In 2015, Jarrett Slaney and Paul Smith brought a new fitness concept to Toronto’s Liberty Village. The concept: an Australian company with a unique approach to integrating technology into group training classes in an effort to bridge the gap between personal training and DIY gyms. The studio was a tremendous success and quickly sparked the interest of many passionate investors in the fitness industry.
In 2016, F45 Training grew to 10 locations across the country and continued to inspire people to be more active, more engaged, and focused on adding a social component to their workout regime.
As the studio numbers grew, so did the awareness. By the end of 2018, there were almost 50 locations open across the country, with many more underway.
Fast forward to present day, where F45 is positioned to have over 200 locations in Canada and over 2,000 globally by the end of the year. The main factor in the brand’s growth is the success of the studios. Each time we open a new location, the franchisees quickly pass the break-even member targets and often become profitable within the first few months.
The studios continue to grow and word of the amazing product and community spreads through the area. As a result, we see increased demand from potential franchisees, interested in making their own life-changing investment and being able to follow their passions every single day.
Our franchisee network is an extremely close-knit group of like-minded people, all of whom are working towards a shared goal of making an amazing fitness product available to everyone. F45 franchisees share best practices and insights through network events, social channels, and training seminars, and are all constantly driving to increase the brand’s presence in their markets.
Jarrett Slaney, Canada’s first F45 franchisee, is now involved in six locations. He has directly experienced F45’s unprecedented growth, not just in the number of locations, but in the number of people attending those locations. Here are some of his insights into being an F45 franchisee:
1. What made you decide to bring F45 Training to Canada?
I used to live in Australia, where my good friend opened a few studios very early on. He convinced me to look into the business model further. Another friend and I decided to make the trip to Australia to see it in action. Once we experienced F45 for ourselves, we were instantly hooked and knew we had to be the first ones in Canada to open. We met with Rob [Deutsch, CEO] and the rest is history.
2. What excites you most about the business?
The continued innovation from HQ, the benefits and results our members experience, and the growth of the brand around the world.
3. What do you think makes F45 Training so special?
I could go on and on. The obvious innovations and workouts, the real-life transformations our members experience, and the fact our members don’t leave. F45 is addicting and life-changing.
4. Why do you think the boutique fitness industry is growing so quickly?
I think a lot of it has to do with the personal touch and human interaction we have with each and every one of our members. Our members spend so much of their personal time with us that we get to know them on a much deeper level. Smaller studios offer a great place to not only reach your goals, but also meet new friends. You can’t get these type of relationships at big box gyms.
As the F45 brand continues to expand, we are seeing increased demand across Canada. With this momentum, we are able to make premium fitness available to more people, get more Canadians moving again, and change more lives.
Canadians are getting busier, spare time is rare and often people do not prioritize physical activity. According to a recent study, Canadians are getting less healthy and that is a trend we can overcome with F45.
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