Europe’s largest outdoor fitness franchise has finally reached the United States. Be Military Fit is a veteran-run and veteran-run company that offers military-inspired workouts and a “train anywhere” mindset – and is now looking for US military veterans to open more franchises across the country.
For almost 20 years the company was known as “British Military Fitness”. In 2018, Coldstream Guards veteran Chris St. George took over the business. Working with adventurer and Special Air Service veteran Bear Grylls, the company has renamed and changed its workouts.
The result was an engaged base of fans and members that only grew during the restraints of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“Bear and I have had a long association with BMF,” the company’s chairman St. George told Military.com. “I learned a lot at the beginning of my career as a BMF fitness trainer. The sense of community and reward when I see people of all ages achieving their health and fitness goals has stayed with me throughout my career. “
“I remember being particularly inspired by the instructors and being pushed by my peers in ways that isolated training or a gym can’t,” said Grylls, who contributed to his Special Air Service selection a. trained BMF gym.
When the opportunity arose to become co-owners, the two, along with St. George’s brother David, seized the opportunity. They wanted to preserve the legacy of the traditional fitness studio, but realized that it needed to be modernized. The new owner developed a system that not only addressed the needs of young professionals, but the new model would also address the needs of an unforeseen hurdle: COVID-19 restrictions.
BMF was already the largest outdoor fitness franchise in Europe in terms of number of locations and range, but the two veterans built on this success with their “#TrainAnywhere” concept. They started offering new workout options to those who wanted to stay in combat shape by adding online workouts, urban workouts, and even the gym for their clients – with a mobile system that offers each workout at its locations.
Whether customers are looking for strength training, high-intensity interval training, the company’s signature military fitness program, or one of its other offerings, St. George says BMF’s mobile system can deliver. For veterans there is an added bonus: a connection to military culture.
“Veterans find the connection to their military culture, values and practice in the BMF’s approach to business and fitness programs,” said St. George. “In choosing the BMF brand over other franchise offerings, veterans know that the BMF values of respect, knowledge, culture, pride and humor are aligned with the values that veterans have embraced throughout their military careers. You can rest assured that your military experience will be a key strength in building a commercial fitness business that other franchises don’t. “
That’s all well and good for veterans looking to join a gym. It takes a little more time, effort and, most importantly, capital to get one started. The general consensus among small business coaches is that the cost of opening a new gym, including equipment and other costs, in the United States starts at $ 50,000 – and that’s just the beginning.
Read: What does the Small Business Administration do for veterans starting a business?
In addition, there are franchise fees starting at 50,000 US dollars, depending on which franchise the new entrepreneur wants to open. For example, Gold’s Gym can cost up to $ 2.2 million to open. While $ 50,000 still seems like an insurmountable number by comparison, St. George knows it. But he says he made it possible to become BMF owners for a lot less than other gyms. In fact, he says BMF has a lower barrier to entry than any other fitness franchise in the US or the UK.
“We are undoubtedly good value for money,” he says. “The BMF franchise fee is $ 30,000 and the cost of doing business in an outdoor venue with limited overheads is significantly lower than any traditional gym. … An experienced franchisee could set up a BMF outdoor franchise, including its initial franchise fee, for as little as $ 70,000. “
BMF offers a unique military training program that can be carried out anywhere. (Be military fit)
Any veteran looking to start a new gym might want to take a first look at BMF. It already has franchises in California and Michigan and is always looking for more. Since BMF is a veterinarian-centric company, it offers free training for veterans and maximum start-up support.
St. George says if opening a BMF franchise is an affordable business for veterans, all they have to do is call and attend a scheduled Discovery Day. To learn more about BMF and its culture, or to learn how to get started opening a BMF, visit the BMF franchisee website.
– Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. You can also find him on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.
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