Curves Fitness Center was founded in 1992 by Gary Heavin in Harlingen, Texas. A decade earlier, Heavin opened his first gym, watched it grow to 17 centers, and then collapsed. However, persistence prevailed as Heavin opened its first women’s Curves in 1992 and then began franchising in 1995. Fourteen years later, as of 2009, Heavin had more than 5,600 franchise units in the United States, nearly 650 in Canada and more than 2700 abroad. floor. Corporate headquarters are now in Woodway, Texas. Curves is currently looking for franchisees around the world and they offer exclusive territories.
The Curves Fitness Center franchise fee ranges from $19,900 to $24,900 depending on location and total initial fees are estimated to range from $28,170 to $39,595. Curves offers financial assistance with the franchise fee, but not with other start-up costs. However, they do allow third-party financing of all start-up costs and equipment. The minimum net worth requirement for all new franchise owners is $75,000 with cash liquidity of at least $50,000. You don’t need to have any special training or licenses to own a Curves fitness center, but new franchisees must show a track record of financial stability to be considered. Approximately half of all Curves franchise owners have more than one unit. Absentee franchise ownership is allowed and this bodes well for someone hoping to develop a source of passive income over time. The company recommends a minimum of 2 employees per location.
Curves Corporate offers training and support in a number of ways. First, there is a one week training course that is held at the company headquarters for new franchisees. This is followed by a 4 day training at the franchise location. There are also regional meetings, conventions, and local events scheduled throughout the year. Each franchisee can participate in cooperative advertising at the national and regional level. The name “Curves” is well known in many parts of the US and this definitely benefits the franchisee.
One bit of information that may be concerning, however, is that Curves franchises in the United States have dropped significantly since 2006 with almost 8,000 units and less than 6,000 for 2009. I don’t know the reason for this, but I suspect it may be due to to the recession-plagued economy. With millions of people out of work, often one of the first luxuries to be discarded is a gym membership. This should be thoroughly investigated by any potential new franchisee before investing as there are other business avenues that may be in an ‘upgrading’ phase.