There was plenty to celebrate as we met with our partners at the seventh Franchise Partner Meeting in Cape Town on June 10. With our 26th BODYTEC studio now open, there was a fantastic group of people coming together to share their knowledge, compare notes and chat about the business and our brand.

When we first brought EMS Training to South Africa in 2011, we never could have dreamt about how the business would grow. One of the things we realised early on, is that our clients were so inspired and amazed by how BODYTEC changed their lives, that they began approaching us to open studios of their own. In fact, more than 50% of franchise partners used to be BODYTEC clients.

Because you only need to train for 20 minutes a week with BODYTEC, it naturally drew the interest of women who found that BODYTEC fitted in with their busy lives of work, motherhood and more. They naturally wanted to share this amazing benefit with other women, while pursuing a business opportunity of their own that offered them more flexibility, which is why more than 60% of our franchise partners are women. And, interestingly, more than 75% of our franchise partners used to work in corporate environments, or were self-employed outside the fitness industry, yet all have a keen interest in health and wellness.

Advantages of being a BODYTEC franchise partner

We know that starting your a business can be challenging, and yes, a little scary. As a franchisor we work with our partners to make the process as seamless as possible. With a low start-up costs (an initial investment of only R860 000 excl VAT is needed) a BODYTEC studio franchise is accessible, and with great potential for recurring monthly revenue, there is a high potential return on investment.

A studio can be run with a small team of personal trainers, and because we offer exclusive franchise areas, our partners know that another BODYTEC studio won’t open down the road. These, along with being able to enjoy lifestyle-based work, are reasons our franchise partners choose to join SA’s original and leading EMS franchise.

Awards and accreditations

BODYTEC brought EMS training to South Africa in 2011 and is a full member of the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA). In fact, we have won the following awards from them: Finalist, Newcomer of the Year award 2014 and 2015 and Finalist and Brand Builder of the Year award 2016.

How to apply to become a franchise partner

You simply follow the steps below:

• Fill out our franchise information form (available here). 
• You will be invited to a Franchise Information session where you will learn more about the brand and how our franchise partner programme will benefit you.
• A one-on-one meeting will be held with you at our head office in Cape Town, and you will have the opportunity to meet the franchise team.
• An area will be reserved for you. You will receive a studio specific business plan, three-year financial analysis and the BODYTEC Disclosure Document.
• Once suitable premises have been found and approved, studio refurbishment can begin. Our key-ready design makes this fuss-free and minimises costs.
• Your 13-day personalised BODYTEC franchise training workshop will take place at our BODYTEC Academy.

All processes and timelines are governed by the franchise regulations of the CPA2011.