Contours Express vs Club Pilates Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Contours Express Franchise
Club Pilates Franchise
Investment $35,000 - $50,000$178,000 - $365,200
Franchise Fee $12,500$60,000
Royalty Fee $395/mo.7%
Advertising Fee -2%
Year Founded 19982007
Year Franchised 19982012
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Contours Express Franchise
Club Pilates Franchise
Experience -At Club Pilates, we're looking for franchise owners who are outgoing, results oriented, eager to learn the Pilates industry and have sales, marketing and/or management experience. A person who can build strong relationships, lead a team, and is committed to building the brand and driven to success. You'll need a minimum of $80k in liquid capital, and be ready to DO PILATES. DO LIFE!

Financing Options

 
Contours Express Franchise
Club Pilates Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-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

 
Contours Express Franchise
Club Pilates Franchise
Training -You’ll attend a 3-day training course at our corporate headquarters in Costa Mesa, California along with an annual Franchise Convention and ongoing weekly support. Ongoing web-based and in person training. Private class training, instructor training and general manager training. On-The-Job Training: 2 hours Classroom Training: 44 hours Additional Training: Instructor training
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

Pre-Opening Support Real Estate: Our dedicated staff will help you in the site selection and lease negotiation to find the ideal site for your Club Pilates Franchise. Finance: Our Finance team will provide assistance in loan processing through the SBA and preferred financiers. Site Build Support: You’ll be walked through the entire build out process from corporate approved layout and general construction to interior design and on-site security & technology. Sales: Get introduced to our sales process, retail range and POS system to drive sales from the start. Marketing: The minute you sign your lease agreement, the marketing of your location begins, with personalized support to set up social media, marketing materials and all means of generating website traffic and memberships. Recruitment: Receive assistance hiring the most qualified instructors, general managers and sales associates. To compliment this, our Certified Club Pilates Teacher Training Program ensures a seamless on boarding process for Pilates instructors new to our unique Pilates method. Comprehensive Training: You’ll attend a 3-day training course at our corporate headquarters in Costa Mesa, California along with an annual Franchise Convention and ongoing weekly support. Ongoing Personalized Support Ongoing web-based and in person training Sales, marketing & operations tools and resources accessible online 24 hours and the ability to communicate with and learn from other franchisees. Branding and marketing support with monthly materials developed for your studio. Monthly marketing updates and performance reporting. Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Ad slicksCo-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
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)

Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 4 - 8

Expansion Plans

 
Contours Express Franchise
Club Pilates Franchise
US Expansion -Yes
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion YesYes

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 Club Pilates

 
"Club

Club Pilates is the largest Pilates brand, with more than 600 studios open.
Ranked #69 in Entrepreneur Magazine's 2020 Franchise 500 list and on Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000 list 4 years running,
we provide an established executive model and completely scalable business to make the possibilities endless!

Join us in bringing the benefits of Pilates to as many people as possible!

"Entrepreneur
#69 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#104 in Franchise 500 for 2021.