Shaping victory, the franchise way

Here is a brand with a mission to lead individuals towards a better quality of life through scientific fitness coaching with health and nutrition guidance. In conversation with Ekta Verma, Rizwan Sayed, Director, Your Fitness Club, talks about his brands future via franchising.

When and how did Your Fitness Club come into being and how was the response to it initially?

Your Fitness Club is the culmination of long years of grounding, contemplation and a thoughtful approach. It was established in September 2009 to provide friendly, comfortable and well-maintained fitness facility at an affordable expense. I believe it was the result of my vast experience in the field of fitness. I always understood the changing preferences of the Indian consumer. We created a no-frills attached,service-oriented affordable fitness club concept and it worked very well.

How has your journey been as an entrepreneur?

For me it is still a learning experience. As an entrepreneur, I have realised that with time people are getting more and more fitness-conscious. The demand is never going to dwindle. All you need is a true product and truthfully-serviced fitness clubs.

With umpteen fitness clubs mounting in the market how does Your Fitness Club stand out in the crowd?

We have started an affordable fitness club chain concept and therefore we consider ourselves the pioneers of this concept now. We provide top-rated services at an affordable price with the same kind of service like the premium fitness clubs.

How many outlets do you have at the moment?

We have 12 centres across India and are expecting to take the number of centres to a minimum of 30 by the end of 2013.

What are the investment and area requirements to become a Your Fitness Club franchisee? Also, tell us about the break-even and RoI.

With an area of 2000-5000 sq ft and a minimum of Rs 75 lakh, anyone can run a Your Fitness Club franchise centre. The operational break-even happens from day one. Each centre reaches a cash-positive stage once it gets at least 600 members in a 3-5 month timeframe. The break-even period is two years.

What are your expansion plans? Are you targeting some particular cities or regions?

Your Fitness Club will have a system where it will have one company-owned centre in a particular location and close to four franchisee-run and company- operated locations built around that area. We are targeting tier II cities across India as the demand is higher and the locations are still untapped.

Where do you see your brand’s growth in the years to come? Do you have any international plans as well?

At present, the wellness industry in India is pegged at $3 billion. I strongly believe that due to the rapid increase in population, the demand for fitness products will never go down. We are here to stay. We are planning to expand soon in the Middle Eastern countries.