Chad and Tiffany Mussmon went from academics to franchise homeowners in 1997, constructing from one The Little Fitness center (#198 on the Franchise 500) to seven places throughout Maryland and Virginia — and including two Snapology (#394 on the Franchise 500) territories alongside the best way. This spring, they opened a co-branded Little Fitness center and Snapology hub in Leesburg, Virginia, giving dad and mom one cease for bodily improvement and STEAM. On this Q&A, they hint the journey, programs and household handoff behind that progress.
Responses have been edited for size and readability.
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What made you are taking the leap from worker to proprietor again in 1997?
Chad: We had been each academics with a younger household popping out of school and did not actually have capital immediately — we simply labored our method by means of with sweat fairness and put a marketing strategy collectively. I did not come from an entrepreneurial household, however my uncle was an entrepreneur, and I beloved his strategy to mentoring folks and creating his personal future. Franchising was new to me — I knew McDonald’s, however I did not understand how widespread franchising was as a 23-year-old. We simply began shifting our mindset from worker to possession, with the superior accountability that comes with that.
Within the early years, what was the toughest problem, and the way did you cope with it?
Chad: Again then, multi-unit possession wasn’t widespread outdoors of the massive guys. There wasn’t lots of technique for a single-unit operator shifting to a number of places. We had a mentor who gave us nice actual property contacts. Native banking contacts had been a giant a part of our potential to capitalize on progress.
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What did Covid-19 change for your online business?
Chad: With Covid, we had a tough time — we closed a bunch — and my entrepreneurial spirit was crushed. I advised Tiffany I would by no means open one other enterprise. However my spirit recovered, and we opened 4 in 18 months. We noticed numbers within the aftermath of Covid we would by no means seen. We by no means had a million-dollar income location earlier than Covid-19; then, within the two years after, 5 out of six places had been million-dollar places. Issues are leveling off now, and the D.C. economic system has its challenges, however we’ve got change into stronger. We additionally discovered rather a lot about coping with landlords — some labored with us, some did not. It was a studying curve.
What advised you it was time to maintain increasing and hiring administration?
Tiffany: We noticed the necessity regionally — our county is among the fastest-growing in America — and there was a giant want for a non-competitive gymnastics program.
Chad: We knew we could not do it by ourselves, nor did we wish to work 60-70 hours every week. I used to be in all probability one of many first Little Fitness center folks to step away from day-to-day operations. I am nonetheless very energetic, simply not day-to-day. I used to be in a position to do this by focusing intently on the kind of high quality instructors, administrators and managers operating our services.
How have dad and mom responded to combining each manufacturers underneath one roof?
Chad: It has been phenomenal. For folks, it is in regards to the ease of bringing a number of kids to at least one place. Some youngsters are extra athletic, some are extra into coding or STEM. The preliminary outcomes are that oldsters love doing a number of actions underneath one roof — it actually helps the fashionable household with their life-style.
Tiffany: Snapology goes completely with The Little Fitness center. Each ideas imagine in the identical factor — constructing confidence for teenagers. We even have youngsters doing each — two courses at The Little Fitness center and a category at Snapology — in a single place.
Your youngsters now assist handle the co-branded location. What does that appear to be?
Chad: They’re the brand new era of that blood, sweat and fairness. Their possession will come based mostly on the success of the placement — they’ve an fairness stake.
Tiffany: We’re mentoring them like we had been mentored. It is in all probability our favourite location now as a result of we spend time with them. They’re each younger dad and mom, and we spend most of our time there.
How do you retain high quality constant throughout a number of items and types?
Chad: It is a problem. I have been a “programs man” for 20 years. I am large on creating documented methods of doing issues. Even in franchising, you continue to get discrepancies. However when programs are in place, we will direct issues again to the precise method when points come up.
What’s subsequent — extra co-branded websites, new markets or a pause?
Chad: We’ll think about some markets in our territories over the following 12 to 18 months for The Little Fitness center. At some present places, as house turns into out there, we could speak to landlords about including Snapology. Another ideas on the Unleashed platform are interesting, however I feel we’re taking a pause to catch our breath.
