A Day in the Life: What It Takes to Run an Energie Fitness Franchise

Becky Martin, writer

Published at 19/07/2018, Updated on 21/11/2024 , Reading time: 6 min

A Day in the Life: What It Takes to Run an Energie Fitness Franchise — Photo © energie-gym-franchise.jpg

This is just one edition of our ‘day in the life’ series! Read on to find out more about what it’s like to run your own énergie Fitness franchise.

If you’ve always been a fitness fanatic and dreamed of owning your own business, starting an énergie Fitness franchise could be your next exciting career move.

The value of the UK fitness industry is higher than ever, as it’s now worth in excess of £5 billion. More than 10 million of us (one in seven) have gym memberships now. Thanks to the increased nationwide awareness of health, incredibly low prices and no-strings-attached memberships, gyms have never been more popular. There’s clearly never been a better time to invest in a gym franchise, so read on to discover whether énergie Fitness is the franchise opportunity for you.

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What is énergie Fitness?

Since its launch in 2003, énergie has become the UK’s leading gym franchise. Its excellent service, state-of-the-art equipment and affordable prices made sure it went down a storm with gym-goers across the UK. And, with more than 100 clubs to choose from, the brand’s success is clear to see. But what can you expect when you own your own énergie Fitness franchise?

A day in the life of an énergie Fitness franchisee

1. Protect and maintain the brand philosophy. énergie Fitness has four guiding principles:

Integrity - being ethical and honest in everything it does. Innovation - finding new and creative ways to achieve goals. Fun - creating an environment where people can feel connected and have fun. Accountability - making sure that it does what it says it will.

This year, énergie Fitness was the winner of the BFA-HSBC Franchise Awards 2019 for Brand Awareness & Innovation. As a franchisee, it would be your job to ensure that your franchise location keeps up with the high standards already set by the brand.

2. Interact with members and make sure they have a great experience at the gym. Use your drive, focus and passion to help transform the lives of your members every day.

3. Speak to one of énergie Fitness’ franchisee relationship managers or someone from the énergie helpdesk. You don’t have to worry about struggling in silence with this fitness franchise, as it truly cares about your success.

Advantages of becoming an énergie Fitness franchisee

Take part in a comprehensive initial training programme. When you become an énergie franchisee, you'll attend a five-day training course that covers everything you need to run your business successfully. You’ll also meet with the support team to develop your business plan and strategy before you open the doors to your new gym.
You’ll get assistance with site selection. With so much competition in the fitness industry, finding the ideal location for your gym is crucial to your success. To ensure that you secure the best possible premises, the énergie property team will use high-level territory mapping software and detailed demographic information. They’ll also help you with lease negotiation, as well as project management of the refurbishment and fit-out of your gym.
The support never stops! As well as your initial training, the énergie training academy will supply you with all the necessary ongoing assistance to enable the smooth operation of your club. There are plenty of courses, online and face-to-face, that both you and your employees can use to improve your technical and personal development training. In case you have any issues or questions that you need answering immediately, there is a dedicated énergie help desk available 24/7. The exceptional support that is on offer for all aspects of your business is second to none and will help to take much of the worry out of starting a franchise.
You can share experiences with other franchisees. Sometimes, the best way to learn is through the experience and know-how of our peers. énergie understands this and so holds quarterly development meetings to bring the énergie network together. These meetings offer an excellent opportunity for you to share stories, feedback and successes with your fellow franchisees and the énergie Head Office team. Once a year, you’ll also get to network with other franchisees in a more relaxed environment at the énergie gala dinner. This is a chance for everyone to get together to motivate, inspire and celebrate.
Supplier discounts. énergie Fitness has developed solid relationships with industry-leading suppliers and therefore benefits from discounts on signage, gym equipment, marketing materials and more.

Challenges of being an énergie Fitness franchisee

Spending at lot of your time at the premises. Unless you plan to hire staff to do everything from the outset (which is quite unlikely), we can safely say you’ll be spending lots of time at the gym. So, you’ve got to be passionate about working out and seeing people achieve their fitness goals.
Working long/unsociable hours. On weekdays, énergie Fitness gyms are open from 6am till 10.30pm. This is great news for students and working professionals who need the gym to fit around their job. But it also means you can’t be afraid of getting up at the crack of dawn and staying until night-time. If you’re passionate about the business, the prospect of this should be less daunting and more exciting! And, once you’ve found your feet, you will be able to delegate more responsibly to staff and enjoy more flexibility with your own working hours.

In their own words

Josh Waters, the Erith franchisee supports the brand:

"I researched every single gym franchise opportunity but then I met the head office team and it felt like a family. I agree with the énergie model, the investment costs were good, some of the head office team played a big part in it as well. We turned a profit from day one and hit our original five-year business plan within our first month. Our highest turnover in a single month has been just shy of 63K and I’m now actively looking for my second site.”

Become an énergie Fitness franchise owner

You don’t need to have any previous experience of working in the fitness industry to become an énergie franchisee. What you do need, though, is drive, determination and the dedication to commit the time and energy required to make your business a success.

The core values of the énergie brand are aligned with the type of franchisee that this gym franchise is seeking. If you have integrity, are innovative and have a desire to go the extra mile for your customers, all while having fun, then you’ll be the perfect fit for énergie.

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What’s the investment?

Depending on the size and location of your énergie gym, the franchise fee could vary from £40,000 to £150,000. You’ll also need to fund an additional £15,000 to £25,000 as a contribution towards back-office functions such as marketing and ongoing support. Don’t forget that you should also factor in working capital when considering your total investment.

If you think that you’re strong enough to flex your entrepreneurial skills and make an énergie franchise a success, then this could be the franchise business opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

Start your own énergie Fitness franchise

If you like the sound of this franchise opportunity, you can request a free information pack here. Want to operate in Ireland? You can get started here at Point Franchise.