CURVES: Recent Comments

Comments continue to come in from struggling and distressed Curves franchise owners.

On a Curves franchise post on UnhappyFranchisee, Another Curver wrote 2009/08/16 at 5:40pm:

I hope someone will buy my Curves franchise. Not because it is such a great thing to deal with CurvesInternational (CI) but because the Curves concept is fabulous, and the clubs themselves do a huge service in the community. I have to sell mine because of going thru bankruptcy because of closing my second club. Otherwise, I was trying to hold onto my club. I wasn’t making alot of money (about $1500/month for 50-60 hrs/week of work) but working the floor is the best job I’ve ever had, and I find the workout itself the most successful way to keep my health problems managed.
Also, I pray we’ll see an improvement in the economy soon, and I think we’re starting to see more women come back to Curves. In my market, the boycott by Planned Parenthood in 2004 (to when?) hurt us badly. I think we’re getting far enough away from it that things are starting to improve. I wish I could wait another year, because I think I will see over 500 people in my club again. But I can’t wait. I’m hoping to find someone else who can.
As far as the purposes of this website, I agree that CI (and Heavin) have been cagey at best, and selfishly have made choices that hurt many franchisees: I agree that they shouldn’t have allowed me to split my territory and open a second club in my market when I was delirious with the height of my success (about 700 members and on a fast growth curve). I also believe that his self indulgent publicity stunts, that resulted in the boycott by Planned Parenthood, were truly harmful to many of us and shouldn’t have happened or been tolerated, regardless of any of our political beliefs.
But that situation seems to be under control now, and I am putting faith into the believe that if:
we are aware of -and make allowances for- CI and Heavin’s self-interested motivations, and
we can attract more women to the benefits of our system, then we can be successful again with our businesses.
I know that may seem too optimistic to those who have been most harmed by CI/Heavin’s selfish choices, but I am one of the many women who really truly rely on the Curves Club to provide me with a successful way to manage my health issues and I don’t know what I could do if they all went up in smoke.
Best Wishes to all of you.

On How to Buy a Curves Franchise for $1.00… or Less!   LINDALEE wrote:

I AM A CURVES OWNER AND THAT RIGHT WHERE AM AT !!! THEY WANT $10,000, I TOLD THEM IF I HAD MADE MONEY IN THE YEAR AND HALF, I WOULDN’T BE TRYING TO CLOSED…I HAVN’T MADE A PENNY!!!!AND HAVE NO $$$$… SO HOW AM I TO SALE THE PLACE… IT SAVE MY LIFE 5 YEARS OLD 75# AND I KEEP IT OFF 4 YEARS IT DOES WORK… AM A NEW PERSON AND I THOUGHT I COULD SAVE CURVES… BUT NOT NOW THE WORLD IS FALLING APART…AND HOW LONG BEFORE IT WILL GET BETTER, NOBODY KNOWS!!!! AM IN A SMALL TOWN AND LOT OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ARE CLOESING. I GOT CURVES THINKING ANOTHER BUSINESS WOULDN’T GO UNDER….WHAT OUR WE TO DO???? I USE TO SAY “CURVES FOR LIFE” I GUESS I WON’T BE ANY MORE..THIS IS SO HARD I LOVE ALL 75 MEMBERS I HAVE LEFT..HOW AM I TO TELL THEM????IS THERE ANY HOPE!!!!!!!! LINDALEE

Linda is responding to Curves for Women’s policy of charging failed franchisees $10,000 to close their clubs.

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