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Shaping up: these former teachers toned up their business savvy with a fitness franchise

Entrepreneur, Sept, 2005 by Sara Wilson

In 2003, Mitch and Heather Naro, 43 and 38, respectively, returned to the U.S. ready to become entrepreneurs. Having taught for 12 years in China, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, they didn't have a set business in mind, yet their direction took shape when Heather repeatedly came home raving about her 30-minute Curves workout. The couple wondered if there was an equivalent men-only fitness franchise in their Albuquerque, New Mexico, area. When their search turned up nothing, they knew they had found their niche. Cashing in on Heather's background as a physical education teacher, they invested their life savings in opening a Cuts Fitness for Men franchise, and got ready for a workout. Says Heather, "We threw everything we had in the pot and went for it."

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While Mitch focused on getting the location they had leased ready for business, Heather worked on getting the Cuts Fitness name out into the community. She joined the local chamber of commerce, attended health fairs and organized a successful pre-registration week, which attracted 32 members before the doors had even opened in August 2004. Their facility now features eight hydraulic and eight cardio stations, an on-site personal trainer and a "wall of fame" spotlighting members' accomplishments.

The Naros celebrated the end of 2004 and their first five months in business with 184 members, and they'll likely be celebrating again this year, as 2005 sales are projected to hit nearly $100,000. Says Heather, "This whole fitness craze has really taken off, and I think we're on the cusp of something really big."

Making the Grade

FRANCHISING CAN HELP ENTREPRENEURS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.

Ken Gibson is a successful entrepreneur, but his success can best be measured by the lives he's changed rather than the dollars he's made. Gibson is founder of LearningRx, a franchise that provides one-on-one training to improve children's cognitive and mental skills. By working with third- through 12th-graders to develop attention, memory, reasoning, logic, and visual and auditory processing, he is offering an effective solution at a time when children's educational services are more in demand than ever. "We train the brain to unlock potential in individuals," explains Gibson. The company expects 2005 revenue to reach $4.5 million and will soon have programs available for preschoolers and even senior citizens.

Initially, Gibson thought he could make the largest impact by licensing his 12- to 24-week training programs to the more than 500 health professionals who helped develop and refine them. However, he soon understood it would take much more to get others actively involved. In August 2002, with the help and support of his family, Gibson opened a LearningRx location in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which pulled in more than $250,000 in its first four months. "We realized that showing [people] we could do it wasn't good enough," says Gibson. "We actually had to teach them to market, organize and hire people, and that meant we had to go to franchising."

LearningRx franchises became available in 2003. Interest spread quickly, and 27 were opened in the first year. Gibson plans on increasing the number of locations to 75 by early 2006. And at the age of 60, his life's work is paying off. "The greatest joy comes from the stories [franchisees] tell me of lives that are changed," says Gibson. "They're phenomenal, and I just cry sometimes as they share these stories."

WHAT'S NEW

POWER NAPPING IS THE LATEST STAGE OF SLEEP.

Despite the well-documented benefits of sleep, more time-pressed people are feeling the heavy-eyelid, low-energy effects of sleep deprivation. Good news: New York City-based MetroNaps is working overtime to provide pods specially designed for that oh-so-tempting, 20-minute midday nap. And since the company began offering franchises this year, entrepreneurs can now get in on the relaxation by selling memberships and even the pods themselves, or operating single pods at public hot spots. Best of all, this franchise may even require some sleeping on the job.

Business Services Industry

Shaping up: these former teachers toned up their business savvy with a fitness franchise

Entrepreneur, Sept, 2005 by Sara Wilson

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