Contours Express vs Orange Shoe Personal Fitness Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Contours Express vs Orange Shoe Personal Fitness including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Contours Express Franchise
Orange Shoe Personal Fitness Franchise
Investment $35,000 - $50,000$96,600 - $325,000
Franchise Fee $12,500$29,000
Royalty Fee $395/mo.6%
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 19982007
Year Franchised 19982009
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Contours Express Franchise
Orange Shoe Personal Fitness Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options
 
Contours Express Franchise
Orange Shoe Personal Fitness Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/NoYes/Yes
Start-up Costs No/NoNo/Yes
Equipment No/YesNo/Yes
Inventory No/NoNo/Yes
Receivables No/NoNo/Yes
Payroll No/NoNo/Yes

Training & Support
 
Contours Express Franchise
Orange Shoe Personal Fitness Franchise
Training -Available at headquarters: 8 days. At franchisee's location: 8 days. Online training : 4 days.
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet

# Protected Territory # 5 days of Training at Contours Express University # 3-Day Training at your gym # Adjustable Weight Stack Equipment # 16 Stations - 4 extra stations optional # Butt-n-Gut cd # Preferred Vendor Discounts # Unlimited Ongoing Training # Advertising and Marketing Advice # 24/7 Online Marketing Materials Library # Personal Gym Website # Prepared PowerPoint Marketing Presentations # Nutritional Counseling Program - C.O.R.E. # Site Selection Assistance

Newsletter Meetings Toll-free phone line Grand opening Internet Security/safety procedures Field operations/evaluations
Marketing Ad slicksCo-op advertising Ad slicks
Operations 50% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 2

Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (50% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

25% of all franchisees own more than one unit. Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 4. Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (80% of current franchisees are owner/operators).

Expansion Plans
 
Contours Express Franchise
Orange Shoe Personal Fitness Franchise
US Expansion --
Canada Expansion NoYes
International Expansion Yes-

Company Overviews

About Contours Express

After operating coed clubs, working as consultants and working in other areas of the fitness industry, Daren Carter, Mike Widener and Charlie Woodward joined forces to create a fitness center just for women. In 1998, the partners founded Contours Express, a women-only center catering to towns with populations too small to support a full-scale, coed gym.

Contours Express members follow a 29-minute cue tape that keeps them moving through aerobic stations and strength training machines. A fitness trainer (the franchisee or an employee) works with the members during their workouts, providing motivation and other services.

Clubs, which are usually located in strip centers, are about 1,200 square feet in size and can accommodate up to 20 members at a time.

About Orange Shoe Personal Fitness

Orange Shoe Personal Fitness is a niche franchise opportunity in a $20 billion market. The Orange Shoe Personal Fitness mission is to help people do everything better while building long-term relationships and having fun. We are looking for individuals who have similar aspirations in their next big step or business venture to join our team. The personal fitness industry is rapidly growing in popularity across the country, and we position our brand by creating a clear, competitive difference in a market filled with "one-size-fits-all" health clubs. As a result, Orange Shoe franchise owners are reaping the rewards.
What's the Orange Shoe difference? We do personal fitness better than anyone in the industry. As life changes for each of our clients, we adjust their program to fit their needs accordingly. This makes Orange Shoe unlike any other personal fitness franchise in the country. We have a proven model of success. Just ask our existing owners. Our systems are easy to understand, and operate, and we merge curriculum with career to advance your life. We bring systems in-house to advance staff and keep our product delivery consistent. We believe you should never go through big life changes alone. That is why we offer you continued franchise support beyond your studio opening. Unlike franchises that only offer resources up to opening day, Orange Shoe is here for you as a resource throughout your franchise ownership. Orange Shoe has an established and respected brand equity. There is less risk in an Orange Shoe franchise ownership compared to independent business ownership. Ninety-eight percent of franchisees are still in business 10 years after opening day while only two-thirds of small business make it past the first two years of ownership. At your studio, clients won't feel that static, uninspired feeling they know so well at health clubs... and neither will you. And because our approach is designed to deliver the specific health needs of our clients, we can charge a premium price for our expert training services. The opportunity is clear. Learn more about how we can help you succeed in owning and operating an Orange Shoe Personal Fitness franchise of your own.

The total initial investment necessary to begin operation of an Orange Shoe Personal Fitness franchise is from $98,600 to $325,000. This includes between $41,000 and $44,000 that must be paid to the franchisor. If you sign an Area Development Agreement, the total initial investment necessary is between $76,600 and $302,200 for each Orange Shoe Personal Fitness Studio. This includes an additional $20,000 for the Development Fee that must be paid to the franchisor for each additional Studio.