Contours Express franchise owners are mourning the tragic death of Winnsboro, TX franchise owner Joy Glasgow.
Both Joy Glasgow and her daughter, Lauren Miller, moved to Winnsboro from Oregon, and opened a Contours Express women’s fitness franchise last year.  Both mother and daughter worked at the center, which had been growing in membership.
According to a KLTV report:
Just before 8:00 am Monday, the Wood County Sheriff’s Department made a welfare check at a home in the 3900 block of CR 4660. That’s when deputies found the body of 53 year old Joy Elizabeth Glasgow with a gunshot wound. KLTV 7’s Molly Reuter …read more

Are you considering opening a 30 minute circuit training club like Curves for Women, Contours Express or Butterfly Life? Are you concerned about the franchisee struggles you’re reading about here… but still think you could make it work in your town?
Well there’s a way to open a new fitness club at half the cost and without the restrictions and ongoing fees of the national franchises. Simply take advantage of the bargain-priced equipment available from the franchisees of the many clubs that have closed. You don’t need to feel bad about taking advantage of their misfortune; you …read more

(FranchisePick.Com)  The New Mexico Business Weekly reports that a third New Mexico Contours Express has opened in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights.
According to the Contours Express franchise owner Betty Gregson, “Our workouts and customized equipment are specifically designed to fit those needs. I selected Contours Express [as a franchise opportunity] because its system offers positive and negative resistance strength-training machines to help build bone density and prevent osteoporosis.”
Bill Helton, president of Contours Express, stated “Since the equipment fits their bodies better, they are always in correct form and position.”
The Northeast Heights club also include an infrared sauna, an ion detoxifying …read more

(FranchisePick.Com)  Contours Express franchise owners:  Jonathan Fortman wants you. 
Or, more accurately, Jonathan Fortman wants to hear from you.
As you may recall from the contentious posts going back to May, 2007 (Is Contours Express a Great Fitness Franchise?, a post with 422 comments, and the announcement of the lawsuit in a post last September (Franchise Dreams Becoming Nightmares for Many Fitness Club Owners), Jonathan Fortman is the attorney representing a group of 60+ Contours Express franchise owners who are suing the Contours Express franchisor for fraud, breach of contract, and general nastiness.
As they continue to gather and review information …read more

Stuart Goldman of Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro, a leading health club industry trade publication, has written an extensive and well-researched article on the struggling 30-minute fitness franchise chains and some of the powerful names that were instrumental in putting the match to this “hot new franchise” phenomenon.
I plan to look at particular points of this article in upcoming posts. Please share your initial comments below.
Here’s an excerpt. Click a link to read the entire article:
Source: Lights Out by Stuart Goldman, Managing Editor, Fitness Business Pro
The troubles that continue to plague circuit club companies also extend to …read more

(FranchisePick.Com)  The woes of the 30 minute women’s fitness franchises,  chronicled and debated in hundreds of franchisee comments on FranchisePick.Com, have reached the mainstream business press, including Forbes.
An article by Lisa LaMotta in the current issue of Forbes  features Ricki and Matt Wilson, owners of the ill-fated Atlanta franchise of Butterfly Life.  Butterfly Life is a struggling Curves knock-off that’s been extensively featured at FranchisePick.com.  The article points out that, unfortunately, the Wilson’s Butterfly Life experience does not seem to be an isolated incident, as “Last Thursday, 10 Butterfly franchisees, most in California, filed a class action against Butterfly, alleging that the company made …read more

 (FranchisePick.com)  A Franchise Pick reader posted this in the comment section of a post on the embattled Contours Express fitness franchise chain.  It’s allegedly the Year-end message sent by Contours Express CEO Jose Perez to Contours Express franchise owners.
Dear Contours Express Franchisees:
Re: Year-End Message
As I have said in the past, we are totally focused on taking the Contours Express system, our franchisees, and our members to the next level. That commitment is evidenced by the introduction of the Advisory Council and our Performance Coaches program. We are also “re-launching” the C.O.R.E. program and continuing our efforts to implement programs which …read more

(FranchisePick.Com) As we begin to wrap up the first year of blogging at FranchisePick.com, I’ve made a list of the companies and posts that prompted the most comments from FranchisePick.Com readers.
#1 Snappy Auctions Franchise: 600+ Reader Comments
Most-commented Post:
Is Snappy Auctions a Great Franchise Opportunity? April 20th, 2007 – 601 Comments
#2 iSOLD IT Franchise: 590 + Reader Comments
Most-commented Post:
Is iSoldit a Great Franchise Opportunity? April 3rd, 2007 – 346 Comments

#3 Contours Express Franchise: 380+ Reader Comments
Most-commented Post:
Is Contours Express a Great Fitness Franchise? May 10th, 2007 – 334 Comments
#4 Butterfly Life Franchise: 300+ Reader Comments:
Most-commented Post:
IS BUTTERFLY LIFE A GREAT FITNESS …read more

(FranchisePick.Com)  FranchisePick.Com reader On A Mission left a comment referencing a web story of a woman’s unhappy experience as a Contours Express franchise owner.  After a little searching, I found the post, titled  How do Businesses Like Contours Express Survive? on Matthew Wilson’s Vasocreta blog.  Matthew, who kindly allowed me to post his story in its entirety, recounts his mother’s regrettable experience as a Countours Express franchise owner.
If you’re not familiar with the current challenges facing 30 Minute fitness franchises, visit: 
Blogliography: 30 Minute Fitness Franchises.
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How do Businesses Like Contours Express Survive?
Guest post by Matthew Wilson,  Vasocreta
Imagine that you purchase a franchise location …read more

(Franchise Pick)  ”Frank” left this comment on the post Is Contours Express a Great Fitness Franchise?  Frank claims that his wife opened a Contours Express womens fitness franchise… and failed. 
It’s a sad story.  Despite their best efforts, they lost $100,000, incurred $150,000 in debt, declared bankruptcy and may lose their house.  Still, “Frank” claims they have not joined the lawsuit (read Franchise Dreams Becoming Nightmares for Many Fitness Club Owners) and do not entirely blame corporate.  “Frank” provides some great insights into the challenges facing 30 minute fitness club operators, and offers advice for those thinking of opening a …read more