It is 26 years since Andrew Simmons launched the Vision personal training business; today the brand stands out in the crowded fitness market for its distinct business model and measured growth.
So how has Simmons driven Vision Personal Training to its 50-unit footprint, and what’s next?
Simmons has an 80-studio target, with further Victorian growth and extensive opportunities in Western Australia and Queensland in the mix.
Growth through franchising
Five years after opening Vision Personal Fitness Services studio in 1999, Simmons rebranded as Vision Personal Training and opened up to franchising.
There was a simple rationale: the personal trainers wanted to be part of the success, Simmons says.
“We had the best gym in the country, 800 sessions a week. Sixteen trainers managed 400 clients taking two half-hour sessions weekly.”
Today studios are half the size, and the business model is built on 400 sessions.
The six years between 2005-2011 proved a boom time for the brand as PTs saw the opportunity to advance their careers through business ownership.
It was a visit to McDonald’s that sparked the concept of a career journey in Simmons’ mind.
“McDonald’s had a career path displayed on tray tables. I thought, that is awesome, why don’t we do that?” he says.
While most franchisees trod the path from PT to owner, others are ex-defence force personnel and some are clients who transformed their lives and want to see other people do the same.
Optimising business through bespoke software
It was the digital advancement off the back of the Covid crisis that proved pivotal for the business, although Simmons admits it was “a nightmare” when Vision PT hit the doldrums during the pandemic.
“We did a great job, 70 per cent of our franchisees traded through Covid. But our customers had Covid fatigue,” he says.
“We went backwards for a little bit. We had to pivot,” he says.
The company shifted to include seamless one-on-one online live training, and specific programming catered to the equipment a client had available.
Simmons had already developed software and operating systems for the business which, with a focus on appointments, he compares to a hair salon.
“Developers wouldn’t create specifically for us so we bit the bullet and built our own software. It’s been progressive,” he says. “Over the we’ve built certain components of operations, nutrition guidance, goal setting, appointment books, integrated billing and reporting.”
The system covers everything from client billing, client programming to payroll, business management and employee management.
Now Vision is undergoing a two-year, multi-million dollar total rewrite of the operating system. The software development is due for release mid-2025 and is expected to unlock even more multi-site and offshore opportunities.
“We want to make sure we streamline the operations. As you build you realise functions don’t get used. We’ve built on top of existing platforms. PTs can navigate from sessions to client details and payments; it is intuitive and easy to use. It’s all mobile and iPad friendly,” Simmons says.
The software captures rich data across the business and Simmons has adopted a transparent approach to sharing information with franchisees.
“They can see each others’ revenue on dashboards, retention statistics, the number of programs sold, what percentage of clients are achieving goals.”
Simmons says accountability and competitiveness are key to the network but connected with best practice.
A flexible business model with affordability at its core
Franchisees employ between five and seven trainers per studio, and provide 80 per cent of the clients – the other 20 per cent PTs bring on through referrals. Swapping clients is an accepted part of the business model – Vision PTs effectively work as a team.
“The impetus was to grow a business that was flexible. Generally PTs trade time for money, they are victim to the hourly rate. Everyone will get to that point, unless they go to another level,” Simmons points out.
“I’m always aware of growth opportunities for trainers and they are empowered to grow with the business,” he says.
The clubs have been redesigned to maximise the use of space and alleviate high rental costs.
“We’ve designed the studio of the future,” he says.
Simmons is keen to keep the costs affordable, introducing new equipment that suits a cost-conscious franchisee.
He focuses on delivering premium service and a low investment – $250-$300,000.
Tackling childhood obesity
Vision’s customer profile is older than the typical gym goer aged 20-30.
“Above 50 is our target market. They need the help, want support and get guidance. We are servicing the market that really needs our help,” says Simmons.
However, catering for an older market also addresses a wider societal issue, he believes. “I’m passionate about childhood obesity and the best way to tackle this is through parents,” Simmons says.
“We get people off the couch who are too intimidated to go into a gym. They come here, we educate them, they form the habits, they go on to a different gym to do things by themselves – that’s real success,” he says.
A key message at Vision is educating clients that having a supportive group around them is a driver for success. And it pays off for the business. Friends and family members often join after seeing a loved one achieve great results.
“Who is influencing them at home? What’s their partner saying to them? That person has a bigger impact than we do. It’s such an opportunity,” says Simmons.
