Planet Fitness Franchise vs. Other Active Franchises: Weigh Your Options

Indoor activity franchises are a great way to find both financial success and provide a beneficial service to your community and customers. There is a wide range of such franchises to choose from, including the traditional gym franchise. These businesses, such as the Planet Fitness franchise, can be lucrative and rewarding, but they aren’t the only option. Let's take a closer look at gym franchises and Altitude Trampoline Park, a great alternative.

Planet Fitness Franchise Requirements

The Planet Fitness franchise, like other gym franchises, benefits from having a straightforward business model and a long-standing demand for fitness franchises. However, there are a number of requirements that can add to the challenge of opening and operating such a franchise. Let’s start with a look at a quick side-by-side comparison of a couple of the financial factors to consider, with numbers taken directly from each brand’s franchise disclosure document (FDD).

Planet Fitness Startup cost range: $1,495,000 - $3,783,000 Monthly Royalties: 7% gross revenue
Gold's Gym Startup cost range: $1,478,000 - $3,647,000 Monthly Royalties: 5% gross revenue or $2,000, whichever’s greater
Altitude Trampoline Park Startup cost range: $2,225,000 - $3,258,500 Monthly Royalties: 6% gross revenue
Workout Anytime Startup cost range: $784,950 - $2,073,050 Monthly Royalties: 6% gross revenue

Some additional requirements to consider when opening a gym, whether it’s a Planet Fitness franchise or other brand, include the following:

Quality exercise equipment – a good gym requires good quality workout machines, weights, floor mats, sports equipment, etc.

Trained staff – A good gym needs qualified trainers and attendants to help your customers get the most out of their workouts and to enable you to offer such services as personal workout guidance and classes.

Adequate space – A gym has to have enough physical space to hold all its workout equipment and provide enough space for customers to work out safely and comfortably. Some workout activities require more space than others, such as sports training like racquetball, basketball, and gymnastics.

Proper facilities – Gyms need clean, well-maintained facilities like locker rooms and showers, and some need special amenities to accommodate the needs and interests of their customers, like swimming pools, saunas, and indoor courts.

An Alternative: Active Play Franchises

Given the requirements that a gym franchise comes with, it can be a challenge to run them if you have difficulty finding enough dedicated exercise and fitness enthusiasts in your market. However, in recent years, parents have been seeking more outlets for their kids to take part in active play in a safe environment. Market analysis company IBISWorld reported in January 2024 that the indoor play center market has reached $1 billion in revenue, with 766 businesses operating in the entire country. With the market forecasted to grow through 2029, this makes an active play franchise – also sometimes referred to as an indoor playground franchise or family activity center franchise – a profitable and viable alternative, with a thriving market and room for growth.

There are a variety of different types of active play franchises, including indoor trampoline parks like Altitude. In addition to substantial and growing interest in their services, franchises like Altitude have a few other benefits, including the following:

Healthy recreation – a trampoline park like Altitude provides a safe, welcoming environment for kids and their families to take part in engaging physical recreation that promotes a healthy, active lifestyle.

Growth opportunities – Altitude’s trampoline parks have a proven business model that’s scalable, allowing franchisees to expand and open multiple locations.

Franchisor support – Franchisors like Altitude provide their franchisees with all the necessary training programs, administrative services, and location setup assistance they need to find a good location, design and build a quality trampoline park, and hire the right staff to operate it efficiently.

Multiple revenue streams – Trampoline parks like Altitude’s offer franchisees more than one service to provide to their markets. Memberships, party/event hosting, concessions, and merchandise are some of the viable ways to make money.

A gym franchise can lead to success for those who wish to appeal to dedicated fitness enthusiasts. But for those looking to appeal to a broader customer base, providing a range of entertaining attractions in a safe, family-friendly environment, a trampoline park may be the best way to go.

Cover Lots of Franchising Ground with Altitude

We’re eager to offer you the opportunity to join our trampoline park franchise. Our team is always open to eager, enthusiastic entrepreneurs like you, looking to stake their claim in the industry. Submit a franchise form today and learn more about your franchising opportunity with Altitude.

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