I chose to franchise with StarCycle, even though, to tell you the truth, I could have gone out and opened an indoor cycling studio on my own. Did I want to do that? No. Here’s why…
My story with StarCycle is one with history; you can read more about my journey from client to StarCycle’s corporate director of training here in a previous post. To tell the long story in just a sentence or two, I began riding at StarCycle as a client when I was 16 years old and completely fell in love with the class, the instructors, and the fellow clients. I knew StarCycle needed to have a larger role in my life, so throughout the years to come I worked in childcare, front desk, as an instructor, trainer, and lastly the director of training.
All of a sudden the stars magically aligned for my life long dream to open a StarCycle franchise to come true. It dawned on me for a moment that I could just open an indoor cycling studio on my own, but honestly the moment was fleeting. Even though I have about an 8 year history with StarCycle, there are a handful of reasons that stood out to me as a no-brainer to franchise StarCycle and how it would not only make my life easier, but make my business more successful.
First is technology. There are so many technological aspects of opening a business that a franchise takes care of for you. StarCycle already has an operating website with a developer who quickly added my location page to the website. I didn’t have to create a privacy policy, figure out SEO, pay for website hosting, etc. I didn’t have to find a booking software to use, or set up an email marketing service. I can’t even imagine how much extra time and money this would have taken me. Instead, I am able to be out in my local community making connections for my StarCycle location.
Second is the brand. Every business has to create a well-thought out brand including, fonts, colors, logos, merchandise and more. Not only did I buy-in to a pre-established brand, but it’s a brand I can fully stand behind and absolutely love. StarCycle is all-inclusive, fun, and encouraging. Our mission statement is to, “deliver a kickass experience that inspires every rider to be their best self.”
Next is the buildout. When you franchise with StarCycle you hardly have to make any decisions on the studio buildout, which is SO nice. Again, instead of picking bathroom tiles, you can be spreading the word about your new business.
While there are endless reasons why franchising makes the most sense, the last and best reason is the support. StarCycle has a team of amazing people who I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside with to help support you every step of the way. Whether you’re opening a business with a franchise or on your own, it’s a big deal and takes a lot of hard work. Having a support system to cheer you on and help strategize is priceless.
