How to Succeed as A Multi-Unit Franchisee: John Greff, Workout Anytime

John Greff spent many years as a petroleum engineer before fully exploring what it would mean to be his own boss. Like many franchisees starting out, Greff didn’t know much about the concept of franchising. He was even skeptical that it would impede on the freedom of owning his own business.

“I really wasn’t too keen on the idea of franchising. In my mind, I had this stigma that these companies were going to restrict the things that I could do and charge me a lot of money to do it,” Greff said.

This quickly changed as Greff began exploring the franchising world and noticed that franchisees tended to be more successful than independent businesses. Wanting to pursue something he was passionate about, Greff looked into fitness franchises and soon discovered Workout Anytime, a brand that seemed to do things a little bit differently.

“One of the things I noticed when I was going through the P&Ls for gym brands was that they had some very high expenses in particular areas such as staffing and rent,” said Greff. “When I came across Workout Anytime, they were able to balance the equation. I really found the sweet spot where you can operate at a very high ROI and have repeated success with the model.”

Fast forward several years and Greff is now the owner of seven Workout Anytime franchises across the Southeast with plans to develop several more locations in his area over the coming years. When asked what contributes to his success as a multi-unit franchise owner, Greff said it’s all about being engaged with customers and keeping an eye on the bottom line.

“I’m a bit of a Scrooge. Literally, any dollar that I spend has a calculated ROI. We really focus our attention on spending 99% of our energy and resources on the things that are going to have the biggest impact on the bottom line,” he said.

Greff’s advice for franchisees looking to grow their portfolios? Take it slow, and become the master of your craft.

“Take the time when you have a single unit to learn every aspect of the business,” said Greff. “Develop excellent systems that can work for you when you’re not there and then apply those systems to multiple units.”