Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs Supports Franchisees Through Passionate, Creative Leadership

Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs, the 19-unit gym franchise, has built a network of successful franchisees and individual clubs that work to serve otherwise underserved communities. While many of the communities Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs enters are happy to have access to fitness facilities at all, the franchisor’s robust support system and innovative approach to the industry is what allows franchisees to stand out even more in their communities, allowing each owner (and the larger system) to build a loyal fan base and become highly celebrated in the community.

“We have strategic partnerships and experts across the leadership team here at Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs,” explained Jason Markowicz, founder and CEO. “Those are things that any successful brand will have in place. But what truly sets us apart, and allows us to rise above the competition, is the passion that we have for the mission. Everyone in this system is dedicated to the vision we have for Fitness Premier, and having that heart provides an extra ‘spark’ to our strategy and support that can’t be manufactured.”

Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs approaches its support strategy from all angles, and this is what makes it so powerful.

With a Range of Different Strengths, Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs Ensures Each Person Is Able to Shine

In a system as varied and wide-reaching as Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs’, there is an incredible range of responsibilities to be managed, and one of the most crucial steps the franchisor has taken is to work to keep team members in positions that they are passionate about. With this, they enjoy their roles but are also positioned to succeed, which benefits the entire network and serves to propel the brand forward.

“I’m definitely better on the customer service side, and I feel like Jason saw that and pulled me into a role that would play to my strengths,” said Kristina Scardine, Director of Franchise Support. “And that’s still what I do to this day.”

“Right person, right place,” added Kathy Mecklenburg, VP of Finance and HR.

Full-Circle Administrative Support

With all of these “right people” in their respective places, the Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs leadership team has been able to build a corporate team that can provide full-circle support for franchisees, allowing them to funnel their energy into their clubs, members and future goals.

“One of the big things that stands out for me is that, when we do our meet and greets with the franchisees, they’re always shocked at how much support we provide them,” added Mecklenburg. “We manage all of their bill pay, we record their income, we are their HR department and their IT department. We can be as hands-on or hands-off as they want, but our focus is to support them in working in the club and driving the business, so we take care of everything else on the back end.”

A major aspect of this support is the availability and maintenance of integrated technology systems. As a local gym, Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs’ ability to compete with big-box concepts in terms of the technology available to franchisees and members is a key differentiator.

A Technology-Forward Approach

In addition to internal-facing technology that connects franchisees to the corporate team and the rest of the system, Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs has rolled out an in-club kiosk to provide even more support to both new and existing members. Because the concept is truly 24/7, there are periods of time when the clubs are unstaffed, and with the new kiosks, members and potential members can engage with Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs when and how they like.

“Jason [Markowicz] and Rick [King] do a really great job of staying on top of industry trends and understanding where the fitness world is going,” added Scardine. “One big pain point that we saw was that members don’t always want face-to-face conversation. They want it to be easy to freeze or cancel a membership, and non-members want to be able to sign up without having to go through the whole sales process.”

For a non-member looking to sign up, the kiosk provides prompts that ask which exercises they are interested in and what other amenities they may want access to. After watching a short video, the kiosk uses information gleaned from the individual’s previous selections to suggest the membership that will be the best fit for them. This process can take as little as five minutes, and it’s the perfect solution for a person who wants to feel empowered to complete the registration process without outside influence from an employee.

“This gives us a real opportunity to take the pressure out of the sales situation but still get people to the program that’s going to benefit them most,” said King. 

“Our members can sign up and even schedule their first personal training appointment, and they’re able to do it on their own with the kiosk kind of working quietly alongside them,” added Scardine. “That was a really big point of conversation for us last year, and the kiosks have been a great solution.”

Keeping Up with Trends in an Ever-Changing Industry

Running a local business can be demanding, so Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs works to keep timely conversations going at the leadership team. With this, initiatives like the kiosks can be thought up, planned and implemented, allowing franchisees to continue focusing on their individual club without falling behind what the members may be looking for.

“We try things that have failed — we’re not afraid to try something new,” said Mecklenburg. “But we also have tried a lot of things that do work. We’re constantly evolving and looking for another way to add value.”

This year, the system began implementing Relax and Restore areas which provide an outlet for the current focus on recovery. For years, the fitness industry was focused on hard workouts as a way to get results, but more recently, people have begun to understand the importance of relaxation and recovery in a long-term fitness journey.

“We stay on top of those industry trends. With something like Relax and Restore, you see those amenities available at the big-box gyms, but not everyone wants to or can afford to spend $200 on a monthly gym membership,” said Scardine. “We try to think about how we can pull this new focus into our smaller markets to make the resources affordable and accessible to our members.”

Keeping up with these trends supports franchisees in driving membership growth and loyalty from existing members, but the team has also looked beyond the club for more innovative strategies.

This year, Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs launched its brand ambassador program, which builds a community of people dedicated to living their lives to the fullest. Brand ambassadors share their fitness journeys online, providing an inside look at their individual workouts, personal training sessions, use of Relax and Restore amenities and even nutrition ideas. 

Fitness influencers have become incredibly popular in recent years, amassing millions of followers across multiple platforms, and Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs saw an opportunity to join in on the fun and secure their share of the attention.

“The Brand Ambassador role is crucial,” said Jillyan Morris, franchise success manager. “We definitely want to highlight that first-hand experience from our dedicated members. If we already have those people who love the brand within our facility, why not leverage their voices across different social media platforms and build brand awareness?” 

As it continues to grow, it is this open-minded, full-circle franchisee support approach that has allowed the brand to stay true to its roots, demonstrate the true passion of the leadership team and everyone in the system, allow franchisees to scale and provide an unmatched fitness experience to members in its communities. 

Next year, Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs will work to bring its presence to even more communities across the nation, specifically focusing on markets in Wisconsin, Iowa, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia and Ohio.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://ownafitnesspremier.com/