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 way in which. This spring, they opened a co-branded Little Fitness center and Snapology hub in Leesburg, Virginia, giving dad and mom one cease for bodily growth and STEAM. On this Q&A, they hint the journey, methods and household handoff behind that development.
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 straight away — we simply labored our manner by way 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 liked his method 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 duty that comes with that.
Within the early years, what was the toughest problem, and the way did you take care of it?
Chad: Again then, multi-unit possession wasn’t frequent outdoors of the massive guys. There wasn’t a variety of technique for a single-unit operator transferring to a number of places. We had a mentor who gave us nice actual property contacts. Native banking contacts had been an enormous a part of our capacity to capitalize on development.
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What did Covid-19 change for your small 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. financial system has its challenges, however we have now develop into stronger. We additionally realized 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 without doubt one of the fastest-growing in America — and there was an enormous 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 per week. I used to be most likely one of many first Little Fitness center folks to step away from day-to-day operations. I am nonetheless very lively, simply not day-to-day. I used to be ready to do this by focusing carefully on the kind of high quality instructors, administrators and managers working our services.
How have dad and mom responded to combining each manufacturers below one roof?
Chad: It has been phenomenal. For fogeys, it is in regards to the ease of bringing a number of kids to 1 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 below one roof — it actually helps the trendy household with their life-style.
Tiffany: Snapology goes completely with The Little Fitness center. Each ideas consider in the identical factor — constructing confidence for teenagers. We even have youngsters doing each — two lessons 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 seem like?
Chad: They’re the brand new technology of that blood, sweat and fairness. Their possession will come based mostly on the success of the situation — they’ve an fairness stake.
Tiffany: We’re mentoring them like we had been mentored. It is most likely 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 “methods man” for 20 years. I am massive on creating documented methods of doing issues. Even in franchising, you continue to get discrepancies. However when methods are in place, we are able to direct issues again to the appropriate manner when points come up.
What’s subsequent — extra co-branded websites, new markets or a pause?
Chad: We’ll contemplate some markets in our territories over the following 12 to 18 months for The Little Fitness center. At some current places, as area turns into obtainable, we might 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.
