Pop Weight Loss - Franchise Q & A

1. How was your franchise/opportunity originally conceived and started?  Pop Weight Loss was created by Dr. Rebecca Cipriano, a board certified OBGYN holding a Master's Degree in Nutrition.  Following the birth of her daughter, Colette, Dr. Rebecca was struggling with the challenge of losing her baby weight, and the difficulty of balancing motherhood with a career as a practicing physician.  Dr. Rebecca took a step back, and thought about what she had learned while pursuing her Masters Degree in Nutrition, and Dr. Rebecca's Pop Weight Loss was born.  In 2009, Dr. Rebecca Cipriano and her husband, Dr. Joe Cipriano, formed A Better You Weight Management Centers, LLC.  Serving clients in central New Jersey, A Better You Weight Management Centers helped New Jersey residents lose weight and improve their health through lifestyle changes.  In 2012, Dr. Rebecca rebranded A Better You Weight Management Centers as Pop Weight Loss and formed Pop Weight Loss, LLC.

2. What was your original vision for your company? How has that changed over time?  Our vision has remained constant since our founding by Dr. Rebecca.  The obesity epidemic is crippling our society, and we here at Pop Weight Loss want to help Americans helping them to lose weight, and keep it off! We believe that proper nutritional education enables lifestyle changes, and we here at Pop Weight Loss are here to support our clients and our franchisees on their journey with us.

3. What do you believe is the single most important factor when choosing a franchise?  When choosing a franchise, the potential franchisee needs to carefully evaluate the opportunities before them to determine not just what franchise is right for them, but what franchise is right for the community where they will do business.  By looking at the gaps in the market, the franchisee can determine where demand lies, and then determine which franchise opportunity will help fill that gap. It doesn't matter how much you love hamburgers if your market is already saturated.  Here at Pop Weight Loss, we are helping meet a critical need.  

4. Why should someone choose your franchise over other similar franchises?  Diets don't work.  Lifestyle changes do. Here at Pop Weight Loss, we will train our franchisee's in Dr. Rebecca's Pop Weight Loss Program, provide them with access to Pop Certified Nutritionists to answer their questions, and Pop Certified Medical Doctors to consult with them and their clients to help them develop the best possible weight loss plan for each client's individual needs.  We don't believe in one size fits all weight loss, and we don't believe in one size fits all franchising either.  We are looking for a special group of franchisees who want to provide valuable services to their communities, and at the same time, be part of an industry with growth potential.

5. What makes your industry attractive?  Today, two thirds of Americans are overweight, and the Center for Disease Control reports that nearly one third are obese. The market for our services is huge, and it is growing along with American waistlines.  We want to help slim those waistlines down!

6. What types of qualities do you look for in potential franchisees? We are looking for hard working, self-motivated business people who are passionate about helping others on their healthy living journey.

7. What do your franchise fees and royalties cover? The Initial Franchise Fee includes initial training for up to three members of the Franchisee's team. Initial training is a minimum of 21 hours. The Royalty fee provides the Franchisee with access to our confidential and proprietary information, and gives them the right to use the Pop Trademarks. The Pop Trademarks are through the publication and opposition period before the US Trademark Office, and a registration number should issue in the next few months.

9. Why has your franchise model been successful? Our business model has been successful because it provides our clients with the knowledge and the support to enable them to make real and lasting changes.

10. Where do you see your franchise in 5 years and 10 years? In five years, we will have outlets along the entire eastern seaboard. In ten, we will have spread the Pop Weight Loss message throughout the eastern seaboard and will be expanding westward. In 5 years, we hope to have helped role back the obesity epidemic in the eastern seaboard, one person at a time, one pound at a time.  

11. What is your favorite advice for new franchisees to help them succeed? Potential franchisees should choose the opportunity that is right for them.  All of us are not cut out to run a fast food franchise, or a spa franchise. Take a long, hard look at yourself, at your strengths and weaknesses, and look for a business model that will help you minimize your weaknesses while maximizing your strengths, and then look for a franchise company that will support you and your clients.

12. What would you tell potential franchisees that may be nervous about the financial burdens of starting a franchise? We are here to support you on your journey, but you should create your own pro forma before you enter into a franchise agreement, and you should be sure that you have the capital to support the business during its development stage before you enter into a franchise agreement.

13. Can you explain your financial assistance (if applicable)? Not applicable.

14. On average, how long does it take to start a new franchise from the franchisees point of view? It should take less than 1 year.

15. What was your background and experience before founding this franchise? I am the vice president of operations and development. I came from private practice as a franchise attorney at a boutique law firm. The founders, Dr. Rebecca Cipriano and Dr. Joe Cipriano, are board certified OBGYNs in private practice in New Jersey. Dr. Rebecca and Dr. Joe have also run the Pop Weight Loss program (through A Better You Weight Management Centers) since 2009.  

16. Do you have any franchisee testimonials or success stories that you would like to share?  Dr. Rebecca's book will publish in the next month and a half.  Testimonials are up on our website at www.popweightloss.com.