Guerilla marketing powers GYMGUYZ franchisee to ROI in 4 months

The first six months as a franchisee of GYMGUYZ, the mobile-fitness brand that offers in-home personal training on demand, have been full of very little pain and almost all gain for 24-year-old Sam Langer. Since becoming the first GYMGUYZ franchise last March, the native of Westchester County, N.Y., already has made back his investment for his first truck and gym equipment and is looking to expand rapidly by adding more mobile gyms and coaches. Langer said his all-in initial investment, including the $20,000 franchise fee, totaled between $60,000 and $65,000. He recouped the franchise fee in slightly less than two months, Langer said, and made back the rest of the investment by the end of his fourth month in business. “I didn’t expect this right off the bat, but we’re obviously happy we were able to get our return on investment that quickly,” Langer said. “I think it’s about being persistent and treating all our customers and clients with respect.” The fast payback on his investment has accelerated Langer’s growth plans, he said. He currently employs five coaches and has three vans, and he intends to add more of both as soon as possible. “It’s helped us put a lot of money back into the business, no question,” he said. He and partner James Bonnavita credit the intensity with which they advertised their GYMGUYZ franchise for driving the top line in the first six months of business. Josh York, founder of GYMGUYZ, called Langer the best example of how the personal-training franchise’s turnkey system works. “Being profitable in two to four months is almost unheard of in franchising, and it’s because of the business model,” York said. “Sam is killing it, because he’s been great at knowing where to market and what is worth his time. We’ve worked with him to know when to bring on more coaches and when to acquire the next truck for more clients.” In addition to the corporate market of Long Island, N.Y., and Langer’s franchise territory in Westchester County, GYMGUYZ also has a franchise serving Overland Park, Kan., and another franchisee signed to soon service Peachtree, Ga. In addition to training clients like high school athletes, spouses exercising together at home, or parents trying to fit in a workout after putting their kids to bed, Langer has aggressively pursued group training business with guerilla marketing. He has knocked on dozens of doors at retirement homes and youth centers to meet activity directors, canvassed malls and train stations with flyers, and served as a vendor at bridal expos. Training sessions he conducts at senior centers, for instance, usually involve 12 to 18 clients and work on their flexibility and on slightly elevating their heart rates with low-impact exercises. Langer also runs a group training session at Phelps Memorial Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., for doctors, nurses and administrators. “We want to make sure our coaches stay busy by having clients and groups to train throughout the day,” Langer said. “When our days are full and we need to buy more vans, we’ll buy more vans. But building up that mid-day business is important, and that will mean reaching out even more to those places like retirement homes and youth rec centers.”