Female entrepreneur Sharon Thandi opened her first Anytime Fitness gym earlier this year in what has been a successful return to the world of franchising.

Having previously been a franchisee with Dominos, Sharon wanted to pursue her passion of health and wellbeing by starting her own independent food brand. With the launch of this brand being a long-term project, as well as unfortunately coinciding with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sharon turned back to franchising to run a second business within the health and wellbeing space. 

Deciding on Anytime Fitness

Having explored several sectors within franchising, Sharon quickly set her sights on the fitness sector and in particular, Anytime Fitness. “I wanted to invest in something that’s a growing market and fitness definitely ticked the box,” added Sharon. “Once I’d decided on the industry, Anytime Fitness stood out to me due to its global presence and its existing brand awareness. Investing in a franchise is a big decision and I’m sure like everyone else, I did some thorough research and what’s instantly noticeable is that Anytime Fitness is a brand on the rise and demonstrates continued growth.”

Location, location, location

Having made the decision to become an Anytime Fitness franchisee, Sharon’s focus immediately turned to finding a location for her first gym. She was able to leverage the expertise and contacts from Anytime Fitness’ New Openings Team as she searched for the perfect location within a thriving property market.

“The team at Anytime Fitness has so many great contacts and a level of knowledge which can help you get to the right place. Working with a franchisor is a two-way street and to take advantage of that knowledge, you must be proactive and have as much involvement as you can. We had to be agile with the locations and properties we were looking at and we eventually found the perfect site for our first location.”

Independent gym acquisition

While most new Anytime Fitness gyms open from scratch, Sharon was given the opportunity to acquire an existing gym in the Derbyshire town of Swadlincote. Previously an independent, members-only gym called Evisa Fitness, the team were able to source the opportunity to acquire the business and subsequently, open it as an Anytime Fitness.

This approach to opening a new gym came with significant benefits for Sharon, including significantly reduced construction time, no requirement for change of use on the property and a small, existing membership base. However, while the property already had the shell and layout of a gym, Sharon realised the importance of investing in the facility to bring it in line with the quality that consumers expect from Anytime Fitness.

  “The first thing we decided to do was open up the space as the previous layout meant the group exercise studio took up far too much floor space,” added Sharon. “By changing the shape and location of the studio, we were able to maximise the space we had available. This also meant we were able to install additional equipment and I took the decision to replace all the previous equipment from one of Anytime Fitness’ suppliers. It was a really important thing to do and the member feedback has been great, members of the previous gym still comment today on how much bigger and open the gym feels.”

The rewards of the fitness industry and looking to the future

Having opened at the beginning of 2023, Sharon and her team at Anytime Fitness Swadlincote has eclipsed the membership numbers of the previous gym by nearly 800%. Sharon highlights the importance of a strong presale in laying the foundations for a successful Anytime Fitness gym.

“The most important advice I can give is to ensure you have the right team on board and that you build up your prospects in advance of opening. Opening a gym is a very sales-orientated operation so you need a good balance of strong salespeople and personable individuals with expertise and qualifications in fitness. One of my main learnings has been just how important your team is; we had some initial challenges with recruitment but once you find the right team, you’ll be in a great place to grow your business.”

  Despite still being in the early stages of her Anytime Fitness journey, Sharon speaks highly of how rewarding its been and has already set her sights on growing her portfolio.

  “It’s a really rewarding business to be involved with as you’re seeing your members’ journeys first-hand and the individual growth they’re enjoying from sticking to a plan. As soon as I decided on opening a gym, I wanted to make sure it was community focussed and be a place where anyone and everyone feels comfortable. We’re already receiving great feedback with people saying exactly this and it’s so rewarding for me that people really like the gym, the team and the ethos we have here.

“I want to be a multi-site operator at Anytime Fitness and I’m continually looking at the routes available for me to do that. Whether that’s another acquisition, a rebrand or an organic opening, there’s plenty of opportunities out there.”

Opinder and Shallu Kashual: The Husband-and-Wife duo make a flying start to their Anytime Fitness journey

Why Anytime Fitness? 

“We approached other competitor brands but felt Anytime Fitness had the best structure and support system in place to help franchisees. A big plus for us was that it was a much more established brand with an international presence which made us feel much more confident in what we were investing into.”

Having signed their franchise agreement, Opinder and Shallu quickly identified Maidenhead as their preferred location. As well as living in Berkshire themselves, the pair noted the significant investment in redeveloping the town centre as well as the upcoming arrival of Crossrail, increasing its appeal to commuters.

Having secured the territory in early 2021, they were able to secure a property within a fortnight. The building was a new-build at the heart of the town centre and near to several new residential developments.

Preparing for Opening

Having waited for the construction of the building to be completed, the team received the keys in February this year and swiftly transformed the empty shell of the building into a premium health club in just over ten weeks.

With the support of Anytime Fitness’ dedicated New Openings Team, Opinder and Shallu were able to execute an excellent pre-sale strategy. The pair recruited early and recruited well, appointing a proven and experienced Club Manager from within the Anytime Fitness network as well as team members with health and fitness experience. Having this established team in place well advance of opening allowed them to generate significant excitement around their opening and gather prospects from the local community and surrounding areas.

The team enjoyed their grand opening on 29th April 2022, with the ribbon being cut by Theresa May, former Prime Minister and current Maidenhead Member of Parliament.

Exceeding targets and award nominations

The Maidenhead club has made a fantastic start since opening and exceeded its 12-month projected revenue target in just three months. Its premium offering and personable approach has resonated with the local community and it has rapidly exceeded the 1,000 member landmark and is going from strength-to-strength.

Despite competition in the area from low-cost gyms, the club continues to significantly grow its membership base month-on-month. With a premium offering at an affordable price, the team has perfectly identified its place in the market and continues to amass 5-star reviews from its delighted membership base.

Their efforts were recognised just six months after their opening when their high-performing team made the shortlist for Anytime Fitness UK’s Club Team of the Year Award. The franchisor was incredibly impressed by the consistent performance of the team, their rapid membership growth and the fantastic experience they consistently deliver for their members.

Opinder and Shallu’s confidence is sky-high after this their first club opening and are full of praise for their experience. “This industry really makes you feel that you are driving a positive change and making people feel better about their overall wellbeing, whether that’s physical or mental. The training and support from Anytime Fitness is excellent and some of the head office team are just like family now!
 
“We are in a great position at the moment and we hope to open multiple clubs over the next few years. We’re already looking at future territories!”
 

With a long-standing career in the retail industry, Guy Warner opened his first Anytime Fitness gym in 2023 as he grasped the chance to diversify his business portfolio.

Having operated successful convenience stores and petrol stations across the Cotswolds for the past 20 years, Guy identified a significant opportunity to open a gym in Gloucestershire village Bishop’s Cleeve.

Despite having no fitness experience, Guy has successfully franchised in other industries and quickly decided that opening his own gym required a franchise partner to join him on the journey.

Like many other Anytime Fitness franchisees, Guy had no previous experience in the health and fitness industry. With a range of support and training provided to franchisees, this has never proved to be a barrier for success and Guy is incredibly complimentary of the role Anytime Fitness’ Support Office team has played in the journey so far.

“The support from Anytime Fitness has genuinely been end-to-end as we went into this business not knowing anything about running a gym. From the site assessment to the initial business plan, right through to the space planning, the fitout, the launch, marketing and the prospecting, the support has been there throughout. Now we’re open, the operational and day-to-day support has held our hand and has taken us from a place where we knew nothing about a gym to a place where I wouldn’t say we know everything, but we know enough to make this business a success."