Planet Fitness vs Polestar Pilates Studio Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Planet Fitness Franchise
Polestar Pilates Studio Franchise
Investment $968,100 - $4,113,000$121,750 - $196,950
Franchise Fee $20,000$24,900
Royalty Fee 7% of Gross Membership Fees6%
Advertising Fee 9%1.5%
Year Founded 19921998
Year Franchised 20032015
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Planet Fitness Franchise
Polestar Pilates Studio Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options

 
Planet Fitness Franchise
Polestar Pilates Studio Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/Yes
Start-up Costs No/No-/Yes
Equipment No/Yes-/Yes
Inventory No/No-/Yes
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support

 
Planet Fitness Franchise
Polestar Pilates Studio Franchise
Training * Available at headquarters: 2 weeks * At franchisee's location: as neededOn-The-Job Training: 11 hours Classroom Training: 29 hours
Support * Newsletter * Meetings * Toll-free phone line * Grand opening * Internet * Security/safety procedures * Field operations/evaluations * Purchasing cooperativesPurchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection
Marketing * Co-op advertising * Ad slicks * Regional advertisingCo-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
Operations * 40% of all franchisees own more than one unit * Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (70% of current franchisees are owner/operators)Absentee Ownership Allowed Number of Employees Required to Run: 4

Expansion Plans

 
Planet Fitness Franchise
Polestar Pilates Studio Franchise
US Expansion YesYes
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion -Yes

Company Overviews

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.

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About Polestar Pilates Studio

Polestar is an International authority with educators across 50 countries and education facilities in over 28 countries. Polestar has developed a low-cost, high-return business model for entrepreneurs and aspiring studio owners to meet the demands created by increasing health awareness and interests.