Comments on: Is Curves for Women a Good Franchise Investment? http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/ Sports News - Tech Reviews - Entertainment - Life Tips for EveryJoe Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:01:04 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jaime http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/comment-page-2/#comment-368880 Jaime Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:24:21 +0000 http://franchisepick.com/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/#comment-368880 I am a co-owner/manager of a Curves in a pretty busy town with the closest Curves being about 1 hour away in any direction. It's doing ok but it has been a very long hard road and we still need to grow more. We had also taken over another Curves that was about 45 minutes away from where we live and thought we would be able to grow it. We busted our butts and put in very long hours and days trying to grow the membership. It was doing worse than we were told when we took it over. The club was a total mess and we fixed a lot of stuff and even tho we would gain a few new members we continued to lose just as many. After a horrible 9 monts, we made the difficult decision to close that club and now Curves International wants $10,000. They told us if we got a letter to them by a certain date they would negotiate that, but they just contacted us today stating they will not negotiate that fee down and we need to wrap it up and get the $10,000 to them by the end of November or they will send it to their legal department! WTH! We told them for months before we closed that we were in trouble and thinking down that path. We even tried to move our club to a busier area (no other curves were in the area we wanted to move to) and they would not let us. They provided us with no support what so ever and totally dropped us on our butts! And now they want that money. Does anyone have any suggestions how to handle this? I have heard about a class aciton law suit and would like more info on that...... My business partner and I are both single mothers and are trying to provide a service to the ladies in our communities. We told them it would break us and we would probably not be able to keep the club we still have open. They don't care. FOR ANYONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT BUYING A CURVES: DON'T!!!!!! I WOULD NOT RECCOMMEND BUYING A CURVES FRANCHISE TO ANYONE. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL MY 5 YEAR CONTRACT IS UP WITH THEM. WE DO NOT PLAN ON RENEWING THE CONTRACT WITH THEM AT THAT TIME BECAUSE THEY HAVE PROVIDED US WITH ZERO SUPPORT. I am a co-owner/manager of a Curves in a pretty busy town with the closest Curves being about 1 hour away in any direction. It’s doing ok but it has been a very long hard road and we still need to grow more.

We had also taken over another Curves that was about 45 minutes away from where we live and thought we would be able to grow it. We busted our butts and put in very long hours and days trying to grow the membership. It was doing worse than we were told when we took it over. The club was a total mess and we fixed a lot of stuff and even tho we would gain a few new members we continued to lose just as many.

After a horrible 9 monts, we made the difficult decision to close that club and now Curves International wants $10,000. They told us if we got a letter to them by a certain date they would negotiate that, but they just contacted us today stating they will not negotiate that fee down and we need to wrap it up and get the $10,000 to them by the end of November or they will send it to their legal department! WTH! We told them for months before we closed that we were in trouble and thinking down that path. We even tried to move our club to a busier area (no other curves were in the area we wanted to move to) and they would not let us. They provided us with no support what so ever and totally dropped us on our butts! And now they want that money.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to handle this? I have heard about a class aciton law suit and would like more info on that……

My business partner and I are both single mothers and are trying to provide a service to the ladies in our communities. We told them it would break us and we would probably not be able to keep the club we still have open. They don’t care.

FOR ANYONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT BUYING A CURVES: DON’T!!!!!!

I WOULD NOT RECCOMMEND BUYING A CURVES FRANCHISE TO ANYONE. I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL MY 5 YEAR CONTRACT IS UP WITH THEM. WE DO NOT PLAN ON RENEWING THE CONTRACT WITH THEM AT THAT TIME BECAUSE THEY HAVE PROVIDED US WITH ZERO SUPPORT.

]]> By: LeAnn Drissel http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/comment-page-1/#comment-305490 LeAnn Drissel Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:00:02 +0000 http://franchisepick.com/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/#comment-305490 My current situation is this. My partner is trying to force me to close. I want to try to turn the club around but am concerned about being soley responsible for the fees should I not beable to increase membership and have to close anyway. I am looking for help in anyway of ideas to increase and retain the current members. I have a big decision to make soon. Thank you for your help LeAnn My current situation is this. My partner is trying to force me to close. I want to try to turn the club around but am concerned about being soley responsible for the fees should I not beable to increase membership and have to close anyway. I am looking for help in anyway of ideas to increase and retain the current members. I have a big decision to make soon.

Thank you for your help

LeAnn

]]> By: CURVES FOR WOMEN : Unhappy Franchisee http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/comment-page-13/#comment-305580 CURVES FOR WOMEN : Unhappy Franchisee Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:13:27 +0000 http://franchisepick.com/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/#comment-305580 [...] Is Curves for Women a Good Franchise Investment? 600+ Comments [...] [...] Is Curves for Women a Good Franchise Investment? 600+ Comments [...]

]]> By: Guest http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/comment-page-1/#comment-305306 Guest Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:16:57 +0000 http://franchisepick.com/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/#comment-305306 Meanspirited but true, unfortunately. Curves struggles but Dunkin Donuts is doing just fine. McDonald's is posting record profits. For having thousands of locations, has Curves made a dent in the American waistline? Curves sells to couch potatoes. The couch is tough competition. Meanspirited but true, unfortunately.
Curves struggles but Dunkin Donuts is doing just fine.
McDonald’s is posting record profits.
For having thousands of locations, has Curves made a dent in the American waistline?
Curves sells to couch potatoes. The couch is tough competition.

]]> By: Guest http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/comment-page-13/#comment-305305 Guest Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:09:01 +0000 http://franchisepick.com/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/#comment-305305 another curves says: "Keith said “Let’s just face it fat people figgured out you have to sweat at curves and that is not acceptable. That equels zero results.” I can’t believe no one else has taken issue with this remark. This is the kind of mean-spirited and ignorant remark that gives credence to the idea that Curves Franchisees are failing because they don’t have enough business sense. For Goodness Sakes people." Keith's phrasing might be insensitive, even insulting, but it's the truth, isn't it? Curves strategy was to cater to the "deconditioned" woman which is a nice way of saying "couch potato" who doesn't like to exercise. Isn't one of the big flaws with this concept that most couch potatoes return to their couches, eventually? another curves says: “Keith said “Let’s just face it fat people figgured out you have to sweat at curves and that is not acceptable. That equels zero results.”
I can’t believe no one else has taken issue with this remark.
This is the kind of mean-spirited and ignorant remark that gives credence to the idea that Curves Franchisees are failing because they don’t have enough business sense.
For Goodness Sakes people.”

Keith’s phrasing might be insensitive, even insulting, but it’s the truth, isn’t it?
Curves strategy was to cater to the “deconditioned” woman which is a nice way of saying “couch potato” who doesn’t like to exercise. Isn’t one of the big flaws with this concept that most couch potatoes return to their couches, eventually?

]]> By: another curves http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/comment-page-/#comment-305302 another curves Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:09:44 +0000 http://franchisepick.com/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/#comment-305302 Keith said "Let’s just face it fat people figgured out you have to sweat at curves and that is not acceptable. That equels zero results." I can't believe no one else has taken issue with this remark. This is the kind of mean-spirited and ignorant remark that gives credence to the idea that Curves Franchisees are failing because they don't have enough business sense. For Goodness Sakes people. Keith said “Let’s just face it fat people figgured out you have to sweat at curves and that is not acceptable. That equels zero results.”
I can’t believe no one else has taken issue with this remark.
This is the kind of mean-spirited and ignorant remark that gives credence to the idea that Curves Franchisees are failing because they don’t have enough business sense.
For Goodness Sakes people.

]]> By: Sean Kelly http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/comment-page-1/#comment-304833 Sean Kelly Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:38:34 +0000 http://franchisepick.com/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/#comment-304833 Della: Please read the comments on these posts at UnhappyFranchisee.com http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/curves-overview/ Della:
Please read the comments on these posts at UnhappyFranchisee.com
http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/curves-overview/

]]> By: Della http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/comment-page-1/#comment-304743 Della Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:15:45 +0000 http://franchisepick.com/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/#comment-304743 Hello, my name is Della. I work at a club in Pa. we have about 188 members( a very small town). but at one time we had 400. The owner is selling and she offered it to me. I am a little scared about it. I really want to,But I am worried about keeping members and getting new ones and any idea that you have would be great. It might help me decide if I could do that and if it would work ,wow that would be great!!! Hello, my name is Della. I work at a club in Pa. we have about 188 members( a very small town). but at one time we had 400. The owner is selling and she offered it to me. I am a little scared about it. I really want to,But I am worried about keeping members and getting new ones and any idea that you have would be great. It might help me decide if I could do that and if it would work ,wow that would be great!!!

]]> By: Sean Kelly http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/comment-page-13/#comment-304821 Sean Kelly Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:26:51 +0000 http://franchisepick.com/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/#comment-304821 New post: Happy Curves franchisee speaks out http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/curves-happy-franchise-owner-speaks-out/ New post: Happy Curves franchisee speaks out
http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/curves-happy-franchise-owner-speaks-out/

]]> By: Mandy http://www.everyjoe.com/articles/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/comment-page-1/#comment-304777 Mandy Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:24:04 +0000 http://franchisepick.com/is-curves-for-women-a-good-franchise-investment/#comment-304777 I see so many disheartened comments about owning and operating Curves for Women, but I do want to encourage you to stick with it. I am a Supervisor for 3 Curves locations in the Lynchburg, VA area. These 3 locations have been open between 10 and 12 years and are thriving. Our locations hold between 300 and 500 members each. I understand this is a bad economy, but we really haven't lost a lot of members...those we have lost, we have replaced with new members. Our locations are not in a hugely populated area either. I truly believe it is what you do for your members at this very difficult time in our nation. Try to make it fun...spend a few dollars on games, have a themed week (ie - Oldies, 80s, etc...). Get people to buy supplements - shakes mainly - by having a shake tasting! Make sure you do the recipes from the Weight Managment book. The Regional conference, I have to admit, was a bit of a disappointment. It was held in Charlotte, NC for our area in 2008 and was very nice. There were approximately 200-300 people in attendance and was a great learning experience. I agree they could have done a much better job on it, but I understand why they did it the way they did...get it over in one day so they didn't have to travel the nation. Oh well! The conference in Nashville should be much better! If you have any questions for me or need any advice on how to keep your members in your club, please respond! I would love to help in any way possible! I see so many disheartened comments about owning and operating Curves for Women, but I do want to encourage you to stick with it. I am a Supervisor for 3 Curves locations in the Lynchburg, VA area. These 3 locations have been open between 10 and 12 years and are thriving. Our locations hold between 300 and 500 members each.

I understand this is a bad economy, but we really haven’t lost a lot of members…those we have lost, we have replaced with new members. Our locations are not in a hugely populated area either. I truly believe it is what you do for your members at this very difficult time in our nation. Try to make it fun…spend a few dollars on games, have a themed week (ie – Oldies, 80s, etc…). Get people to buy supplements – shakes mainly – by having a shake tasting! Make sure you do the recipes from the Weight Managment book.

The Regional conference, I have to admit, was a bit of a disappointment. It was held in Charlotte, NC for our area in 2008 and was very nice. There were approximately 200-300 people in attendance and was a great learning experience. I agree they could have done a much better job on it, but I understand why they did it the way they did…get it over in one day so they didn’t have to travel the nation. Oh well! The conference in Nashville should be much better!

If you have any questions for me or need any advice on how to keep your members in your club, please respond! I would love to help in any way possible!

]]>