CURVES FRANCHISE OWNERS: Share Your Story Here
July 15, 2008 by Sean Kelly
Filed under CURVES FOR WOMEN
Curves franchise owners and ex-franchise owners:
What’s it like to own a Curves for Women franchise?
Was it a good investment decision? Was the Curves franchise ownership what you expected?
Has it enriched you financially? Emotionally?
Would you recommend the Curves franchise to would-be franchise owners?
SHARE YOUR STORY, EXPERIENCES, INSIGHTS WITH A COMMENT.
Just closed my 3rd club, reading all this, all I can say is back in 99 I thought I felt like we were being given that great glass of Gary Kool-aid, now I’m waiting for all the chips to fall, lost everything too. I’m at such a low, sorry don’t have many words, lot’s of story’s much like what was already posted, well it’s good to know we’re not alone. So happy to have found these postings, thanks
Not much is said about the employee’s that these closed curves have left in the wake, It isn’t just the Franchise owners who are ripped off, The whole thing stinks, so much for the STRONG WOMEN” theme.
Well I just looked at the snap fitness locations for Connecticut, seems funny that 4 out of the 7 were also the same 4 locations that first opened for Curves in Connecticut. Gary Findley who was the president of Curves is now pushing a new fitness program in our locations, seems like conflict of interest to me??? No wonder we’re closing, just a note a very brief look at Connecticut over 25 Curves have closed. This whole picture is a true change stations now!
Link here to read more http://www.franchiseworks.com/franchise_news_story.aspx?nid=198
It was just reported on 1010 (wins) AM that Curves, Subway, and Arbys have had the most closings nationwide.
I too am closing at the end of next month and am waiting the warned of threatening letters etc. from Curves, the stress of packing up, telling my members and figuring out how to pay off all that I owe. BUT - a message to “another3gone” and others who are at a low: Please look for any way to lighten your mental load. I know that things are bleak and they are for me too, but the stress is dangerous for your health. I just got given a kick in the butt by a good friend who, after I told her all my woes, said I must look at the things I have, like my family and health and realize that this too shall pass. She is suffering from high blood pressure and other health problems because of many years of a stressful job. This was a wakeup call for me as I have been bearing the weight of the world on my shoulders for quite a while now. I don’t know how I will do it, but I am trying to mentally remove myself from all of this in order to protect my health. I don’t know how you will do it, but I encourage you to look several years down the road when all of this is just a bitter lesson learned and that you will feel glad from being out from under it. Good luck to (us) all.
Internationalowner thanks for the kind words, I helped on Curves request to pick up equipment from a location in NY, I have seen what happens to people when they face this disaster a few years ago, a big eye opener for me, this poor man who closed and lost everything, cried and quoted the bible many times that night, my heart then felt low for him and I knew this was just a matter of time. For all the good we have done for people. I can’t understand how we were told to never do hard core collections on clients, and now that we are down curves will impose a collection penalty on us? Don’t do on to others but let us do to you!!! Sounds like another switch of faith here… the power to amaze, well guess we all are amazed…I’ll most likely never be out from under it, but I don’t intend to crawl under a rock either. Guess we all heard of buyer beware… Amen
I do feel sorry for those that have lost in this business. but as I have said before all are not cut out for curves. Just as many that close there are also many that are doing well. Seriously look around you gyms are packed, not just curves but all. Health and fitness is still booming. People are aware that exercise is neccasary for good health. You have to run your business expertly and create energy. all cannot do this sucessfully. Of course closed owners will not have a pleasant story to tell as with any business. Remember location for all business is equally important and easy acess with parking too. Demographics in chosen area. How many looked at all of those things. How much rent do you pay? All those things matter. Curves is low cost franchise to run but also attracts people that have no clue what is involved. Curves was put on every corner and is now correcting itself. Just like the rest of the ecomomy. Some will lose and the rest will be left standing. Curves for me has been a profitabile experience and also alot of work.We still are the largest womens fitness franchise in the world and will stand the test of time. I am glad I inveated in my own business. Because its mine I call the shots on how I run it. Nobody can lay me off or cut my hours as I see all that depend on salaries that are no longer there and people getting laid off. We still offer a service everyone wants and needs I run a good clean high energy gym that women love to come to and I am proud of my curves
I was so happy to read a positive feedback. I am currently considering purchasing a curves in maryland and alot of them are for sale which is very scary, but this is something I have always wanted to do and I have looked at others, snap, allnight fitness but they are not for me. I like that its for women only. Any more positive feedback or advise you can give me?
There are more stories and comments on Curves and other franchises at http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com
we owned 4 curves since 2002 and for 3 years, made more money than you could ever imagine.
Have you ever heard the expression “in life timing is everything”?
Well, you are 8 years late to the party.
As well, Howie G.Heavin is evil incarnate. Hiding behind his constant
proclamations of Christianity, he announced at our club camp in Jan 2002
that “his wealth was God’s way of telling him that he was doing the right thing” Think hard on that statement in the context 2009.
Turn 180, and run as fast as you can from him!
I agree! There is a lot of positive too. Too many people purchased early in it’s inception, with a small investment. Many made their money back in the first year or sooner. Now things have changed, more competition, and it’s harder to keep the business going. It’s a lot of work, but what business isn’t when you own? I’ve seen many successful and many non-successful clubs. Hands down, the clubs with the owner present for most part of the day are successful. Those owners who think that they can hire a manager and a few staff to handle their business and take a personal interest are fooled. I can’t say Curves is the best out there, but there is a lot of support. Whether owners want to use this support or not is up to them. There is a lot of training opportunities out there that are very poorly attended. That tells me that the owners are not interested in getting better.
Curves Owner wrote:
I do feel sorry for those that have lost in this business. but as I have said before all are not cut out for curves. Just as many that close there are also many that are doing well. Seriously look around you gyms are packed, not just curves but all. Health and fitness is still booming. People are aware that exercise is neccasary for good health. You have to run your business expertly and create energy. all cannot do this sucessfully. Of course closed owners will not have a pleasant story to tell as with any business. Remember location for all business is equally important and easy acess with parking too. Demographics in chosen area. How many looked at all of those things. How much rent do you pay? All those things matter. Curves is low cost franchise to run but also attracts people that have no clue what is involved. Curves was put on every corner and is now correcting itself. Just like the rest of the ecomomy. Some will lose and the rest will be left standing. Curves for me has been a profitabile experience and also alot of work.We still are the largest womens fitness franchise in the world and will stand the test of time. I am glad I inveated in my own business. Because its mine I call the shots on how I run it. Nobody can lay me off or cut my hours as I see all that depend on salaries that are no longer there and people getting laid off. We still offer a service everyone wants and needs I run a good clean high energy gym that women love to come to and I am proud of my curves
Curves has the 4th highest SBA loan default rate of all franchises:
http://www.bizzia.com/franchisepick/quiznos-cold-stone-subway-curves-top-franchise-loan-defaults/
The numbers are in. Nearly 14 percent of Curves closed in 2008, according to Entrepreneur magazine.
Curves had shrunk to 6,300 clubs by early 2009, according to the magazine. God knows what the numbers are now, thanks to this brutal Bush-Cheney Great Recession.
The stories from the Curves owners should be turned over to 60 minutes who would reveal the greed of ther owners.
turn all this over to 60 minutes show!!
HERE IS WHAT OWNERS ARE SAYING ON OTHER SITES.
I think that it’s great that we are sharing the results of our food drive…1,000 pounds here and 5 new members…but what scares me more are the total number of members that we have left. Folks…what is happening out there…what’s going on…why is Curves in the sewer the past couple of years…we have a niche market of overweight women over the age of 50 who wouldn’t normally go to a gym…where is everyone…why aren’t the women in that demographic joining anymore…all of your numbers are scaring me quite frankly. I had 712 CDs plus about 100 yearlys in my current club back at the beginning of 2004…now I have about 250 members including yearlys and dropping every month. I cannot keep up with the attrition rate any longer. I would have to work 15/hours a day and be out of the club half the time putting flyers on mailboxes, servicing the lead bags all over town, going to EVERY health fair, spending hours in my car everyday getting the news out, praying that the newspapers would print my Grassroots press releases which they have NEVER done even once for me yet…i can no longer bang my head against the wall and keep praying that my numbers will ever go up again because too many are leaving and either no longer going anywhere or joining Planet Fitness 5 minutes down the road. I have done everything I can do keep my business viable but I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.
I’m afraid that most of us who used to have dreams years ago about helping our population of older women get fit…can no longer keep up with the fact that our bills are getting higher and our incomes are getting lower…and Avon and the Walking Poles are just not going to bring in 1000s of dollars a MONTH to make up for it.
THEY NEED TO WAKE UP AND SEE THAT THE BLAME IS ALL ON GARY HEAVINS SHOULDER
Curves is named AAFD’s Total Quality Franchising Franchisor of the Year.
Comments invited:
http://www.bizzia.com/franchisepick/curves-is-franchisor-of-year-say-what/
To all curves owners who have had problems with curves International and Gary Howie Havein please send your complaints to the BBB of your city and Waco TX. As well as the attorney general of your state and TX. And the federal trade commission. Below are web links where you can file the complaints on line.
http://www.bbb.org/
http://waco.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=40&id=ab5100aa-4c5a-4314-8e1b-f5996973f10c
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/index.shtml
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/index.shtml
New post: Happy Curves franchisee speaks out
http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/curves-happy-franchise-owner-speaks-out/