* Calculations use average data for Russia

1. INTRODUCTION

Fitness is a branch of sports services that actively developed in Russia in the late 90s and early 2000s. The first fitness clubs appeared in Moscow back in the early 90s. In the narrow and generally accepted sense, fitness is a health-improving technique that allows you to change the shape of the body and its weight and consolidate the results achieved for a long time. It includes physical training, in some cases in combination with a properly selected diet. The main and most popular types of fitness include the following:

• Step aerobics
• Aqua aerobics
• Fitness roller skating
• Pole dance ( pole dance)
• Pump aerobics
• Belly dance
• Callanetics
• nordic walking
• crossfit
• Fitball aerobics
• Pilates
• fitness yoga
• slide aerobics
• Fitbox
• Stretching
• Zumba aerobics

2. MARKET ANALYSIS

Fitness is part of the sports and recreation services market, which, in turn, is part of the paid services market. Paid services are important part in the structure of household spending. However, in terms of the share of paid services in the structure of gross per capita expenditure, Russia lags far behind developed countries. First of all, this is due to the relatively low level of income and the large share of food costs in them. With an increase in income, the share of spending on food will decrease, and the share of spending on paid services will increase.

Experts note a constant drop in real disposable incomes of the population since 2014; only in the first quarter of 2016 they fell by 3.7%. This fall caused a 4.3% reduction in household spending, which, in turn, negatively affected the dynamics of GDP - it led to a fall in gross domestic product by 1.2% in annual terms.

At the same time, according to analysts (Rosstat and the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation), the consumption of paid services is highly stable against the backdrop of falling demand for goods (primarily durables) - in 2015, demand for services fell by only 2%, in while the retail contraction was 10%. The volume of the paid services market in 2015 (the results of 2016 are still being summed up) amounted to 7.9 trillion rubles, which corresponds to 17.3% of the value added of the entire country's services market.

In the first half of 2016, the rate of decline in demand for paid services slowed down - the decline in demand amounted to 0.9% in annual terms. During certain months (February and May), positive growth rates were observed.

Figure 1. Dynamics of the real volume of paid services to the population in annual terms and the share of expenses for paying for services in consumer spending, %, 2013-2016

The largest consumption of paid services falls on three areas: housing and communal services (27.5%), transport services (19%), communication services (16.1%). Approximately 11% is accounted for by household services (maintenance and repair Vehicle, repair and construction of housing, etc.). The share of medical services (including health resorts) was about 8%, educational services - 6.8%. There is a decrease in the share of three key types of paid services from 65.3% in 2013 to 62.6% in 2015, while in the same period the shares of medical (from 6.9% to 8%) and educational (from 6. 2% to 6.8%) services.

Figure 2. Structure of paid services to the population, quarterly, %, 2013-2016

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The sports services market as a whole is experiencing certain difficulties, leading to a decline in its volumes. The decline that began in 2014 continues to this day. This is due to the general deterioration of the economic situation in the country. The annual growth up to 2014 was more than 25%, and the potential market capacity was estimated at $2 billion, despite the fact that the market is very far from saturation.

A significant part of the system physical education and sports are traditionally funded by the state. Until 2014, budget allocations grew steadily, although they were significantly below the level of developed countries, where about 2% of GDP is allocated to the industry. In Russia, this figure is almost ten times lower. Private investors are showing interest in the market, however, it was not very large even in the pre-crisis period. For the most part, the interest of private investors has more to do with personal interests and hobbies than with forming a profitable business.

All organizations operating in the sports and recreation services industry can be divided into two categories: commercial and non-commercial. The former are created for the purpose of making a profit, the latter are aimed at making sports services accessible to the poor. IN currently there is an imbalance in the market. State funding is directed primarily to the implementation of large-scale projects (construction of infrastructure for the 2018 FIFA World Cup), as well as to small sports structures and institutions (usually financed from the regional budget). Private investors invest in fitness clubs, whose share reaches 75% of the total investment.

The financial crisis and the fall in real incomes of the population in 2016 also had an impact on the fitness services sector. However, despite this negative impact, the market continued to grow. At the same time, its growth rates, according to some estimates, are very significant for the Russian economy. According to RBC Market Research, in 2015 the fitness services market grew by 14.1% in monetary terms and by 3.6% in real (natural) terms. The total market volume, including related areas (CrossFit, individual training) amounted to about 101.5 billion rubles at the end of the year.

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Figure 3. Dynamics of the volume of the fitness services market in Russia in 2015 prices, billion rubles, % (data from RBC Market research, CPI - Rosstat)

Despite the fact that the first fitness clubs appeared in the country in the early 90s, for a long time the market experienced certain difficulties in development. To a large extent, this is due to the fact that most fitness clubs developed in the high price segments - "Premium" and "Lux", the incomes of the population were relatively low, and the fitness services themselves were in little demand due to their low popularity. The target audience of fitness clubs was very narrow until the mid-2000s.

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Prices for fitness services this year increased by 4.8% compared to last year, which is not much compared to the increase in prices in the commodity segment and in the field of paid services in general. In general, the services market is distinguished by rather inertial pricing - in a crisis, prices rise quite smoothly, which, however, is compensated by their outstripping growth after the crisis is over and the economy stabilizes. Experts also attribute the low growth rate of prices in the fitness industry to their artificial containment by market players who are afraid of losing a significant part of the audience.

According to a survey of RBC experts, today 12.5% ​​of residents of Moscow and the Moscow region are engaged in fitness. At the same time, the involvement of residents of other world capitals (primarily developed countries) reaches 20-25%. This suggests that the fitness services market in Russia has significant development prospects, and its volume can be increased by at least two times.

According to various estimates, today there are 3.5-3.7 thousand fitness clubs in Russia, and the volume of the Russian fitness industry market is no more than 1% of the global market.

The fitness services market in Russia has a pronounced geographic diversification. There are four main areas: the capital region, where the market is most developed, St. Petersburg with a high level of development, million-plus cities with a young and relatively underdeveloped market, and other cities of Russia.

Cities with a large population are among the most promising for the development of the fitness industry. The market of million-plus cities (excluding Moscow and St. Petersburg) is estimated at the end of 2015 at 28.4 billion rubles, or 28% of the total volume. This suggests that the regional market is still far from saturation and has significant development prospects.

A characteristic feature of the Moscow region is a significant degree of market consolidation - a significant part of it is divided among several major players. In the regions, the situation is still different - the market is diversified, there is a large number of small players, including regional ones. However, with the further development of the market in the regions, one should expect the development of the capital scenario with the consolidation of the market and its division between several large network players.

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Also a popular scenario for the development of the fitness industry in the regions is a high proportion of franchising. The share of franchised fitness clubs in the regions is about 25%. The role of franchising can become decisive in the conditions of saturation of the capital markets and the need to develop regional markets. The advantages of franchising are obvious: a recognizable brand, the loyalty of landlords, the franchisor's assistance with the supply of equipment and staff training, automation of the management system, assistance in organizing the sales department, and even, in some cases, advertising support.

The advantage of a franchise - like large chains - is also that they have more tools to solve emerging problems, for example, a more flexible pricing system, a system of discounts on club cards and others, which allows them to attract large quantity clients.

One of the main factors limiting the development of the fitness industry in the regions for a long time was the lack of suitable space for rent, low interest and low incomes of the population. Since the late 2000s, more and more premises have begun to appear that meet the requirements of tenants, both through the construction of new commercial real estate facilities and through the repair of the old stock; incomes of the population have reached a level sufficient to consume the services of the fitness industry, while players of low price segments have begun to enter the market.

As for the highly competitive metropolitan markets, research has shown that even when highly saturated, they still have room for growth. First of all, this applies to fitness clubs with a subscription price of up to 50,000 rubles, that is, representatives of the Comfort, Economy and Low-Cost segments. Speaking of Moscow, one should also note the high saturation within the Central administrative district, while the outlying sleeping areas are practically not covered.

Table 1. Classification of fitness clubs in the capital region by prices

Figure 4. Structure of the fitness services market in Moscow and the Moscow Region, % of total revenue

The level of investment in opening a fitness club differs significantly depending on the price segment in which it plans to operate. The launch of a project in the Premium segment may require more than 200 million rubles, for the Business and Comfort segments this amount may be in the range of 80-100 million rubles, and for a small fitness studio - 5-7 million rubles.

Recently, related areas have also been actively developed - crossfit, individual training, EMS (electrical stimulation). EMS is now considered one of the most promising areas for franchise development. This segment developed from the medical field, in which electrical stimulation was used to rehabilitate people with problems. nervous system and musculoskeletal system. However, this direction is only gaining momentum, the revenue of EMS-studios is significantly lower than that of classic fitness clubs. Nevertheless, the direction is actively developing, the increase in the number of EMS-studios is significantly ahead of this indicator for fitness clubs.

Current events and changes in the fitness industry market include numerous closures and openings of clubs, as well as a change in location, which is associated with changes in rental conditions, cost and other factors. Many landlords do not meet the needs of anchor customers, which are often fitness clubs. Prices are often fixed in conventional units, which led to an increase in the cost of rent only in 2015 by 25-30%. Of course, not all players can compensate for such growth at the expense of their own profitability or translate the increase through an increase in prices for their services, and are forced to leave the market.

Factors contributing to the further growth of the market include the following:

Weak degree of penetration of fitness services into the domestic market - according to the latest data, only 3% of the population of Russia go in for fitness, while in developed countries this figure reaches 15%

The growing popularity of fitness as a global trend; annual audience growth rates are ahead of global indicators

State sports policy promotes a healthy lifestyle, which contributes to the penetration of fitness services

Weak development of fitness services in the regions

• For a significant part of the target audience, visiting a fitness club and purchasing an annual subscription is a demonstration of social status and belonging to a certain social group; even in times of crisis, this group of people is not ready to give up the services of fitness centers; First of all, this applies to the segments "Lux" and "Premium"

According to experts, the annual growth of the fitness services market can reach 22-25%. At the end of 2016, the figure is called + 15%.

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MyBodyTec franchise offer

Contact us in March and get special conditions: 50% is paid immediately, and 50% from the profit when your Studio is already firmly on its feet.

MyBodyTec fitness studio format

Video visit to MyBodyTec studio

Business model of MyBodyTec studio

The average check for training is 1,200 rubles.
The client visits the studio 3 times a week, i.e. 10-12 times a month. 1200*10=12000 rubles. Accordingly, 1 regular customer gives an income of 12-14 thousand rubles. 50 regular customers provide revenue of about 600-700 thousand rubles.
Excluding monthly expenses, the studio's net profit is more than 300 thousand rubles per month.

Shipping income healthy eating: 1 food ration gives a net profit of 300 rubles. A client orders an average of 25 rations per month. That is, 1 client brings 7,500 rubles of net profit. Even if only half of the studio's clients eat at your place, you will earn 7,500*25=187,500 rubles of net profit. We also give you other channels and tools to attract customers.

Additional income is provided by massage, solarium and sports nutrition(depending on what our partner puts in the studio.

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Investment required to open a MyBodyTec franchise business

Starting investment: from 2,000,000 rubles

Lump sum, sports equipment, furniture, interior, household items, consumables, household appliances, EMS simulator, room renovation.

Payback period: from 8 months
Turnover per month: from 650,000 rubles
Royalties: 5% of revenue, but not less than 25,000 rubles, starting from the 3rd month of work.
Lump sum: from 500 000 rubles

We are not focused on making money from a one-time payment, but on building a high-quality franchise network and on further mutual benefit. Therefore, we are not afraid to give value at the very beginning of our partnership, significantly exceeding the amount of a single payment. To show this clearly, we have detailed the main values ​​that we give, and after each value, we have indicated the average cost of this value in the market. Already after entering the business, our partner receives the following:

One Time Benefits

1. Brand book
In order for your project to be known, you will need a corporate name, several logo options, corporate colors, corporate fonts and other corporate identity elements. In addition to all this, the brand book includes the brand concept, description of the target audience, positioning of the company and other data that the marketing department and the business leader use to build communication with consumers and develop the company as a whole.
The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market: 40,000 rubles.

2. Website
Today it is quite difficult to imagine a company that does not have a website. A website is an obligatory attribute of presence in the market. This is not only a business card of the company, which is customary to provide when meeting a client, but also a distribution channel through which potential clients leave applications for services.
The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market is 50,000 rubles.

3. Customized contextual advertising
To create a flow of clients in the studio, it will be useful to set up the traffic of your target clients to the site. To do this, you need to carry out analytical work and correctly set up contextual advertising.

4. Legal basis
To ensure the legal security of the company, you will need contracts with customers, with employees, with the landlord, with suppliers, and so on. Otherwise, you will be at risk.

5. Marketing plan
The outcome of the business may depend on how correctly you determine the sites where your potential client will meet with your offer: successful or unsuccessful. When you enter new business, to draw up a working marketing plan, there is a test of sites to attract customers in order to identify effective ones and exclude ineffective ones. In the marketing plan, we immediately provide you with only proven and working channels.
A test of sites before effective ones are identified on the market can cost 50, 100, and 200 thousand rubles. The main thing is that it should not cost the project its life.

6. Marketing materials
After effective advertising platforms are identified, in order to “touch” with the client, it is required to place marketing materials on these platforms. These can be banners, posts selling texts, audio and video clips, articles and more. It also takes time, money and expertise to create them.
Working with us, you get:

• Professional video content filmed by Ren TV: 150,000 rubles.
• 4 edited videos from the Transformation project: 200,000 rubles.
• A set of layouts for advertising posts in social networks, banners, leaflets: 150,000 rubles.

7. Registered and issued accounts in social networks (Instagram, VKontakte)
In order to qualitatively represent the company in social networks and inspire confidence among consumers, it is necessary to design accounts in a modern way and fill them with high-quality content.
The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market: 12,000 rubles.

8. Financial plan of the project
In order to plan the initial investment, the payback period, as well as the monthly numerical indicators of the business, a financial plan is required that allows you to avoid surprises and “keep abreast” by comparing the numbers of the real picture and the one that should be. Otherwise, your path will be like "walking on mines" - complete uncertainty.
The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market: 10,000 rubles.

9. Studio design project
In order for the expected result to be obtained as a result of the repair and preparation of the premises, it is necessary to clearly represent this result. The best solution here is a design project: a graphic representation of your fitness studio. It includes a general drawing of the premises, a plan for arranging furniture and equipment, a development of the walls of the classrooms, an estimate for equipment and furniture for the studio, a specification of materials for repairs, 3D visualization of the main premises (entrance group, training room).
The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market is 30,000 rubles.

10. Training training process on the EMS simulator
Coaches are different for coaches, and as a result, the quality of the service may depend on the coach. In addition, training on the EMS simulator has its own characteristics. There are 2 ways to achieve quality, regardless of which trainer works: either independently comprehend the science of EMS training for a year, or learn from a more experienced friend. In the case of a franchise, we, of course, assume the 2nd option.
The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market is 20,000 rubles.

11. Reviews, interviews of clients and founders of the company
To inspire confidence in customers, you will need existing testimonials, interviews with customers and company founders.
Priceless: in the case of an independent launch, you simply will not have it.

12. Educational materials
The most important thing in business is doing the right thing and doing it right. To do this, in the process of trial and error, it is necessary to identify business processes that give results and describe them in job descriptions and training videos. During the year, we identified business processes related to marketing and sales, recruitment and training of personnel, motivation, financial accounting, financial allocation, service provision, PR, quality control and professional development, as well as company administration. And we spent another 3 months describing these already identified business processes in job descriptions.
Identified business processes: priceless. Perhaps we were lucky, but our experience is successful. In the case of an independent launch, there are no guarantees that you will be able to identify these business processes. Not for any money.
Average cost of writing job descriptions: 500,000 rubles.

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But more importantly, in total you get a successful business model.

When conducting a competitive analysis, we found that:

• the "MyBodyTec" model is the most successful of all the EMS studio models that we have seen (average net income from 300 thousand rubles per month)
• more than 90% of EMS studios earn 2-3 times less than us.
• more than 70% of EMS-studios, including franchised ones of our competitors, have not crossed the break-even point (hardly breaking even).

By running an EMS studio on your own, you run the risk of repeating the experience of this entrepreneur:

After paying a one-time payment and launching a studio in your city, nothing ends - everything just begins (like after a wedding).

Monthly Benefits

1. Centralized support and promotion of accounts in social networks
We connect you to unified system promotion and support, thanks to which your audience in social networks increases and loyalty grows. Does not preclude local account management.

The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market is 5,000 rubles per month.

2. Marketing materials
We do not stand still and constantly develop relevant advertising campaigns, promotions and offers. Some marketing materials are created specifically for PR. To do this, a marketer and a designer work monthly at the head office so that you have more customers. Even more.

The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market is 25,000 rubles per month.

3. Contextual advertising
Contextual advertising requires constant costs to keep your advertisement constantly spinning. In addition, in order for the effectiveness of an advertising campaign not to fall, but to increase, its maintenance and adjustment of advertising settings are required. We completely free you from this headache.

The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market is 10,000 rubles per month.

4. Legal support
Competent and competent lawyer - required condition for the legal protection of the company. However, it is not always possible for individual companies to constantly keep it in the state on an ongoing basis. If necessary, we provide you with legal support from a lawyer specializing in our field.

The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market: depends on the situation. A competent lawyer, like a good doctor, can be very expensive.

5. Multifaceted online support of the head office
Often in a new case, questions arise, no matter how well the materials are described. Good advice from an older comrade can be very useful in such a matter.

6. CRM for accounting and work with clients (Fitnes 365 with advanced functionality)
We have modified the existing product on the market to best suit the needs of the company. We register each partner in the program and teach how to use it. This will allow you to keep financial records, build up a customer base, provide customer service (sending sms before training) and more.

The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market: 2,000 rubles.

7. Consumables Warranty (EMS)
The average cycle of consumables is 500 workouts. If consumables fail earlier, while maintaining the presentation, we change them free of charge. The manufacturer does not provide such a guarantee.

The average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market: depends on the situation.

8. Closed forum for owners of "MyBodyTec" studios to exchange experiences
The experience of a group is always more than the experience of one person or company. Often, to resolve an issue or just to develop, you just need to chat with a colleague. Everyone has their own way of thinking. It is sometimes useful to look at a situation from a different angle.

Average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market: priceless.

Average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market: priceless.

10. Growing brand "MyBodyTec"
With every franchise outlet launched, every competition won, every performance, every article or interview, the strength of the brand you use will grow. And accordingly, popularity and trust among your customers will grow. And besides, it's just nice to know that in every corner of the country there are people who are doing the same thing as you.

Average cost of creating a product similar to ours on the market: priceless.

And more importantly...
Monthly contributions also include contributions to development, the benefits of which are shared by all partners. "MyBodyTec" is rapidly moving forward. For example, now we are developing a new website with a total cost of more than 200,000 rubles and improving contextual advertising settings, which will give you an even greater influx of customers. You do not need to waste time, money and nerves on these experiments and new developments that are necessary for development today. We take it upon ourselves. Ahead of the application for mobile devices and not only!

Then part of the text was adapted to their channel about EMS equipment on You Tube, and here you will read the most important information.

Why was the EMS studio franchising abandoned?

1. Expensive. Pay a lump-sum fee of 500-700 thousand rubles for the ems-studio brand, which no one knows in my city. And then every year from 180 thousand rubles in royalties.
2. No one gives guarantees for the development of your business. Statistically, franchised ems studios are more likely to sell out and close.
3. Franchise or not, you still do everything yourself
4. I know the specifics of the clients of my city better. I know where the audience I need works and lives.
5. Imposed ems-equipment. Each company that sells a studio franchise seeks to make money from the supply of ems equipment to a new franchisee.
6. Without a franchise, there is freedom of action and creativity. We with partners participated in all processes. It was exciting and inspiring!

What were the main questions we had to study: the concept of a fitness studio and the size of the room, the choice of ems

Either a small room and only personal EMS training, or Big hall, several showers and the opportunity to spend more workouts for every hour the studio is open.

When we started in the city of Yaroslavl, there were already two ems-studios with personal training. Therefore, we chose an option with the possibility of growth. We decided to conduct both personal and paired ems-trainings. The training room itself is 80 m2, twice the size of any personal training studio. And for starters, we made 3 individual locker rooms with their own showers.

We connected the online recording service, and it was possible to choose a trial training session for 1 person or a trial training session for a couple at once. The so-called split-training.

Thus, we have increased the number of incoming customers. Pair workouts were also sold to those who brought their relatives, friends or colleagues.

And during peak hours, 2 coaches worked in the gym, each with his ward. Online recording regulated the flow of clients, and a large gym and three individual locker rooms allowed for more workouts for every hour the studio was open.

If you have a limited budget to start with, high rental rates in the city, or want to start small, then an EMS personal training studio is for you. Hall 15-20m2, one shower room, two dressing rooms, reception area. And a strict schedule of arrivals and departures of customers. And trainers with little traffic can generally work on piecework pay, and appear in the studio on request.

Choice of EMS equipment

For our business, we have chosen the concept of a large ems studio, where several clients can train in the gym at the same time. Based on this concept, we selected ems equipment. According to the following criteria:

1. Wireless. To have freedom of movement in our 80m2 hall
2. Scalability. We bought a set for personal ems training, then bought 1 more set and another one.
3. Possibility to set ems suits of two or more clients at the same time.
4. Cost of extra ems suits.
5. Warranty service in Russia. Not every ems simulator in Russia has an official service.

Now, when we ourselves produce Noble wireless ems equipment, all these 5 basic qualities are incorporated into the product. And thanks to them, Noble is highly competitive with any European manufacturer.

If you have plans for a personal studio ems workouts, then the cost of equipment and its undoubted quality are important to you (after all, if you have a set of equipment for only one client and it breaks down, then the whole business will stop). In this case, any ems simulator with a wired connection will suit you. Preferably new. Or choose the Noble Bluetooth EMS Pro Kit #1. It includes three ems suits different sizes, one pulse generator that attaches to the suit, a tablet with an application and a proprietary illuminated stand. No wires and bulky control racks. The trainer has a light tablet in his hands, and the client is in a comfortable ems suit!

ems trainer training

EMS training in Yaroslavl

You need to understand that there are two stages of learning

1. To teach trainers how to work on specific ems equipment, how to properly put on an ems suit for clients, and to know the answers to the main questions and objections of clients on the topic of ems.

All sellers of ems trainers teach this. For someone this is included in the price, for someone such an introductory course will cost 40-50 thousand. In general, the guys earn on what they can and how they can)

1. Next, it is important to teach trainers how to train clients using electromyostimulation. Teach them to combine different momentum settings with specific exercises. Teach them how to work in a 25 minute training session. What impulses for what tasks. Pulse characteristics: frequency, depth, width, pause time.

Since we did not follow the franchise path, we were able to learn from different equipment manufacturers using different methods. Which ultimately gave more extensive knowledge and understanding of all processes.

The Noble company, in addition to the production of ems equipment, also offers training from professional ems trainers, our partners.

Marketing and advertising of a fitness studio

So. There is a studio, there is ems-equipment, there is a trainer. The only thing missing is those for whom it was all created) Attracting customers! It's good that my partners and I have experience in developing other business projects. Where we started: social media design and targeted advertising. Launch in a few days, the fastest result. Plus an online appointment service with built-in CRM. The pre-sale of workouts before the fitness studio opened gave us the records for the first week of operation. We will talk about the cost of leads and the budget for advertising in social networks in a separate video.

There were two ems studios in Yaroslavl, but they did not actively advertise like we did. We offered people the new kind fitness, no one knew what EMS was. And we were able to get people to record a trial workout. And after a month of work, we already had a built-in work with the word of mouth of our clients. Plus work with local media: magazines and TV programs.

How to create a network of EMS training studios with a turnover of 241 million rubles per year

Is it possible to conduct a workout in 20 minutes in a special gym that will be as effective as three hours in gym? You can, if this is a lesson with EMS equipment in the studio effective workouts FIT-N-GO, - Elizaveta Shepelskaya, the founder of the network, is absolutely sure of this. In just three years, her company became the second largest studio in the world. Today there are 80 of them, and the entrepreneur is not going to stop. What difficulties Elizabeth faced at the beginning of her journey, how she won clients and what she teaches coaches - read in Thirst.

Fitness Innovation

The first business of Elizaveta Shepelskaya from Yekaterinburg was a cargo transportation service, which she opened immediately after university - at the age of 21. In 2009, the girl launched a real estate agency, the company developed successfully - in two years five branches appeared in Russia. But the real estate business did not bring Elizabeth pleasure, she wanted something new and unique. The girl sold the business and went in search of Europe - attended business forums and exhibitions of innovations, studied the market.

Elizaveta Shepelskaya, founder of the FIT-N-GO effective training studio network: “At one of the exhibitions, I learned about EMS equipment, a novelty in the field of fitness: the manufacturers promised to fit a 20-minute workout, which in terms of efficiency will be compared with 2-3 hours in a classic gym. Despite the implausibility of the statement, it sounded intriguing, and I nevertheless decided to try training on myself. The experiment turned out to be successful - in three weeks I got rid of five kilograms, which I had been trying to lose for almost a year before. At the same time, I studied the Russian fitness market - it turned out that we do not have a niche for EMS training, as well as the culture of the “studio” fitness format itself. There is no doubt: this is the very innovation that I want to bring to Russia and build a new business on it.”

In Europe, the EMS market is quite active and is growing at 45% per year, and the potential market size in Russian-speaking countries, according to Elizabeth's estimates, is about 3,000 studios. Now in Russia and the CIS, 90% of the EMS market is free, which allows predicting rapid growth for the next 7-10 years. At first, the presentation of innovations turned out to be the most difficult: for many, EMS technology was something unknown and suspicious. To overcome the barrier of distrust, to show and prove to people that this technique brings results - the main task that had to be resolved.

Hall at home

About six months passed from the moment Elizaveta Shepelskaya decided to create a network of EMS training studios in Russia to the opening of the first studio in the Federation Tower in Moscow City. Previous business experience allowed us to quickly resolve the issue of company registration, equipment registration and certification. The girl invested her own funds in the opening - 4 million rubles, which went to rent and repair the premises, purchase equipment, and internal filling.

Elizaveta Shepelskaya: “At first, there were difficulties with the premises. Now the expression “fitness studio” does not surprise anyone, but then the format was new and we formulated the requirements for the location and the space itself from scratch. The most correct decision was to make a “boutique” fitness concept - people received the “privacy” that they lacked so much in big fitness clubs, and we - ultra-high profit per square meter. The fast-paced 20-minute workout format would allow potential clients to exercise in the morning before work, after work, or at lunchtime. This means that the studio should be close to the place of residence or work of the target audience, and the place should be passable. Based on the chosen client segment, the footage and the convenience of the location, I chose a room with an area of ​​53 sq. m in Moscow City. The only negative that we tried to ignore for a long time was the inability to install a shower. Now, when choosing a room, this item is included in the TOP-5 of the most important criteria.”

The founder of FIT-N-GO studios notes that she thinks through the atmosphere of each studio to the smallest detail - from a comfortable reception area to the presence of hair ties in each locker room. In the showers there is not only a towel and a hair dryer, but also shampoo, hair balm, shower gel, body oil. The idea is to create conditions for a person to feel at home, come in light and leave with a great mood. Premium service - one of the advantages of FIT-N-GO - helps the company stand out from the competition, emphasizes Elizaveta.

All in one trainer

FIT-N-GO's unique selling proposition was "20 minutes instead of 3 hours in the gym", which at that time was not heard anywhere else. According to Elizabeth, her team came up with this slogan, and the rest began to copy it. There are also one-day firms that boldly clone the design and advertising texts of a successful network.

Elizaveta Shepelskaya: “Coming up with a motto is not difficult, the main task is to explain to people how gym may consist of one simulator. The first month we spent free workouts to show people how it works and how effective EMS training is. For the first two months, I worked as an administrator in the studio: I stood at the reception, gave a tour, talked about technology, concepts, advantages, watched people's reactions and drew conclusions. It was a conscious and temporary step, I needed to get my own experience in order to train the staff. It’s not worth constantly working as an administrator or coach in your own club, it will do more harm than good.”

The target audience of the studio is clients in the premium and business class segments, people who, more than anyone else, know the value of time and want to save it. They are willing to pay for professionalism, individual approach and high level service. One workout costs an average of 2-2.5 thousand rubles, it's like personal training in an ordinary fitness club, but there you additionally need to “pay for entry” - purchase a club card and spend more time on the lesson itself.

Educational advertising

To advance, Elizabeth's team tried different ways and channels: direct calls to people and corporate invitations proved energy-intensive and inefficient because the technology was unknown. There were many questions in the spirit: “What kind of fitness club is only 50 sq. meters, why is there no pool, solarium and sauna? Outdoor advertising - billboards, streamers, banners, flyers, promoters - worked through time. Got a good response social media, warming up site, contextual advertising.

Elizaveta Shepelskaya: “We launched education marketing: we began to tell people about the technology, why it is needed and what can be achieved, and showed the “behind the scenes of the studio”. They began to use opinion makers in their work - opinion leaders, for example, bloggers, which was new for the launch period and was not yet used so often. After that, people came to us with an already formed need and with a desire to experience the effect of training for themselves, enthusiastic customers told their friends about us - this is how word of mouth marketing earned, the most cost-effective in terms of money, but super effective.

Having tried a large number of promotion methods, the company settled on digital marketing. To fill all the studios of the network with clients, an internal advertising agency had to be created. In the fall of 2016, FIT-N-GO launched the “Client on a Silver Plate” service for its partners: franchisees pay only for a real, live client signed up for a trial workout.

High requirements

The network of studios places high demands on the staff: trainers must have a higher sports or medical education, experience as a personal trainer for at least 3 years, good feedback and recommendations, understand the laws of biomechanics, as training combines EMS technology and classic exercises. Important qualities: communication skills, positive attitude and faith in the effectiveness of EMS training. The entrepreneur does not advise hiring relatives and friends, who often do not accept criticism and are offended, as a result, they have to make concessions or part with the scandal. Here, as elsewhere, the formula “to lose a friend, lend him or take him to work with you” works.

Elizaveta Shepelskaya: “We train each coach in two areas: the basics of EMS technology - the principle of operation, simulator modes, safety precautions and the unique FIT-N-GO training methodology - “chips” developed by our network over 4 years. This stage takes three days. Further training goes on all the time: advanced training, certification, master classes, exchange of experience. Of course, the constant increase in the professionalism of the trainer and the increase in the percentage of his clients who have received the result is our main task. Also Special attention we devote to the development of the trainer's communication skills, teach the principles of communication with the client: what can and cannot be done or said, how to meet the client and have fun training, how to serve water, a napkin, a towel - we try to take into account the smallest details that make up the client's impression of the trainer , studios and networks.

People come to the FIT-N-GO studio with different purposes, the task of the coach is to take into account their characteristics, find an approach and build an ideal training process. The trainer must be able to conduct in-depth research and analysis of the client's capabilities, his physical training. The training process is built so that for each client the trainer becomes a mentor on his difficult path to healthy lifestyle life.

Caring for franchisees

From the very beginning, FIT-N-GO focused on franchising: it was planned to open 10 studios in Moscow in a year. Seven months after the opening of the second studio, Elizaveta Shepelskaya prescribed all business processes and standards, requirements for personnel and management, and has already sold the first franchise. In 2014, 15 partner points appeared, now there are 80 of them throughout Russia. The advantages of the franchise are low requirements for the premises: for 55 sq. meters you can earn as much as in the hall for 1000 square meters. meters. On average, investments for Moscow residents amount to 3-3.5 million rubles, and the payback period is 10-14 months. In the regions of Russia, the figures vary depending on the population and the chosen pricing policy.

Elizaveta Shepelskaya: “A franchise is a certain level of responsibility that a person must understand and accept, therefore, at the stage of applying, we always find out what a person has been doing, what experience he has. If everything suits us, we start working with a partner, help to find a room, arrange a lease, make a design project taking into account the wishes of the franchisee and applying our standards. Our partner is undergoing training, he must understand the work of all employees - both the administrator, and the trainer, and the manager, so that later he can independently train them and competently control them.

While the franchisee's studio is preparing to open, the company helps the partner to study the city's market in depth, assists with the recruitment of staff and gathers people for the first trial training. Much attention is paid to advertising - a marketing plan is drawn up and already 2 months before the opening, active promotional actions begin, taking into account the extensive experience of the network and the characteristics of the partner region. A workflow automation system works for the entire network, thanks to which the studio owner can track performance indicators in real time on a smartphone.

The goal of Elizaveta Shepelskaya is to bring her company to the first place in terms of the number of studios in the world: now only the German network of EMS studios, which has been operating for 14 years, is ahead of her. As the entrepreneur adds, in terms of the quality of customer service and the support system, FIT-N-GO franchisees are already the first in the world, the task is to maintain this level.

1. Don't fall into the "nobody can do it better than me" trap: you have enough work to do as a business owner. If you take on the responsibilities of the staff, then the business as a whole will be left without attention.

2. Think about intellectual property protection: we missed this in the beginning, which led to the emergence of imitators. There were cases when people who initially worked with us learned all the processes from the inside, and then worked under their own brand, copying our model.

3. Be careful when choosing a location: sometimes even 500 meters of distance can play a key role. Take the time to study the traffic and traffic patterns of the client flow, this can save you money, time, and nerves in the future.

4. If you are interested in options for starting a franchise business, "bet" on a company operating in a new, developing niche. So you will take your place under the sun even before it becomes mainstream.

5. Invest in your staff: a trained employee is more successful and brings you more profit. Our employees who have undergone comprehensive training show conversion to sales and renewal of subscriptions on average 25% higher than a good, but not fully trained employee.

6. When you dream of starting your own business and choose franchising for speed, look for something that will bring you pleasure. Do not take on what is more profitable, but not interesting to you, otherwise the business will be a burden to you and will not bring profit in the end. Let your work inspire you!

FIT-N-GO in facts and figures

Year of creation

Number of outlets by franchise

Starting investments

From 1.5 million rubles.

Room area

from 50 sq. meters.

Minimum staff

Two administrators and two trainers.

Monthly turnover

800 thousand rubles (on the example of Moscow).

Breakeven threshold

About 500 thousand rubles.

Turnover of the entire network (2016)

241 million rubles.

Average annual network growth rate

Payback period

From 6 months.

Average number of clients

25 people per month.

Average check

34 thousand rubles.

seasonality,

Peak - autumn, spring.

Awards

Best Innovative Project in the Sports Industry Award (2017), Best Innovative Project in the Fitness Industry Award (2016), Consumer Rights and Service Quality Award in the Retail Services nomination in the New Generation Fitness category (2016 ), Innovation Time Award, 2017.