will help them with all the basic requirements such as; architectural set up, equipments, and staff recruitment. In this regard Malik shares: “Diva Fitness will provide comprehensive 360 degree assistance in all aspects of running the business. We will provide our franchisees in detailed project report, site selection, interior design, architecture, procurement of equipments, software and IT systems, manpower selection, training and pre-launch activities.”

Taking a franchise of fitness centres can prove to be a rewarding opportunity for early aspirants as the industry is blooming. As Ahuja believes: “The 490 billion Indian Wellness industry has been growing at a robust pace in the last few years and the trend is expected to continue well into the future. We are confident that there will be continued excitement in this field, with the early entrants gaining the maximum advantage.”

Healthy note

Plato a Greek philosopher rightly said that: “Attention to health is life's greatest hindrance.” However with emerging fitness industry aspiring entrepreneurs can eradicate this barrier for their customers forever by facilitating them with an organised fitness zone. So what are you waiting for, join the league of fitness providers.