Who Makes an Ideal Owner?

A passion for community and fitness and nutrition sets franchisees up for success

The Camp Transformation Center has massively impacted thousands of lives across the country with its Six-Week Weight Loss Challenge. Because of the effect these gyms have had on the lives of the participants, many of its members have wanted to start their own Camp sites. This has resulted in rapid growth across the country – after starting to franchise in 2016, the concept has grown to nearly 100 locations across the country. The one common connector in its growth up until 2017 has been that each of the franchisees has been personally impacted by The Camp’s program.

“My husband and I had both lost over 20 pounds at The Camp and we fell in love with the community of people and everything they were doing,” says Michelle Croteau, one of The Camp’s first franchisees who now owns three facilities with her husband Jeff in California and Texas. “I was in school to be a physician’s assistant and one night I looked at my husband and I said ‘You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I think I want to open a Camp.’ And he said, ‘I’ve been thinking the exact same thing.’”

This passion for the results The Camp has on a surrounding community is a key part of what makes great franchisees. A love of the customer, and the desire to get to know them and their needs sets The Camp apart from all other gym concepts and sets the franchise owner up to thrive long term. Franchisees serve as not only a business owner but also an encourager and sounding board for people going through a life transformation.

Franchisees also need to have a sales-mindset. While The Camp assists the franchisee in generating leads and interest in the concept around the local community, it is up to the franchise and his or her staff to turn those leads into Six-Week Challengers.

“Our best franchisees so far are good at sales and customer service,” says Luis Font, co-founder of The Camp. “You have to have a passion for people, and the desire to help and serve. I’m less concerned with being business savvy. We can teach business skills. You can’t teach a desire to put customers first and to be a people person.”

Passionate owners help convert Challengers to members

A passion for weight loss and the fitness industry is also a must for aspiring franchisees. Many of The Camp’s current franchisees have been trainers with either The Camp itself or for other gyms, but who always dreamed of owning their own gym. The Camp’s affordable startup costs have allowed for this to happen and they’ve turned these fitness hobbies into a growing business.

An ability to promote The Camp in the community and a love of customer service are key components of a successful franchisee. An added bonus of the impact The Camp has on the franchisee’s surrounding community is that many of the members that have gone through a Weight Loss Challenge become fanatics of your gym and will do anything to keep hold of that feeling.

“It’s something that I haven’t seen happen in any other business – most all of my staff are people that came in for the Challenge six or seven months ago,” says Jeff Carpenter, a franchise in Texas. “It’s the only business model that I’ve ever seen where your customers come in, love it so much that it’s changed their lives that they want to work here and help change other people’s lives.”

The Camp is looking for franchisees that have this same passion for helping people and can instill that in its staff and the gym’s members. This drive to change the way people live, eat, and spend time with one another can help fill a franchisee’s gym and give them the opportunity to scale well beyond the first site.

With a total investment estimate to begin operations between $167,000 and $326,500, The Camp Transformation Center is a substantially lower investment than many other franchise concepts in the fitness industry. This low investment pairs with the potential for good returns and provides a business that dramatically impacts the lives of the people around you.