Josh Biba and Josh Hettiger Turn Athletic Backgrounds Into Business Ownership With Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs

Josh Biba and Josh Hettiger are former athletes who have transitioned their athletic passions into fitness-based franchise ownership. Both are operators of their own units of Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs, a Midwestern-based fitness brand with a franchise model tailored to fit athletic-minded individuals.

Biba is now a multi-unit owner franchisee and Hettiger is an owner and operator in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

Both Hettiger and Biba developed a passion for the business side of fitness through Jason Markowicz, the founder of Fit For You Franchising. “What Jason has taught us is that culture should be a number one priority,” Biba said. “If we can make our members and our team feel like a million bucks, that’s a powerful thing for us.”

Biba worked as a personal trainer before joining the Fitness Premier team. “I wasn’t really into the sales side of the business and the pushiness of the role,” he said. “I love how you get a piece of the pie with Fitness Premier and are handed a playbook on how to run a business.” He now has aspirations to open “as many Fitness Premier’s as possible” after seeing how quickly the brand has grown, and how accommodating it is to his athletic-based passions.

Hettiger brings a rich athletic background to the Fitness Premier team, having been a three-sport athlete in high school and going on to play college football at Saint Xavier University. His athletic and academic future took a hit when COVID-19 put the world on hold, but an opportunity to work in sports performance eventually revealed itself. “It was never something I thought I’d do,” he said.

“Then, the Fitness Premier concept was introduced to me, and it fit. Every day is something new, and it’s great,” Hettiger said.

Both Hettiger and Biba strive to help Fitness Premier reach 100 locations. Biba believes the model is on track to see exponential growth in the near future. “I started 2 years ago when Fitness Premier had 7 locations and now we’re getting to 15. We’re finding the right people to grow,” he said.

In targeting athletic-minded individuals for franchise growth, the Fitness Premier brand has capitalized on a motivated team of franchisees that are vested in the growth of both clients and the brand itself. Hettiger and Biba have taken on advisory roles with the brand, in addition to servicing their own units with premier service.

“I help lead introductory meetings with leads and walk them through the process,” Hettiger said. “I explain to prospective franchisees what it means to be your own boss and the day-to-day responsibilities of franchise ownership. I want to give them that confidence to do it, like Jason did for me,” he added.

Fitness Premier continues to pursue market growth through like-minded franchisees that are committed to collective growth. Biba and Hettiger have laid a framework for sustained expansion for the emerging brand, and their initial guidance from Markowicz has progressed into a full-service role as an ambassador for others.

About Fit For You Franchising: 

Fit For You Franchising is a franchisee-first franchisor and franchisee consultancy. It is the franchisor behind low-cost group-fitness franchise fitWAVE as well as Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs, a larger-box fitness brand. As a franchisee consultancy, Fit For You offers guidance for future franchisees on finding the best fit for their personal and financial goals. Fit For You is run by Jason Markowicz, a former multi-unit franchise owner of Massage Envy and current developer of Prose Nails, a membership-based nail salon. For more information, visit https://fitforyoufranchising.com/

About Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs: 

Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs is a fast-growing, 14-location, group-workout gym concept that creates a community with its staff and guests. Backed by franchise executive, Jason Markowicz and his franchisee-focused corporate team, Fitness Premier differentiates itself with great people, culture, and systems compounded by a growth focus in strategic yet smaller markets where some fitness brands would not think to grow. To learn more about franchise opportunities, visit https://1851franchise.com/fitforyoufranchising.