Innovative Program Provides Support in Franchise Development, Technical Infrastructure and Administrative Services
CarPool, created by the franchise sales organization Franchise FastLane, has helped improve franchisor performance for numerous brands by providing support in franchise development, as well as technical infrastructure and administrative services. One brand that has benefited from participation in CarPool is SPENGA, a fitness concept that focuses equally on the essential elements of cardio, strength and flexibility within a 60-minute workout.
“The CarPool solution saves the franchisor money, increases efficiency with lead flow, trains your team on the sales process, and offers invaluable support on an ongoing basis,” says SPENGA co-founder Roger McGreal. “The transition from Fastlane to CarPool was seamless and has been extremely effective and worthwhile.”
Franchise FastLane launched CarPool in 2023 to provide franchise development coaching and administrative services for emerging and established brands seeking to perfect their processes and plug into Franchise FastLane’s proven systems. While Franchise FastLane partners with a select number of brands – “the chosen few” – to propel their responsible, accelerated growth, CarPool works with “the many, not just the chosen few,” that can benefit from training and coaching to assist in their franchise development.
Franchisors in the CarPool program keep sales development in-house while receiving coaching and support that includes organic lead qualification, territory checks, call scheduling, validation and leadership call reminders. In addition, brands receive guidance on consultant network contracts, assistance with compliance issues and up-to-date territory mapping.
Boosting Franchisor Performance
CarPool Vice President Jesse Hudson explains how CarPool came to be: “Over the years, Franchise FastLane has developed a reputation for being highly selective in the brands we choose to work with. Every year, our team evaluates between 150-200 brands, looking for new and emerging stars that have potential, a well-defined value proposition, excellent key differentiators and solid unit economics. Sometimes, though, it meant we had to decline exceptional candidates. Many of these franchisors were facing common challenges, and just needed a boost with sales support, training and ongoing development coaching to get to the next level. So, we decided to do something about it, and created and successfully launched CarPool.
“The knowledge gained by participating in our CarPool program puts brands in a position to be best-in-class, so that when leads come, they can easily convert into deals. Put simply, CarPool delivers all the Franchise FastLane value to franchisors while allowing them to keep a developer in-house,” Hudson says.
SPENGA’s Franchise Journey with CarPool
Founded in 2014 in a single fitness studio in Mokena, Ill., and franchising since 2015, SPENGA was the first studio to place equal emphasis on cardio, strength and flexibility within a 60-minute workout. SPENGA workouts begin with spin for cardio, followed by strength training, then yoga for flexibility to give participants at all fitness levels a comprehensive and efficient workout experience. The goal is to maximize results without breaking the body down, or, as the SPENGA tagline reads: “WERK Smarter, Not Harder.” The brand has expanded to more than 60 locations across the United States.
SPENGA offers comprehensive support for franchise owners, including real estate and construction services, initial training, ongoing operational assistance, marketing support and access to the brand’s network of experienced professionals. The brand encourages franchise owners to scale by opening multiple locations, and solicits their input on workouts, community engagement and studio experience to continue improving on SPENGA’s mission.
SPENGA has embraced technology to enhance the member experience and streamline operations, while also implementing online bookings, mobile apps, fitness tracking devices, learning management systems, CRM software and financial dashboards – all to provide convenience and personalization for members and franchisees.
Innovative approaches to fitness routines and the integration of groundbreaking technologies have distinguished SPENGA among increasing competition in the fitness space. The personal services sector, which includes health and wellness, is projected to lead growth in franchise establishments, growing by 3% to more than 124,508 franchise units, according to the International Franchise Association’s 2024 Franchising Economic Outlook. Overall, for the fitness industry, the future is bright as market size is projected to increase at a combined annual growth rate of 8.83% from $112.17 billion in 2023 to $202.78 by 2030, according to Fortune Business Insights.
For more information about Franchise FastLane and its portfolio of brands, visit https://www.franchisefastlane.com/about-us/brands.
To learn more about joining FastLane or CarPool, go to https://www.franchisefastlane.com/franchisor/emerging-to-thriving#form.
For more information about SPENGA franchising opportunities, visit https://spengafitnessfranchise.com.
