Contours Express Franchise Owners Allege Fraud, Breach of Contract

Contours Express  is now the #2 Women’s circuit training gym behind Curves. They claim to be the the second fastest growing with over 600 locations worldwide in 20 countries, the most affordable and the most effective.

However, nearly 60 Contours Express franchise owners don’t agree with the rosy picture painted in the marketing materials.  According to a report on franchise discussion site FranchisePick.Com, hey have filed a petition for damages in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County against AABB FITNESS HOLDINGS, INC. (formerly known as CONTOURS EXPRESS, INC.), CONTOURS EXPRESS, LLC, and franchise broker JAMES E. HOGG (dba Franchise Visions), alleging fraud and breach of contract. 

Among the numerous complaints, each of the plaintiffs allege that the Contours Express UFOC dramatically understated the cost of building out and operating a location, that the owners of Contours Express and their representatives also made “earnings claims” or verbal pitches regarding profitability, and that the typical franchisee’s working capital was exhausted soon after they opened their location and most could not service a debt load of 50 to 100 percent greater than they had been led to believe.  The suit also alleges that Contours Express provided little or no support to the franchisees and once the stores were opened, very few of the franchisees were ever visited by representatives of the franchisor.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE:  Franchise Dreams Becoming Nightmares for Many Fitness Club Owners

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Sunstone Yoga® Franchise is Stretching Out

Sunstone Yoga is assuming the growth position, selling 8 franchise studios in august alone.

Here’s a recent franchise company press release that tells more about this new fitness franchise opportunity.

Sunstone Yoga® is hot in August
Dallas, TX – Dallas based yoga company Sunstone Yoga® is proud to announce the sale of 8 franchise studios in August, including the first franchise studio outside of Texas, bringing the total number of Sunstone Yoga studios to 19 since they began offering franchise opportunities last summer.

Sunstone Yoga will open a studio in Orlando, Florida later this year, as the fastest growing yoga franchise begins its national expansion.

“I knew owning a yoga studio could be a great business for me,” says Wendy Gill, proud owner of the first Sunstone Yoga studio in Florida, “but nothing I found locally was inspiring. From my first conversation, I knew that Sunstone Yoga was something special, and my decision was made almost sight unseen. Imagine my delight when I finally got to take a class, and everything I thought about Sunstone Yoga proved true.”

15 Sunstone Yoga studios will be opening in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, including new locations coming to Rockwall, McKinney, Richardson, Allen, Carrollton and Prosper. These new studios will join the 4 existing locations in Dallas, North Dallas and Plano, and the studios under construction in Southlake, Las Colinas, Flower Mound, Frisco and Lakewood.

“DFW is almost complete,” says Allison Strickler, the head of franchise sales. “It’s really satisfying to see the students and teachers from our existing studios recognizing the great opportunity our franchise models present. There are only a small number of DFW locations left; we think they’ll be sold within the next few weeks.”

With a studio coming to Houston and 2 in development for Austin, as well as the Florida location, the strength of the Sunstone Yoga brand is known throughout Texas and beyond, and demand for studios is high in virtually every market around the United States.

“It’s such an exciting time,” Strickler says, “because all these people who love yoga and want to be in the wellness business are making those dreams come true with Sunstone Yoga.

Brandon Hartsell, owner and founder of Sunstone Yoga, says, “We’re focused on creating such a strong business model, with state of the art technology and a dedication to customer service and ethical business practices. Our studio owners can focus on wellness, knowing their business is going to run smoothly, and they’ve got the support of an experienced, passionate team behind them.”

New owner Charlotte Thompson agrees. “I have been looking for an opportunity to combine my career with my personal outlook on wellness and quality of life. A Sunstone Yoga franchise presented itself as the perfect opportunity to do both. I feel like I’m at the beginning of fulfilling that goal with the right company and the right people.”

Operating since 2002, Sunstone Yoga is the premier center for fitness yoga with franchise opportunities available across the country. The company offers the highest quality of fitness-oriented instruction available, with a world-class training program that educates their instructors to the highest recognized standard in the yoga industry today.

“It wasn’t hard for me to make this decision after working for other studios,” says Rockwall studio owner Ashley Sells, a former Bikram instructor who joined the Sunstone Yoga teaching team 3 years ago. “At Sunstone, they know how to operate a successful and healthy environment that everyone feels comfortable in. From the facilities, the free towel and mat service, customer service, and 5 different series of classes offered with such high quality of teaching instruction; everything is in place.”

A variety of different fitness yoga classes are offered at all Sunstone Yoga locations, each with its own focus and all geared toward the benefits of improved overall health, strength and flexibility, cardiovascular and mental fitness, increased vitality, reduced stress and improved mental clarity. As yoga continues to grow so dramatically, with nearly 20 million practitioners in the United States, more and more research findings suggest that a regular yoga practice may include such benefits as increased flexibility, muscular strength and endurance1, weight loss2, and relief for chronic back pain3.

For Ashley’s partner in the Rockwall studio, Peter Strickler, buying a Sunstone Yoga studio gives him the opportunity to share the big changes yoga has made in his life with others.

“I was a bit unnerved by my wife’s challenge to try a yoga class. My competitive nature eventually conquered my male ego, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I immediately lost a lot of weight, evolved a more stabilized emotional state, and reduced the stress in my life considerably. As a small business owner, reducing stress is probably the most significant element, leading directly to a better emotional and mental state of mind. My partners and I are very excited about making our own great experience, everybody else’s.”

Start-up and conversion franchise opportunities, in large and small models, are available for enthusiastic people with a passion for running a great customer service based business, and Sunstone Yoga’s excellent support system includes hands-on franchisee training; an exceptional teacher training program with the most flexible delivery models available; information sharing through a world-class, centralized web portal; complete operations manual; excellent marketing assistance, and ongoing guidance and support.

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Golf Fitness Franchise Opens New Franchise Training Center

Body Balance for Performance announced the grand opening of a new Body Balance franchise center in Alpharetta, Ga.

Alpharetta, GA (PRWEB) September 7, 2007 — Chad Cook, director of Body Balance for Performance of Atlanta, announced the grand opening of a new Body Balance franchise center in Alpharetta, Ga. The golf-specific fitness company opened its new center on May 7, 2007, at the Windward Business Center, located near the intersection of Windward Parkway and Alderman Drive.

“We have great expectations for our new location,” Chad said. “We’re close to Highway 400 and centrally located near many of the golf clubs in the north metro area, making it convenient for our clients to reach us.”

Body Balance for Performance is a golf-specific health and fitness company developed by Paul Callaway, director of physical therapy for the PGA in 1985-86. The Golf Fitness Experts at Body Balance for Performance specialize in the identification of body limitations, the assessment of the effects these limitations have on the golf swing, and the development of customized golf-specific fitness training programs.

“We believe that every swing flaw has a corresponding body problem,” said David Ostrow, CEO of Body Balance for Performance. “Our technicians are trained to identify body problems causing the swing flaws and to fix these limitations through creating customized golf fitness training programs.”

David Ostrow and Neil Chasan purchased Body Balance for Performance in January of 2003 from Survival Strategies, LLC. There are 45 franchise centers throughout the United States and Canada.

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PTP Launches New Personal Training Fitness Franchise

Personal Training Professionals (PTP) Franchise Now Available

NEW CANAAN, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Getting the most benefit from your training regimen requires a well designed plan and precise execution. The same can be said for opening your own business. Passion for fitness will only get professionals so far. Needed, too, are business smarts and the organizational muscle a franchise provides. Now, a new personal training franchise from Personal Training Professionals (PTP), based in New Canaan, CT, gives certified trainers and fitness professionals a franchise model to open their own successful studio.

The cornerstone of this ultimate personal training franchise is a solid business model, specific hiring practices and unlimited earning potential. PTP Franchise allows franchisees to provide clients with the most professional fitness experience possible while taking the guess work out of the operational side of owning a personal training business. Though many franchises make this claim, PTP delivers on all counts.

“I am tremendously proud to share our methodology and business practices to help others achieve the success we have seen over the past 9 years,” said Jason Baer, president of PTP Franchises. “Our franchisees and all of our trainers are highly qualified, motivated individuals who are versed in the specific methods of PTP. Our attention to detail and commitment to excellence is second to none.”

Statistics show that franchise businesses are twice as likely to remain in operation after five years, compared to non-franchised, small businesses. Fitness awareness has never been higher and demand for personal training services in a professionally run training studio is on the rise, making now an excellent time to invest in a personal fitness franchise.

PTP’s franchise model demonstrates its uniqueness by offering additional profit centers: nutritional counseling, massage therapy, small group exercise classes and youth fitness programs. These additional services benefit franchisees by increasing their bottom line and benefit clients by providing multiple services under one roof.

“Through our research we have found no other personal training franchise that provides these optional services,” said Baer. “Our business plan designs-in unlimited earning potential by not eliminating segments of the population or limiting the number of individuals that can be trained at a single time.”

A PTP Franchise is run by fitness professionals, unlike many personal training franchises available on the market. All PTP Franchises uphold the highest of standards, as demonstrated in tried-and-true hiring processes and in-depth train-the-trainer programs.

“I think our industry has done the public a great disservice by providing fast food versions of personal training,” said Lily Sing, a personal trainer at PTP New Canaan, CT.

“I have personally experienced tremendous career growth at PTP and now I am taking steps to own my own PTP Franchise.”

PTP Franchises provides fitness professionals the opportunity to own their own business while guiding them every step of the way. PTP helps franchisees minimize risk by providing start up assistance, successful site selection, comprehensive owner training, a detailed marketing plan and on-going support. Now is the perfect time to exercise your potential in the world of personal training by becoming a PTP Franchise owner.

Jason Baer founded PTP in 1998 to meet the growing demand for personal training. After nine years of sustained growth and increased market credibility, he is now offering his business model and keys to success to qualified individuals. Baer holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science from Southern Connecticut State University and received the 2006 National Leadership Award as the Honorary Chairman to the Business Advisory Council. He is also an Honored Member of the United Who’s Who among Executives and Professionals.

 

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