Why there is nothing better than working for yourself

We started Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs in 1993 and the decision to run the company as a franchise was considered the best option for everyone. We wanted our classes to be run by professionals who wanted a career in diet and fitness, not just a part-time job, who would be committed to their members and promote our ‘healthy eating combined with exercise’ message. We considered that if a franchisee was running her classes under licence, but she was working for herself in her own business, she would be more motivated, more successful and would give a better service to her members. We were right.

We have almost 170 franchisees who are exceptional people – and yes, they are all women, though we have had the occasional male franchisee in the past. They are very carefully selected and have to go through a pretty rigorous selection process because they have to have special and very important talents. They have to be able to move well to music, have good communication skills, be confident and motivated, and to have real commitment to help others. Our care in that selection has paid off and we have an extraordinary team of franchisees of whom I am immensely proud.

Today we are holding one of our Franchise Open Days at Quorn. Almost 30 folk from all over the British Isles will be visiting our head quarters to meet me, Mike and the rest of the team. This will be their first taste of what running a Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club franchise involves. They will also meet some of our franchisees who happily will tell them of their experience of becoming a franchisee since they left their previous jobs as an accountant, bank manager, PA or dental hygienist! Our franchisees come from all kinds of backgrounds but they all have one thing in common. They all have a passion for teaching diet and fitness and they all came to an Open Day at Quorn House.

The training period for our franchisees is three to four months and that in itself gives you an indication of how well qualified they are by the time they set up their business. A business that is theirs but operating under licence, using my name, using my diet and our marketing material, and the backing of a team of 45 support staff who are at Head Office helping to make their businesses a huge success. Whilst we put in our literature that we would expect our franchisees to earn at least £25k a year, we have franchisees who are earning well in excess of £60k. As long as we make a fair return, nothing gives us more pleasure than our franchisees earning a very significant profit. How do they earn that? After the initial purchase of the franchise, our franchisees just pay us £20 per class per week (they must run a minimum of 10pw in the first year). By paying us a flat rate franchise service charge per class, (in effect, this amounts to the class fees paid by the first four people who attend the class), it is obvious to see that if they are very good and motivating to their members, they can attract 50 folk to each class and earn extremely well. Of course they are responsible for the costs of running their business such as room hire and so on, but this can be a very successful business for them.

So, if you are sitting at your desk at work today, bored out of your brain and wishing you had a more exciting career, why not think about coming to visit us in July when we hold our next Open Day?

Details of our franchise opportunity can be found on our web site and you can call Dawn O’Dowd for a Prospectus and a free DVD explaining our business on 01509 622000 without any obligation whatsoever. We would love everyone in the UK to be able to visit a local Rosemary Conley Club class within five minutes of where they live and we still have plenty of opportunities for new franchises available. We would love to hear from you.