From Owning A Transport Business To Becoming A Snap Fitness Multi-Unit Franchisee

At Snap Fitness, we are used to celebrating the milestones and the progress of our franchisees throughout the network. And it’s fair to say, since opening our first UK club in 2012, our success has been largely down to the great franchisees who strive to grow the brand and help make Snap Fitness a household name. Peter Dhillon is one of those franchisees.

After opening his first Snap Fitness in Neats Court in 2019, Peter has quickly gone on to become a multi-unit owner, opening a further four territories across Dover and Ashford, the Isle of Sheppey, Warminster and Waterford, with a further three territories secured in Ireland.

Peter's most recent gym in Waterford, Ireland – opened 14 months ago - has since become the network’s fastest-growing club, reaching over 2,000 members in just 12 months. However, despite his evident success in the fitness industry, like many franchisees when they first started out, Peter had no fitness industry experience before joining.

How I started out

“I’ve always had an eye for business. After leaving college, my first job was at my uncle’s transportation business where I learned the ins and outs of the industry. Working with my uncle inspired me to eventually start my own transport company, which quickly grew from one van to 30 lorries within five years,” said Peter. “While the financial success of this business was incredible, I worked 15-16 hours a day with no work-life balance, which isn’t okay when you have a family at home. I needed a change, which is when I started looking into franchises.”

My move into franchising

“In 2016, I decided to pursue a new venture away from the transport industry and purchased a dessert franchise. It was a whole new experience but, despite the challenges, I realised that anything was possible when you got the right employees in place and stuck to the franchisor’s processes. This business is now performing very well, and I still own it to this day. However, I wanted to expand my portfolio. I’ve always been passionate about fitness, so when I got the chance to open a gym franchise, I jumped at the opportunity.”

Why I selected a Snap Fitness Franchise:

“After extensively researching the industry and gym franchises in the UK, I decided Snap Fitness was the one for me. In my initial meeting, they showed me how their team could support me in finding a location, the marketing support they could provide and the staff training on offer. Because I already understood the importance of a good support network in franchising, I could see that this brand was a great option.”

Why I’m impressed with Snap Fitness

“Since opening my first Snap Fitness territory, I’ve been hugely impressed with the number of members coming through the door. It’s not uncommon to have well over 150 members on site during peak hours. This is because we have an emphasis on providing the best equipment and offering a welcoming staffed environment, unlike other gyms that settle for lower-spec options and are happy to leave their gyms unmanned.

“The head office team provide both my staff and me with ongoing training and are happy to answer questions whenever I need guidance. Over the last few years, I’ve found that to be successful as a gym owner, having a great team of club managers and support from head office in finding the right locations and offering additional marketing materials is a must. At head office, they also provide a team of dedicated marketing professionals who create outstanding video and social media content for us to use, as well as keep the website looking professional and attractive to potential new members.

“Looking to the future, I’m excited to continue growing my Snap Fitness portfolio. I have a further three territories secured across Ireland in Drogheda, Kilkenny and Swords and am currently in the process of securing the best possible locations for the new sites.”

My advice to future Snap Fitness franchisees

“My advice for anyone considering joining the Snap Fitness network would be to go for it. It worked for me. Despite having no prior knowledge of the industry, the level of support I received was beyond what I could have imagined, from marketing all the way to property management. And with the network continuing to grow and outperform other gym franchises in the UK, now is the perfect time to join this fantastic community.”

Find out more about opening your Snap Fitness Gym Franchise. Click below now!

Dynamic Duo - Marrying A Love Of Fitness And Business

Property and hospitality duo, Olga and Gurnake Cheema, had over 15 years combined property investment and hotel management experience when their search for a fitness franchise led them to Snap Fitness