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Updated RecentlyContours Express vs Lite For Life Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Contours Express vs Lite For Life 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 | $55,500 - $122,700 |
| Franchise Fee | $12,500 | $20,000 |
| Royalty Fee | $395/mo. | 5% |
| Advertising Fee | - | - |
| Year Founded | 1998 | 1978 |
| Year Franchised | 1998 | 2003 |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 10 years |
| Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 10 years |
| Renewal Fee | - | $1K |
Business Experience Requirements |
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| Experience | - | - |
Financing Options |
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| In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
| Franchise Fees | No/No | No/No |
| Start-up Costs | No/No | No/No |
| Equipment | No/Yes | No/No |
| Inventory | No/No | No/No |
| Receivables | No/No | No/No |
| Payroll | No/No | No/No |
Training & Support |
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| 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 | Newsletter, Meetings, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives |
| Marketing | Ad slicks | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, Regional advertising |
| 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) |
0% of all franchisees own more than one unit
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
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| US Expansion | - | Yes |
| Canada Expansion | No | No |
| International Expansion | Yes | No |
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 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.