Lite For Life vs Planet Fitness Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Lite For Life vs Planet Fitness including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Lite For Life Franchise
Planet Fitness Franchise
Investment $55,500 - $122,700$968,100 - $4,113,000
Franchise Fee $20,000$20,000
Royalty Fee 5%7% of Gross Membership Fees
Advertising Fee -9%
Year Founded 19781992
Year Franchised 20032003
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Term Of Agreement 10 years10 years
Renewal Fee $1K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Lite For Life Franchise
Planet Fitness Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options
 
Lite For Life Franchise
Planet Fitness Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/NoNo/No
Start-up Costs No/NoNo/No
Equipment No/NoNo/Yes
Inventory No/NoNo/No
Receivables No/NoNo/No
Payroll No/NoNo/No

Training & Support
 
Lite For Life Franchise
Planet Fitness Franchise
Training -* Available at headquarters: 2 weeks * At franchisee's location: as needed
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives* Newsletter * Meetings * Toll-free phone line * Grand opening * Internet * Security/safety procedures * Field operations/evaluations * Purchasing cooperatives
Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising* Co-op advertising * Ad slicks * Regional advertising
Operations 0% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

* 40% of all franchisees own more than one unit * Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (70% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Expansion Plans
 
Lite For Life Franchise
Planet Fitness Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Lite For Life

Lite for Life is a weight loss company that is different from all the others. The difference is right in our name: Lite for Life.

Our program has been designed for long lasting results. Because at the end of the day, the challenge is not just to lose weight, but to keep it off so you will feel better and enjoy your life more.

Our company began with one woman with a powerful sweet tooth and a weight problem to match. She tried every program and every product but nothing gave her the results she was seeking.

 

Lite for Life is a weight loss company that is different from all the others. The difference is right in our name: Lite for Life.

Our program has been designed for long lasting results. Because at the end of the day, the challenge is not just to lose weight, but to keep it off so you will feel better and enjoy your life more.

Our company began with one woman with a powerful sweet tooth and a weight problem to match. She tried every program and every product but nothing gave her the results she was seeking.

Her name is Maureen Sullivan, the founder of Lite for Life. Her frustration with the available methods of losing weight lead her to the work of a pioneering physician named Seale Harris. Dr. Harris performed studies on blood sugar and he concluded that the key to long-term weight loss was learning to eat in a way that stabilized blood sugar. Dr. Harris found that if blood sugar levels were kept in a stable range, that cravings disappeared and that it was actually easy to reach and maintain an optimal weight.

After studying the work of Dr. Harris, all the pieces came together and Maureen Sullivan knew what she had to do. She created a weight loss company based on the work of Seale Harris. That company is Lite for Life.

The company currently distributes its programs and products from 14 locations; we are expanding nationwide from our Northern California base. The Lite for Life program recognizes that nothing builds motivation for success better than personal support and counseling. Our centers are conveniently located so you can visit your counselor as much as you need to get the results you want.

At Lite for Life, we customize our program to meet your needs. There is nothing extreme or faddish about our diet. There are no expensive contractual agreements to buy packaged food. Instead we teach you to eat fresh, delicious, nutritious food, lose weight, keep it off, and feel healthier and more energetic..


About Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness got its start in 1992 when Michael Grondahl acquired a struggling gym. He reduced membership prices to compete against better-known brands and focused on serving occasional or first-time gym users. Every Planet Fitness location holds a pizza night for members once a month, as well as a bagel morning, and Tootsie Rolls are available at all times.
Planet Fitness strives to promote health in a respectful atmosphere. For over a decade, Planet Fitness has gone to great lengths to provide its members with a friendly space to work out. We call it the Judgment Free Zone. We discourage weight dropping and obnoxious grunting so you can focus on your own workout and not the person next to you.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a single Planet Fitness facility ranges from $968,100 to $3,072,000 if you finance your equipment.
This includes $48,000 to $297,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
If you choose to purchase your equipment, the total investment necessary to begin operation of a single Planet Fitness facility ranges from $1,500,000 to $4,113,000.
This includes $295,000 to $912,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
These estimated initial investment ranges also apply to each location that you develop under the Area Development Agreement (plus the Area Development Fee you pay at the time you sign the Area Development Agreement). If you sign an Area Development Agreement, you must develop one or more Planet Fitness facilities, and you will pay an Area Development Fee of $10,000 per planned location (paid in full when you sign the Area Development Agreement) in addition to the then-current initial franchise fee due for each location at the time the Franchise Agreement for that location is signed.

"Entrepreneur

#7 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#8 in Franchise 500 for 2021.