Top 5 Outdoor Fitness Franchises in the UK
Cara Squires, writer
Want to stay active, embark on a new professional challenge and turn your love of fitness into a profitable business? You’d likely be the perfect “fit” for a fitness franchise investment. Some of the most successful UK fitness franchises are based solely or partly outdoors, and in this article, you’ll discover five of your best options when it comes to working outdoors and keeping people healthy and active.
The UK’s outdoor fitness industry is massive, and the wider fitness world is even bigger - when you invest in this sector, you’ll find that plenty of demand for your services awaits. There are currently over 7.2 thousand health and fitness clubs in the UK, with a combined total of over 10 million members [Statista]. If you want to become an outdoor fitness coach, what are you waiting for?
What is an outdoor fitness business?
An outdoor fitness business does what it says on the tin. Generally speaking, it focuses on providing fitness sessions and supporting the fitness of customers in an outdoor setting (or an indoor setting with outdoor options also available). It’s like a gym franchise, but a little more in touch with nature.
Some outdoor fitness franchise networks target their sessions towards adults, while others make them more kid-friendly and teaching-focused, and some are fully aimed at children’s physical education. Each one of these sub-sectors of industry can be extremely viable and profitable, so it’s all about finding the type of investment that suits you, first and foremost.
The 5 best outdoor fitness franchises in the UK
Some of the outdoor fitness franchise investment opportunities that you’ll find below are all about the great outdoors. Some run sessions indoors and outdoors. Some run online sessions which customers might choose to do indoors or outdoors at home. Read on, and discover the wide spectrum of options available to you...
>> Read more:
- 5 Advantages of Running a Sports, Fitness or Gym Franchise
- The Best Around-The-Clock Fitness Franchises in the UK
- How to Start Your Own Outdoor Fitness Business
- Q&A: Does Planet Fitness Franchise in the UK?
- Sector Spotlight: The CEOs Whipping the Sports, Fitness, and Gym Industry Into Tip-Top Shape
- 6 Tips for Building a Business Plan for a Successful Sports, Fitness, or Gym Franchise
1. SportsCool
SportsCool’s mantra is this: Educate. Motivate. Participate. The growing sports teaching franchise works with kids up and down the UK, delivering outdoor sessions designed to get them excited about and engaged with exercise.
- Becoming a SportsCool franchisee: You don’t need any specific experience to become a franchisee, just a passion for sports and a strong desire to build your own business and put in the hard work.
- How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £24,995, with a royalty fee charged at £600 a month.
- What you get for your investment: You’ll receive accountancy, set-up and HR support, along with all the equipment, training and knowledge that you need. You’ll also have many opportunities to further your professional development.
2. Kixx
Kixx, founded in 2011, teaches kids between the ages of 18 months and 10 years football and movement skills. The franchise is all about promoting a healthy lifestyle from a young age (and providing kids with a chance to hone their social skills along the way).
- Becoming a Kixx franchisee: The ideal Kixx franchisee can come from any background. They just need to be passionate about sport and committed to having a positive impact on their local community/the kids they coach.
- How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £5,000, with a total investment cost of £14,995 and an operating fee charged at 20%.
- What you get for your investment: You’ll receive a comprehensive programme of initial and ongoing training covering all aspects of running a Kixx franchise, along with access to bespoke marketing assistance and dedicated head office support.
3. Sport Works
Sport Works is one of the UK’s leading primary sports academies. Founded in 2009, the business started franchising in 2013 and has been expanding across the UK ever since. There are now 11 active Sports Works franchisees, and the company welcomes more.
- Becoming a Sport Works franchisee: You don’t need prior industry experience, but you will need plenty of passion and dedication, the determination to build a successful franchise business and the desire to better your local community.
- How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £12,950.
- What you get for your investment: You’ll enjoy two days of expert initial training at head office, followed by all the support and guidance you need with everything from social media and telemarketing to tendering and contract documentation.
>> Read more:
- 5 Advantages of Franchising for Young People
- 9 Things to Know Before Becoming a Franchisee
- Mythbusters: Common Misconceptions About What Makes a Successful Franchisee
- 5 Great Reasons to Become a Franchisee
- Franchising 101: Are You Ready to Become a Franchisee?
- Franchising 101: 6 Things to Know Before Becoming a Franchisee
4. Busylizzy
Busylizzy puts the focus on making fitness fun for busy mums and their little ones. Founded back in 2011, there are now 14 Busylizzy studio locations across the UK and customers can choose to attend sessions either in person or online - whatever works best for them!
- Becoming a Busylizzy franchisee: You don’t need experience in the fitness and baby sectors, but you should be self-motivated and determined with a can-do attitude and a genuine passion for creating a great customer experience.
- How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £7,500, with franchise fees of £18,500, a total investment cost of £27,200 and advertising and royalty fees charged at 2.5% and 9.5% respectively.
- What you get for your investment: You’ll receive a comprehensive programme of initial and ongoing training, and all support you need (with operations, marketing, website creation, lead generation and more) to succeed.
Enjoy running your own business in the outdoor fitness sector
If you love the outdoors but you’d like to step in from the cold for a minute and consider your indoor, gym-based options, Point Franchise is here to help. Check out articles exploring the post-COVID gym sector and a day in the life of the owner of a gym franchise, and look into franchises like 9Round and Hybrid Fitness as a jumping-off point.
Cara Squires, writer