Tricks to Becoming a Big Franchise Brand: A Conversation with Anytime Fitness

Making the transition from an emerging to an established franchise brand can be a challenging one. Not only is it rare for franchises to cross the milestone 100-unit mark—it’s even more of an accomplishment when brands are able to take that momentum and continue growing to establish a presence that spans thousands of locations across the globe. So, what does it take to be one of those big brands? 1851 Franchise caught up with Chuck Runyon, the co-founder and CEO behind one of the fastest growing concepts in the fitness industry—Anytime Fitness—to learn more not only about how the brand is excelling in its segment, but how it's become a rapidly expanding leader in the industry overall.

1851 Franchise: What advice do you have for other franchisors—in any industry—that are trying to become a big, established brand?  

Chuck Runyon, co-founder and CEO of Anytime Fitness: When you boil it down, the two things that matter most are franchisee profitability and trust. If you listen to franchisees and put their success first, franchisees will buy more units and growth will follow. The best leaders understand that nobody is an expert at everything. If you surround yourself with good people, and you lead by setting a good example, you’ll give your team the best possible opportunity to realize its fullest potential.

1851: In your opinion, what are the things that brands absolutely need in order to become a large concept?   

Runyon: Proven consumer appeal, a business model that reduces human variability through automation and repeatable processes in a steady or growing sector. Nobody likes unpleasant surprises. You need to provide your customers with the products and services they enjoy – whenever they want them and however they prefer them. And then, when their preferences change, you need to be nimble enough to accommodate those changes.     

1851: Do you have any tips or tricks that have helped Anytime Fitness become a big brand?  

Runyon: Most brands understand the importance of designing a better consumer experience. But most companies stop there—and that’s a big mistake. We design a better experience for all of our stakeholders – members, franchisees, employees, vendors and even our board members. And we’re always nurturing these groups by investing in, and living, our core values: People, Purpose, Profits and Play.   

1851: Now that Anytime Fitness has become such an established concept, how are you continuing to build on that momentum to maintain your position as a brand to beat?  

Another secret to our success has been to balance a micro and macro mindset. Do we think strategically about leading a global network of nearly 4,000 clubs? Yes, of course.  But if you only think about the big numbers, you’ll lose sight of the small numbers—and that’s what the big numbers are made of. That’s why we still think about the franchisee in Omaha, or the member walking into our club in Madrid, and we ask ourselves, “How can we further assist that single-unit owner with running a profitable business, or how can we help that member gain more education, motivation or achieve progress from working out at Anytime Fitness?” We grew from 10 clubs to 20 clubs by focusing on individuals. If we hope to grow from 4,000 to 8,000 clubs, we need to do the same thing.