Outspoken Curves for Women critic and franchise owner Robert Lay will close the doors of his Las Vegas club this Friday.  Robert Lay’s journey as a Curves Owner is chronicled and discussed on Unhappy Franchisee (Read CURVES: Robert Lay’s Story)
Writes one of the Las Vegas Curves members:
… as members we are surely sorry that they had to close as it was a beautiful club and we will all miss it very much. The owners were excellent and the trainers were all very nice and motivating. It is a shame that the franchisor has turned out to so crooked. We …read more

rogers7808 writes:
I was interested in purchasing a Curves until I read some of the posts.
If Curves is such a bad deal, why has it been named “Franchisor of the Year for 2009?
Rogers7808:
There are no valid franchise awards/rankings that I know of (Though FranSurvey.Com at one time seemed to be useful and well-intentioned.  I’m not sure of its status currently). All are somehow driven by a self-serving motive. For Entrepreneur magazine, the 800 lb. gorilla of franchise rankings, it is ad sales and perpetuation of the franchise myth of great opportunities galore.
The 2009 Franchisor of the Year award was …read more

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

Curves franchise owners and ex-franchise owners:
What’s it like to own a Curves for Women franchise?
Was it a good investment decision?   Was the Curves franchise ownership what you expected?
Has it enriched you financially?  Emotionally?
Would you recommend the Curves franchise to would-be franchise owners?
 SHARE YOUR STORY, EXPERIENCES, INSIGHTS WITH A COMMENT.

(Top New Franchises) Pretty disturbing warning from an ex-franchisee over at Unhappy Franchisee regarding the Lady of America franchise.  Read it here.
Lady of America has been no stranger to bad press and controversy, here or elsewhere:
Lady of America Franchisee Locks Door, Walks Away
Article Scrutinizes Quiznos Rick Schaden, 1-2-3 Fit Franchise, Butterfly Life Franchise, Contours Express Franchise & Fitness Franchise Woes
 WHAT DO YOU THINK?  HAVE YOU HAD ANY DEALINGS WITH LADY OF AMERICA FITNESS FRANCHISE.  SHARE A COMMENT BELOW.
 _________________________

Unhappy Franchisee: Franchising rumors, rants, controversies, issues, complaints & insider information you’re not supposed to know.
Unbiased franchise information, franchise interviews and detailed, searchable …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