Health and fitness have never been more top of mind for Australians than it is right now. In fact, with more than six million (32%) Australians holding a gym membership, the fitness industry is one of the most fast paced and valuable industries in Australia.
Old pros at the game, Jetts Fitness Australia, are doubling down on their franchise model and encouraging savvy Australians to get on board with their investments. Having identified new locations across Australia, they want to give hopeful new business owners a boost towards success and are currently offering a $20K Kickstart Bonus for new Franchise Business Owners.
Born from an idea to put the customer first, the franchise model revolutionised the Australian fitness industry over a decade ago with 24/7 access and no lock-in contracts, making a fit and healthy lifestyle available to more people than ever before. Nowadays, this foundation has continued to evolve into the franchise model used across the country.
However, becoming the first 24-hour gym to open in Australia was a concept that was initially hard work. Elaine Jobson, CEO of Jetts Fitness Australia, knows how much hard work went into changing the fitness game very early on.
“The idea of 24/7 accessibility was very foreign to Australians – people were scared to let customers into a building at all times of the day without everything being stolen. It was even hard to get insurance – companies couldn’t wrap their heads around it!
But we preserved because we wanted to remove as many barriers as possible that were stopping people from living a healthy and active life.” Elaine said.
Jetts’ true claim to success is understanding how vital the relationship is between the gym-goer and the team members. According to Elaine, culture can make or break a workplace and making a positive, strong, and inclusive culture is key to creating any successful franchise business.
“We doubled down on the culture stuff. Now culture is our thing. We strategize on it, we measure it, and we obsess over it. In many ways we drive a lot more energy into our team’s happiness than we do into our customers because we know that it has a knock-on effect; if our team is happy then our customers are happy.” Elaine said.
Along with this, Jetts Fitness had to evolve since its initial inception. The fitness industry is very high in trends and the Jetts customers are a demographic that expects to have the latest and greatest.
“What was good fifteen years ago, is not relevant anymore and we have to adapt quickly to keep up. For example, we’ve added a HIIT fitness product over the last few years, as our customers want scheduled and social fitness to be accessible,” said Elaine.
While the Jetts franchise model continues to adapt to the ever-changing needs of Australian fitness fanatics, two things remain the same: a high-return investment model built for growth, and it continues to be Australia’s Most Loved Gym. Jetts have learned over the decades that the franchise model is integral to the success of the brand.
“Jetts Fitness DNA is quite entrepreneurial, and our brand personality is more community driven than other gyms. But first and foremost, we are a franchise business and mostly thanks to the success of our community, we have managed to build a very healthy franchise system.
Our business owners feel like family and many have been involved from the very beginning. The majority of our growth happens organically – from members who’ve joined and loved our culture or existing owners looking to build their portfolio.”
The franchise system has enabled Jetts to expand to areas that were previously out of reach. Understanding the local demographic and having a relationship on the ground with the community is vital in kickstarting a new gym. Franchising is crucial to finding a local connection point and building a community.
As part of their current expansion, Jetts will be focusing on areas that they’ve got a deep-rooted connection with. Jetts has always been focused on quality site selection which is fundamental to a gym’s success. With 70 clubs in Queensland and another 50 in Victoria, it’s clear the demand here is expanding and remain ideal locations for more franchises. The shift in commercial real estate is presenting leasing opportunities that have not been available for some time.
After opening more than 240 gyms, both franchised and corporately owned, Jetts has the process down to a fine art. The franchise model itself operates with a lean structure; relying on one superstar Gym Manager to run it like their own. Many business owners have chosen the Jetts model for this reason as it enables them to continue with their day-to-day commitments, be it family, career or travel; they can spend a few hours each week adding value to their business through sales and marketing, fitness experience, business management and leadership.
“For some of our franchise owners, our model has enabled them to combine their passion for health and fitness with business by being an owner-operator. Whether this has been a career change or a step from the fitness industry into owning and operating their own business, we have a group of franchise owners who love walking the floor, engaging with members, and making a difference in the lives of those around the gym.”
Since becoming a global leader in the fitness industry, the Jetts Fitness franchise model is the bones of the brand’s success. The longevity of their achievement is down to a simple thing: the people and the culture. This is why Jetts’ are championing their new business owners and encouraging Aussies to invest. The customer-centric focus and the combination with extensive market research have enabled the franchise model to evolve and adapt ensuring the brand remains relevant to future generations of fitness enthusiasts.