The Little Gym: Leading the Way in Child Development and Fitness

The Little Gym is an American franchise of fitness gyms designed for infants and children, owned by Unleashed Brands LLC, and headquartered in Bedford, Texas.

Founded by Robin Wes in 1976 in Bellevue, Washington, The Little Gym was created to provide a nurturing and supportive environment for children, adhering to the standards set by USA Gymnastics.

The Little Gym studios offer classes in gymnastics, dance, karate, and Kindermusik, aiming to enhance the development and enrichment of children aged 4 to 12, helping them build confidence and essential skills at every stage of their growth.

Since it began franchising in 1992, The Little Gym has grown internationally, offering a proven business model and extensive support to franchisees. The franchise is known for its comprehensive training programs, marketing support, and ongoing operational assistance, ensuring the success of each location.

Training 

The Little Gym franchise offers extensive training and support to ensure franchisees are well-prepared to run their businesses. The training program includes:

1. Pre-Opening Training: Interactive training sessions at The Little Gym’s corporate facility prepare franchisees and their key team members for a smooth opening.
2. Employee Training: Franchisees learn to use The Little Gym’s online training system to train staff from beginner instructors to master level, ensuring consistent quality across all locations.
3. Ongoing Training: Continuous support through regional and local training sessions provides franchisees with new ideas and methods to enhance their operations.
4. On-the-Job and Classroom Training: This includes 40 to 50 hours of practical, on-the-job training and 162 to 215 hours of classroom training, covering business management, customer service, child development, and the specific curriculum offered by The Little Gym.
5. Financial and Marketing Training: Franchisees receive guidance on creating business plans, funding options, and lender referrals. They also receive step-by-step marketing training, including online and social marketing, grassroots efforts, in-gym marketing, email, direct mail, print, and public relations.

Territory Protection

The Little Gym franchise provides territory protection to its franchisees, ensuring that each franchise location operates within a defined area. This protection helps prevent market saturation and allows franchisees to build a solid customer base without immediate competition from another The Little Gym location.

However, the territory protection comes with specific conditions and limitations. The exact boundaries of the protected territory are determined based on various factors, such as population density and market potential. Franchisees must adhere to these conditions to maintain their exclusive rights, and any expansion or changes to the territory may require approval from the franchisor.