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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Contours Express vs Fit Zone For Women 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 | $100,100 - $150,450 |
Franchise Fee | $12,500 | $25,000 |
Royalty Fee | $395/mo. | Varies |
Advertising Fee | - | - |
Year Founded | 1998 | 2003 |
Year Franchised | 1998 | 2006 |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 5 years |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 5 years |
Renewal Fee | - | - |
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 | - |
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) | - |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | - | - |
Canada Expansion | No | No |
International Expansion | Yes | No |
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.
Just ask any of our tens of thousands of club members. As soon as they laid eyes on a Fit Zone for Women health club, they knew it was exactly what they had been looking for. That is why most of our franchisees were originally members of a Fit Zone For Women club! Fit Zone For Women is the ONLY health club that was designed exclusively for women, by women. Gretchen Shannon, our President and CEO, along with a panel of female health experts, designed Fit Zone For Women to be the only full facility health club for women. From the exclusive Nautilus For Women strength training equipment to our cardio machines and group exercise classes, Fit Zone is a REAL HEALTH CLUB, just without men. This is why Fit Zone For Women is one of the fastest growing health club franchises in the United States today.