A first-time franchisee shares what led to her success with Body20, an EMS fitness brand
Understanding and meeting your consumers where they’re at is crucial in any business, but especially those offering a less familiar service that differs from a typical gym or studio experience. By sending electrical impulses through members during workouts, Body20 falls into that bin.
Anne Zilvitis, a Body20 franchisee in Cherry Creek, Colorado, was quick to recognize that. Coming up on two years of franchising with the company, Zilvitis already represents one of the brand’s standout operators, over the summer enjoying a three-month run rate of $600,000 in AUV (average unit volume).
While the value of EMS training (electro muscle stimulation) also played a pivotal factor, Zilvitis largely credits her success to the delivery of her product, which depended on her understanding her market and the considerate nature of her operation.
Joining the Team
Despite EMS fitness being popular in Europe and with many endorsing its effectiveness as a recovery and muscle mass booster, the modality maintains its skeptics. It’s a group that even once included Zilvitis.
“I had heard about EMS and Body20 from a friend, and of course, did not believe it,” Zilvitis said. “When you come from a fitness background, you’re like, ‘No, you must suffer. It needs to hurt. You need to grind. That’s how you get results.’ But there was something in me that told me to check this out, so I did.”
Following her instincts, Zilvitis eventually tried the tech-powered training and quickly recognized its benefits. Even more enthralled with its capabilities by that point, she soon began talking to Body20 about opening up a location.
Even as a rookie, Body20 and Sequel made Zilvitis’ next steps clear and constructive.
“It was easy for me to talk to somebody and just say, ‘What is this all about? Tell me about the franchise model,’” Zilvitis said. “I’ve never been involved with franchises, so this is my first experience. It was definitely a good learning experience.”
Market Awareness
Zilvitis’ willingness to learn and get involved also served her well in her steps that followed. She pointed to her local market awareness as the main key to her early profitability — and a box other operations should look to check if they hope to replicate it.
“I can’t tell you how important it is — and it has to start from day one,” she said. “Know your market and know your consumer. If you’re not already part of the community, become part of it. Get involved, do things, go to classes and support local businesses. Learn what’s around you. This is the most important part.”
After noticing an above-average appetite for wellness in the Cherry Creek area, Zilvitis worked to partner with Hydrate IV Bar, a medical spa in the area offering IV therapies in vitamin injections.
“That’s been a big one for us,” she said. “Building community like that, whether it’s within your members or on the business side, that’s a lot of where our success has come from.”
Body20 also encourages franchisees to leverage their understanding of their local communities to adapt guidelines and assets to better appeal to them.
“We have the opportunity to say, ‘Look, I know my market, and I think it’d be better if I did that this way,’” Zilvitis said. “We have the opportunity to run promos or run programs, but also cater them to our market.”
Customer Service
That catering also involves applying an extra layer of hospitality when serving members. Zilvitis argues little things that show members you support them, not just their membership, go a long way in boosting retention.
“I never want to complicate things,” she said. “Let’s not fight this. It doesn’t need to be a struggle. You should show our members that you’re on their side.”
That includes actions like giving back lost sessions through reschedules or rollovers, even with Body20 being an appointment or credit-based operation.
“The last thing I want members to do is to stress about their workout sessions,” Zilvitis added. “They’ve got their jobs to stress out about, their families and other things. The workouts should not be one of them, so I always lead with that.”
Power of the Product
Giving credit where it’s due, Zilvitis also attributed her franchise success to the unique product at its center. Unlike gyms or studios, EMS training delivers results regardless of your physical exertion and fitness level.
“It’s showing up,” Zilvitis said. “If you show up to your appointment, you will get the results, even if you’re not lifting the heaviest weight. That’s what’s so cool about it.”
With the service able to support so many individuals, businesses thrive off the sizable market opportunity.
“We cater to the entire spectrum, elite athletes, all the way to members with serious mobility issues,” Zilvitis explained. “They can both do this workout and get results. In terms of serving our customers, that’s huge. It’s a game changer within the fitness industry.”
It’s also a paradigm shift that promises to continue spreading as EMS becomes more widely accepted across the country and Body20 grows in unison.
“There’s so much opportunity with the technology,” Zilvitis added. “Even just talking about tech-based workouts and how that is a huge emerging trend, it’s really exciting and fun. It’s exciting to be part of something that’s growing quickly, but still has so many great places to go.”