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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Contours Express vs PickUp USA Fitness including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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Investment | $35,000 - $50,000 | $533,266 - $1,150,054 |
Franchise Fee | $12,500 | $45,000 |
Royalty Fee | $395/mo. | 6% |
Advertising Fee | - | 1% - 2% |
Year Founded | 1998 | 2011 |
Year Franchised | 1998 | 2016 |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | - |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | - |
Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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Experience | - | While not required, a passion for fitness and basketball is a huge plus! Owning a fitness club is a tremendous opportunity to build a business doing something you love. To get started, franchise candidates, either individually or cumulatively amongst a group of investors, should have a minimum of $150,000 in liquid capital and $300,000 in net worth. This gives a new franchisee the base financials to attempt to obtain necessary bank financing to be properly capitalized to launch a PickUp USA. |
Financing Options |
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In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
Franchise Fees | No/No | -/- |
Start-up Costs | No/No | -/- |
Equipment | No/Yes | -/- |
Inventory | No/No | -/- |
Receivables | No/No | -/- |
Payroll | No/No | -/- |
Training & Support |
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Training | - | * Comprehensive 8 day training at our headquarters in Irwindale, CA for you and your two managers |
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 | PickUp USA provides comprehensive support from the day you sign your franchise agreement. * Pre-Open Support * Grand Opening Support * Ongoing Support o Assistance with site-selection, club layout, design & construction o Comprehensive 8 day training o On-site guidance for 5 days from our corporate team o Support with marketing, sales and operations o Continuous, on-site, telephone and email support will be with you during your entire journey o Your success is our success! |
Marketing | 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) | We require an owner/operator Approximately 10 staff are needed to run a PickUp USA Fitness club. |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | - | Yes |
Canada Expansion | No | - |
International Expansion | Yes | - |
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.