Over the past two weeks, elements has received three formal proposals from major landlords offering free rent, and up to $60 per sq ft in “key” money to locate our clubs in their plaza. Doing some quick math, if you take a (typical) 6,000 square foot space, that means the landlord will contribute over $360,000 to cover the cost of buildout, allowing a franchisee to virtually just move in. As if this wasn’t strong enough, we are seeing these offers coupled with generous free and reduced rent periods to ensure that a club has a good jump-start. Only the best landlords can (or will) afford to do this strategy, but since our clubs are located in top centers, it has put many potential elements franchisees in a unique, and very lucky situation.

Many first-time business owners do not know that, in commercial real estate, it is normal for a professional landlord to pay “TI” (tenant improvement) money as an incentive to attract popular national tenants to their center. The more favored a brand is, the more “TI” money the landlords are willing to pay to attract that brand to their center.

This makes good sense for landlords, the best “anchor” tenants quickly define the image of the Plaza, and the ultimate long-term success. Many landlords do not want to re-invent the wheel here, so they will follow the lead of other successful landlords and plazas nationally. Owners of great brands can offset a larger portion of their initial startup and construction expenses through a landlord contribution. elements has been very popular with landlords since the beginning. Our clubs have great curb appeal for a plaza, and attract one of the top buying demographics (upper income women, age 30-65) to the plazas on a repeat basis. As a result, elements and our startup team has always had excellent results with landlord negotiations. (we help to negotiate all leases on behalf of our franchisees)

I have said many times that we believe this is one of the best times in history to open a business in the US. Economic trends have converged to make this an excellent time to negotiate a lease, as landlords are sweetening their deals to attract key tenants to sign leases. We are seeing “TI” amounts double what they were last year, and long free rent periods, typically one year or more. Wow… what an exciting thought for any business owner -being provided a “turn-key” space, and a full year of no rent expense.

I heard one time that the definition of luck is luck is when preparedness meets opportunity. Successful entrepreneurs will think themselves very luck to be able to launch their businesses this year.

I was speaking to a well-respected executive from the franchise industry today. I really enjoyed our call, and I thought I would share some of the conversation with you - it really shows the process of buying a franchise from the other side of things…..

In business, you can either let or make things happen. Successful people make things happen, and are confident in the decisions and choices that they make (both in business and in life). This conversation became especially relevant because, as the end of the year approaches, many aspiring entrepreneurs will be following their dream of owning a businesses a reality this year. And other will not… they will blame the economy, the holidays, their jobs, family, or a whole host of other factors which will cause them to procrastinate their decision making until next month.

Why is January a better month to make a decision than December? What will change between now and then? If an entrepreneur is at the point where they have collected all the information, it is very unlikely that anything will materially change within the next months. In fact, going through the notes and checklists they have developed along the process should confirm they have all the information you need to make a sound decision.

In business, it is important to identify what it is that holds you back. If it is the fear of the unknown - recognize that this is entirely normal, as with any big decision. There will always be reasons not to buy, not to invest, or not to grow, but if you are serious and have a passion for businesses, it is important to look for reasons to buy as well.

From our seat, many prospective franchisees do not realize that delaying their decision without good reasons sending the wrong message to the franchisors, who are evaluating you as a potential Developer. Franchisors (your partners) are looking for passion for the model and business savvy which includes decisiveness.

As an entrepreneur, you want to be in the position of having options. In other words, you want to be awarded the franchise and have the option of saying No. Delaying in decisions often removes that option for the candidate. As December approaches, elements will be announcing several great new club locations, and new Regional Developers - we are proud that our new partners understand that success comes from within, and possess the drive and determination that come hand-in-hand with success.

We gave congratulations this week to our three Atlanta gyms, for winning the prestigious “Best of Atlanta” award. It was notable to mention that this was the second “Best of” award elements had won in two weeks. To me, this is notable because it shows that consumers and members are really expressing their loyalty and affinity for elements. We get countless requests each week from potential members across the country (and sometimes world) requesting or inquiring about club locations. This growing database is becoming a major asset to the brand, especially since prospects receive our “elements living” magazine free of charge, where they can interact with our fitness experts, keep tuned-in to the latest fitness and lifestyle tips and trends, create a customized diet, and download video workouts. This “element experience” is being enhanced again next year with the addition of a full supplement line and robust online store. Consumers are able to “experience elements living” at home, and also at their Award-winning local elements club… what a concept!

Isn’t it nice to be rewarded for a job well done? Isn’t it even nicer to have good business news to share in the midst of all of the media hype on the economy?

We were very pleased to read today that elements for women was named “Best of Alpharetta.” Our growing presence in Southern markets such as Atlanta has really started to create a buzz. Consumers are frequently seeking the best health club, the newest innovations, or the best franchise to join. With our stylish clubs, convenience locations, and exclusive features such as smartcard workouts and customized coaching, it was really no surprise that our clubs are really gaining popularity… it is however, a very nice surprise to read the growing number of customer feedback, testimonials, stories and awards we are beginning to receive.

Elements Diet & Fitness Receives 2008 Best of Alpharetta Award

U.S. Local Business Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., November 19, 2008 — Elements Diet & Fitness has been selected for the 2008 Best of Alpharetta Award in the Health Clubs & Gyms category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

The USLBA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

Although much of the retail news these days is filled with doom and gloom scenarios, there is at least one industry which is gearing for a real surge in business …. lucky for us, it is the fitness industry

Fitness, weight loss and wellness see a real spike in sales for a 70 day period, beginning in early January. Savvy fitness retailers, such as elements for women, are learning how to extend this season earlier, with cleverly designed Holiday promotions, encouraging sales, membership reservations, and spikes in referral traffic in conjunction with the Holiday shopping season. I would love to be able to tell you exactly what strategy we are employing (however that is a secret reserved for our franchisees at this moment)!

We began the launch and integration of this pre-New Years/Holiday campaign work with our franchisees and partners in Atlanta this week, where we ran into a surprise guest, at the club….

elements for women is fast becoming recognized for the curb appeal in our clubs - we enjoy the prestige of being the only upscale fitness brand for women, a very unique market position which is not lost for a minute on me. One of the reasons for our intensive training programs and methodical staff development is to keep the experience inside the clubs consistent with their upscale appearance.

I very much enjoy reading feedback from new members and prospective franchisees who tour through our clubs - it is nice to know that we are creating winning experiences, and setting a new standard. elements uniquely features an internal club design team, ensuring that each club represents the brand well, and is also value-engineered to ensure that our clubs open on budget.

[caption id="attachment_292" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="elements for women franchise clubs"][/caption]

Any reader of this journal knows that I (and elements) are big believers in ongoing training, and continuing education for all staff members - from our Club Directors to part time associates. A well trained staff exudes confidence, and simply performs better. elements for women franchising devotes considerable resources towards ongoing education and enhancements for our clubs.

This week, we began our Fall “Advanced Training Series.”  Sessions are held via web, via conference call-in, and/or workshop. Frequently, a mix of all three methods are used to maximize learning and interaction among participants. As the elements brand grows internationally, it is  really exciting for the entire team to see participation grow. Clubs from all geographic areas call in and get to interact with each other prior and after the sessions.  Our central team also creates post-training workshop exercises to be held at each local elements club. The post-sessions really help each local club take the information and implement it locally, and really pulls each team member from the club in with focus group type conversations, role playing exercises, and research exercises.  This “buy in” helps to facilitate a stronger team atmosphere at all levels. In my opinion, it has been instrumental in creating a community among our global team, and is helping to position elements as the leading fitness and lifestyle brand for women.

It was great to be able to have good business news to share last week, among with the flood of bad news from Wall Street. elements has announced more locations under development this month than many other fitness brands combined - over 28 in total! No doubt that we are in a serious growth streak, we are also on the verge of announcing some additional strong international locations in Australia, Canada, and (once again) India. I was especially happy to see two of our original elements club owners upgrade to become Regional Developers (meaning that they will now be entrusted with the development and support of clubs in a specific geographic region - adding a nice level of local expertise to our already-strong franchisee support. It is great to see our partners grow.

Below is the news release we sent from our Central Offices last week:
Miami Beach, FL – 09/26/08 – elements™ has announced the addition of two new regional developers and 20 new proposed franchise locations throughout the Ohio and New England areas, marking tremendous growth for the upscale women’s fitness brand.

Two elements™ club owners, Lisa Whitmyer (Cleveland, OH) and Brenda Perkins (Exter, NH), have become Regional Developers for the fast-growing women’s fitness and lifestyle chain. As regional developers, the executives will facilitate and manage growth in the regions of Central Ohio and New England for the elements™ brand, including providing local training and support to geographically centric locations. The company estimates over 20 new elements™ locations will be developed between the two developers within the next 3-4 years.

Elements has created a platform for women to come together in an environment of health and wellness. The upscale fitness brand differs from other health club providers with its balanced approach to a healthy lifestyle: body, beauty and mind. Elements also features a very popular online magazine and media channel, elements living, an full-service interactive diet, BalanceD, and a acclaim retail line.

Brenda Perkins is owner of an elements™ fitness in Exeter, NH. She became an owner after leaving her job as an executive at a Fortune 100 company and participating in a missionary program in the orphanages of India. She originally chose to open an elements™ franchise to help direct profits to social causes she thought needed addressing.

Lisa Whitmyer previously acted as a sales executive for a NASDAQ-traded healthcare company before becoming owner of an elements™ franchise in Colombus, Ohio. Lisa chose to open an elements™ franchise based in part on her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis and her own commitment to women’s health topics and well-being. Being at risk for breast cancer changed Lisa’s perspective on fitness and overall health, and she made the commitment to turn a traumatic life experience into a motivational one. Lisa also began training as a triathelete more than six years ago.

For more information about business opportunities with elements™ or the new regional developers, please contact our elements Central Offices at 866-893-9603 click here.

Believe it or not, it is possible not only to survive, but to thrive in tougher economic markets. And guess what…. if you learn how to profit even in “down” markets, then think how well you will flourish when things inevitable get better again.

They say that if you took all of the wealth on the world, and spread it evenly amongst all people, within 50 years 82% of the people would be in the same economic position as they are today. This is because wealth is behavior-based, and less dependent on outside factors and financial tips than you may realize.

Use this tough market as a wake-up call, and condition yourself to take the steps and adapt the behaviors necessary to truly build wealth for you and your family. Learn from the pro’s and the family’s that have withstood generations of ups and downs in the economy…

1. First, recognize that thriving assumes surviving. Survival in these tough times is critical but insufficient. By focusing on thriving, survival is assured. You’ve got nothing to lose in living with a great outlook and you have everything to lose by living in fear.

2. Second, acknowledge fear as natural and necessary but insist on living beyond it. Courage is not the lack of fear; rather it is the willingness to push on through fear. Consider what’s right about the situation, where the opportunities are. This is not always easy or natural, but it is always possible and for those choosing to thrive rather than simply survive, it is absolutely essential.

3. Invest in yourself - We often build an image in our head that stockbrokers and people working on Wall Street would be better to handle our money than us. This thinking is wrong. No one will ever watch your family’s money more carefully than you. Many Americans consider investing into their own businesses, to help create strength in their finances and careers.

Well established franchises, with great management teams are often the top choice for well educated investors, who prefer to follow a proven path and avoid many of the beginner’s missteps.

Also be sure to invest in a growth industry. Do your homework, it might not be what you would expect… Did you know that the entire global makeup industry was founded during The Great Depression?

It’s true! When money’s tight and jobs are hanging by a thread, inexpensive products that give us a sense of normalcy… help us connect emotionally with “the good old days”… products or services that boost our self-esteem or hope… or experiences that give us pleasure or a few moments of respite from worry and want… tend to sell like hotcakes.

4. Reflect.

Take a two-to-three year outlook on your finances — including looking back in the rear view mirror to times of recent prosperity. Sure the economy is difficult and you need to adjust your spending appropriately and be ever mindful of the changing landscape, but you did a lot of things right to achieve what you achieved. Should you rest on your laurels in difficult times? Of course not. But it’s OK to remind yourself that you and your team have made good decisions and achieved your goals. Keep success in mind. Focus on what it is you do best. This will not only prove good for your business, but it will help you and your team to stay positive and endure many of the economic difficulties that are out of your immediate control.

5. Assess your workplace security.

Working hard can help protect your job, but it may not be enough. In addition, you should be strategic and figure out where you stand. Workers who cost employers money are most likely to be laid off. These include staff in high level positions, staff in hard-hit industries, bureaucratic positions or workers in overstaffed departments.

6. Do One Thing 100 Percent Better

Instead of doing 100 things one percent better, do one thing 100 percent better. And make sure that one thing involves making you more successful and happy!

7. Don’t panic!

Whatever you do – it’s especially important not to let panic guide your decisions. Stock-market gyrations can give even the hardiest investors a case of the jitters. However, converting all your investments to cash is likely to do far more harm than good, say many financial planners.

8. Be with the “in crowd.” Life’s little pleasures usually thrive during tough economic times. Though we may forgo new clothes or fancy dinners out, we have traditionally turned to the vice industries — gambling, smoking and drinking – and to the non-vice industries – health, beauty and fitness - to help ease our pain.

But this time around is different. Smoking has fallen into such ill repute that many municipalities ban it. Fuel costs have made driving or flying to a casino a pricey proposition. Now it seems the only acceptable — and affordable — sin left is alcohol, namely beer, which has also fallen out of favor with most. This time it’s the non-vice lifestyle industries that are really benefiting – membershi