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RECENT INTERVIEW WITH DAREN CARTER
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 Daren Carter
Founder
Contours Express
View More Contours Express' Franchise Information
Contours Express Founder Creates Franchise `Fit' for Today's Economy, Lifestyle Needs
Contours Express, a leading franchisor of women's fitness studios, features a customized 29-minute workout that caters to the busy lifestyles of today's women. The key difference between Contours Express and many of its competitors is that it provides strength-training machines with weight stacks tooled for positive and negative resistance to assist in building bone density, as opposed to hydraulic equipment. Contours Express also offers customized equipment designed specifically to fit a women's body - eliminating the need to make constant seat adjustments mid-workout.
Contours Express founder Daren Carter is a former Karate instructor who has spent his lifetime in the fitness industry. At the ripe age of 20, he partnered with his childhood Karate instructor, Charlie Woodward, to open a coed fitness club in his hometown of Nicholasville, KY. At age 33, he and Woodward decided to branch out into the women fitness club business with a new approach to workout equipment especially designed for women.
Their first Contours Express facility was an instant local hit. Within weeks, women who had heard about the customized equipment began abandoning other clubs to join Contours Express.
"We knew we were on to something," Carter said, noting that the majority of Contours Express studios are located in shopping centers frequented by woman, near hair salons, nail spas and grocery stores. "The next thing we knew, many of our own satisfied customers started asking us about opening up their own Contours Express studios, and the franchise soon was born."
Today, Contours Express is quickly "gaining global muscle," with more than 450 locations operating by year's end and heightened interest from entrepreneurs around the world. The chain recently secured master franchise agreements in Brazil and the United Kingdom and continues to rapidly expand its presence in Canada, Mexico and the United States. In fact, Contours Express is opening an average of two locations per week across the United States, and are offering the Contours Express franchise opportunity to entrepreneurs worldwide.
Under the leadership of Carter, Contours Express is taking a lean approach to franchising and fitness and rapidly filling a niche for women's fitness centers in communities where full-service, coed clubs aren't a good fit - and the plan is "working out" perfectly.
Just as it has "cut the fat" from women's workouts, Contours Express has eliminated costly extras to offer an affordable franchise opportunity. Start-up costs are $25,000 (including franchise fee and equipment). A manager and two part-time staffers is all that's required to manage the low overhead of a 1,200 square foot floor space.
Almost 99 percent of Contours Express franchisees never had professional fitness training. The majority are females, or couples who operate the franchise together. The relatively low startup fee and limited hours of operation make the franchise especially appealing, Carter said.
"With Contours Express, for the price of a car, you can be in a profitable business," Carter said. "Two factors that drive our franchisees are financial freedom and a flexible lifestyle. Our club hours allow franchisees to enjoy the fruits of their labor."
New franchisees receive Contours Express' exclusive 16-piece CardioFit circuit, cue tape, and wall charts and extensive training on all business systems, plus on-site support from a fitness professional who works on-site during the first few opening days. Ongoing support includes a quarterly marketing package, an annual convention and advanced training seminars.
"We motivate our franchisees to succeed, just as we do with the women who come to our clubs," Carter said. "Our club owners constantly tell us how fulfilled they feel seeing so many women accomplish their fitness goals with our programs. This is a franchise where you're truly helping people, and financially profiting in the process. It's rewarding on so many levels."
View More Contours Express' Franchise Information
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