The Side Note

Some personal information you need to know about me before reading this post:

I love exercising. A lot of people hate it, but I love it. Turbo Kick class is my favorite night of the week. Also, I have one foot stuck in the 1980s. This past weekend, on a trip up to the mountains, my husband turned on the CD player and Air Supply was blasting “I’m all out of love…”. I had selected the music for our trip.

With that explanation, you’ll understand why a recent Reuters article that was linked from the IFA SmartBrief caught my attention.

“Retro workouts: Let’s Get Physical again.” It was a story about the franchise Retro Fitness – gyms ala 1980s. Seriously? Exercise with ‘80s music playing? “Pretty in Pink” showing on the overhead TVs? How could I not have know about this? Answer: They are not in Denver.

But enough about me. Lets talk franchise marketing.

The reason I love Retro Fitness from a marketing perspective is that it offers something just a little bit different – which makes them unique and gives them a marketing tactic to hang their hat on. There are a lot of gyms around the country, and there are a lot of gym franchises (i.e., 24 Hour Fitness, Curves, etc.). But, like all franchise businesses, you need to offer a unique selling proposition to increase sales.

Retro Fitness did not come up with a new business idea – at the end of the day, it’s a gym. But they came up with a new way to position and sell the idea – it’s a “retro” gym. They spun a basic business model into something different and compelling.

If you are considering starting a small business, think about what spin you can take on your business model. If you are an existing franchise company, how can you create a unique selling proposition based on the services or goods you are already offering? What distinguishes you from your competitors? In this recession we are all looking for ways to stand out. How can you not only be better than your competitors, how can you be different from than them as well?

As you continue to grow your business, think retro…Retro Fitness. What can you learn from this spin on an existing business model that can make you different enough to increase sales? How can you add something special and unique to your business that makes you stand out from your competitors?