Investment will be the biggest factor in your choice. Smaller, mobile options will inevitably be a lower cost than fully fitted-out 24/7 gyms.

Some of the fitness chains offer an all-round gym and fitness experience. Others are niche in their offers, and dedicated to a particular market or fitness routine. You’ll want to invest in a business you believe has a strong future, whether that’s a boutique offer or a gym with wider appeal.

Whatever the brand, it needs to have a distinctive element to it that marks it out against the competition.

A strong training and induction program ensures franchisees get set up right from the start, and helps those early days of trading. As franchisees build a business, ongoing support, mentoring, and access to best practice through benchmarking tools are all invaluable assets.

Will you want to operate the fitness business yourself or employ a manager? Will you want to have one or two outlets or build up to multiple units that form a mini-empire? Some brands will be set up better for large-scale franchisee expansion.

Gym equipment is a massive investment, so what commitment will you need to make to update tired machines in your business?

When you look at the capital investments and the running costs, will the term of the franchise agreement give you sufficient time to get the return on your investment you want ?

And it’s not possible to think about business development today without referencing the pandemic. While shutdown has hit gyms badly, it is one of the business sectors that has been able to translate some of its offers, such as classes, online, and stay engaged with customers.

Check out the franchisor

We’ve seen the focus on staying fit and healthy during lockdown, and fitness chains have played their part in that.

So how has the brand’s franchise leadership helped franchisees navigate through Covid-19, and how have franchisees on the frontline actually fared?

As a new franchisee you will want to have trust and confidence in both the brand you invest in, and the franchisor team leading the business.

Get that right and a fitness franchise could shape up your future very nicely.