Jetts fitness franchisee juggles four businesses

Leading fitness chain Jetts acknowledge that Jo Buchanan is not one of their 'average' franchisees, dividing her time between the two Jetts clubs that she owns as well as two other businesses.

An epitome of determination and hard work, before opening NSW’ first two Jetts gyms in Alexandria and Miranda, Buchanan was part of the Australian Navy for 17 years, and opened a consulting and training business shortly thereafter.

As a testament to Buchanan’s determination and hard work, her Jetts club at Miranda was recently recognised for this and took home the prestigious NSW Club of the Year award for 2014 at the Jetts annual conference earlier this month.

In August 2009, Buchanan and her partner, opened their first club in Alexandria, and their second club in Miranda in December 2009.

As new franchise owners, the pair spent around 60 hours a week at each club, as well as operating two other businesses.

Now, five years down the track, the motivated couple run four businesses and split their time across all. In total, Buchanan works around 100 hours each week, spending 30 hours between the two Jetts clubs each week.

Choosing to open a Jetts club was an easy decision for the enthusiastic and business orientated couple.

She explains "we knew about the ‘Jetts model’, became interested in the concept and slowly grew to love the idea of owning our own gym franchises in Sydney.

“The Jetts model includes a small staff infrastructure, and the model has removed all the frustrations members used to typically experience in what we call the big box clubs like locked-in contracts, paying for facilities which the majority of members didn’t utilise for example saunas, crèche facilities, classes and so on.”

Buchanan said she receives copious training to ensure club owners and managers are secure in their new business, adding "I received five days of induction training where I gained complete knowledge and understanding of how to operate the business, as well as endless support from Jetts Support Office."

Franchisees are supported on the frontline by Business Performance Managers (BPM's) who provide business and fitness industry knowledge and expertise.

She adds “Jetts means a lot to me as we really have been involved with this company since the very beginning.”

Buchanan has always been a very busy, fit and healthy person and explains "owning a couple of Jetts clubs and working with people in the fitness industry has had a positive effect on what I now know about health and fitness.”

Buchanan is passionate about Jetts, not only for the no lock-in contracts and the 24/7 opening hours, but for the fact that members love it, the staff love it, and the general public loves it.

Miranda is the top performing club in New South Wales and engages extensively in the local community.

Giving back to the local community is one of the things that Buchanan and her partner enjoy about being part of Jetts. Both Jetts Alexandria and Jetts Miranda field teams in large community events such as the City 2 Surf; Sutherland 2 Surf; Raw Challenge and Miss Muddy.

She concludes “it’s a great way to get members involved."

Outside of the fitness arena, both Alexandria and Miranda clubs sponsor adult and children’s sporting teams, and donate prizes such as memberships, personal training packages and merchandise, to many fundraising events and charity raffles.

Organisations supported by Jetts Miranda and Alexandria include Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, Bears of Hope, Sutherland Children’s Hospital, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Movember, Pink Ribbon Foundation, The Heart Foundation, The Leukaemia Foundation, Relay For Life, MS Australia, and The Lyceum Foundation.

16th September 2014 - JETTS ACKNOWLEDGES TOP ACHIEVERS AT ANNUAL AWARDS EVENT