Just noticed the increased Affiliation fees...

[Daniel Carney]

Originally Posted by Charlie A Nilsson

all those small garage gyms will die real soon.. the fee will eat up most of the income for a starting business.

If the trainers are good, then their business will grow, and they will be able to move out of their garage and into a commercial space, if they want. Anyone can train their clients using the CrossFit program (or any other program), but you can only advertise it as CrossFit after you're affiliated.

Being a CrossFit affiliate does not guarantee business success. There are maybe 13 private gyms in my town that run all sorts of classes (Bikram yoga, Pilates, and the typical body building stuff), and 2 CF affiliates. We all seem to be doing pretty well.

Actually, the only ones who seem to be suffering are the big box gyms. We've had 3 close in the last 3 years.

I was once one of those small garage gyms. I affiliated in March of 2006. Imagine that I moved the time line forward 3 years and was just thinking of affiliating now. I would probably wait. And given how my business has grown over the past 3 years- the struggles, the learning, the pattern of growth. I might not actually affiliate until March 2011.

For those small gyms that can't afford to affiliate right now, I say "don't". Spend your money on equipment and training seminars, and take extra special care of the clients you have. Be a great trainer/coach. Clients will come.

[Charlie A Nilsson]

Daniel:
true if the trainer is good the business will grow, but if the expences is bigger then the income it can not either.
As a garage gym the amount of clients is very limited and to start of with a 2000 fee is quite much( although rent is probably quite cheap)

As a trainer, i can use what CrossFit has thought me about Fitness and training and use it without Affiliating... but i need to be careful to not use the WODs or the name CrossFit.... the methods is not new, the big thing is the community and that thru CrossFit Fitness has become a Sport.
Its hard to motivate myself sometimes to keep on training.. i am fitter then 95% of all the people i know.
What i wanted was someone/something to motivate myself with, its a daily competition somedays hard but mostly satisfying to keep me pushing on even when its hard.

the thing is, when is it to expensive to start a CrossFit gym and spreading the word.... when you already need to be an Affiliation and getting the Cashflow started to afford the Cost....
(i can spread the word without an affiliation... but not train anyone and spread the word, that is a breaking the trademark)

but in the long run.. i agree with you Daniel.. wait with affiliation....

[Cristiano Santos]

Hi Lisbeth
I was planning to submit my application this February but I decided to do it know so we can get the rate we have been preparing ourselves for.
If I send it today, does it make us eligible for the current rate (in case we are accepted)?
Thanks

Cristiano Santos
Breaking Point
MMA Training Camp

[Lisbeth Darsh]

Originally Posted by Cristiano Santos

Hi Lisbeth
I was planning to submit my application this February but I decided to do it know so we can get the rate we have been preparing ourselves for.
If I send it today, does it make us eligible for the current rate (in case we are accepted)?
Thanks

Cristiano Santos
Breaking Point
MMA Training Camp

Cristiano -- just saw your app come in! And yes, you will be eligible for the current $1K rate if you are accepted.

[Bart Hodlik]

Okay, I just filtered through the comments concerning the fee increase, but I feel a little unclear on the annual fees AFTER affiliation. Will the 2k be the flat annual fee as well?? Before I think it was 1k for initial, and then 500 for annual. I didn't see anything that clarified this.

[Lisbeth Darsh]

Originally Posted by Bart Hodlik

Okay, I just filtered through the comments concerning the fee increase, but I feel a little unclear on the annual fees AFTER affiliation. Will the 2k be the flat annual fee as well?? Before I think it was 1k for initial, and then 500 for annual. I didn't see anything that clarified this.

Right from the comment I posted:

3.)Affiliates are locked in at their current rates. If you're a $500 affiliate, you stay there. Likewise for the $1K and $2K affiliates.

It's always been the same fee every year. If you paid $500 when you started, you pay $500 each year. Same for the $1K. And now it will be the same for the new category.

[Charlie A Nilsson]

Originally Posted by Lisbeth Darsh

Right from the comment I posted:

3.)Affiliates are locked in at their current rates. If you're a $500 affiliate, you stay there. Likewise for the $1K and $2K affiliates.

It's always been the same fee every year. If you paid $500 when you started, you pay $500 each year. Same for the $1K. And now it will be the same for the new category.

Hmm.. so now you(not you in person) decided that there should not be any new affiliates?? to raise the price slightly for everyone seems fair.. but just raise it for the new businesses...

[Wil Vicinus]

I don't mind at all that there are affiliates out there who are paying less for their renewal than I will be. The affiliates who are at the $500 renewal are those who have stuck with it since the beginning, and have helped Coach and the entire staff build and shape CrossFit into what it is today. I think it is only fair that they be recognized for this and allowed to maintain the terms of their existing agreement.

I am grateful that the renewal fees will not be increasing for existing affiliates, but at the same time if Coach decided to raise them I would pay the new rates gladly so I can continue to be a part of this community. I am sure that most, if not all of the other existing affiliates feel the same.

And if a $2000 affiliation fee is going to break your budget for opening a box, are you entirely sure you're ready? I don't know what you already have in the way of equipment, etc, but if you're starting from square one $2000 is a drop in the bucket compared to what your initial startup costs will be.

[Lisbeth Darsh]

Originally Posted by Charlie A Nilsson

Hmm.. so now you(not you in person) decided that there should not be any new affiliates?? to raise the price slightly for everyone seems fair.. but just raise it for the new businesses...

I think maybe we have some unclear language here? I said nothing about there not being "any new affiliates" . . .

As for the price increase and the "grandfather" effect, I think Will V. just explained everything pretty well. (Thanks, Will!)

[Charlie A Nilsson]

the meaning in the no more affiliations is that the increase in affiliation cost.
And sure its a drop in the ocean if you are directly looking for a location and starting somewhat big... but as a garage gym concept as it started..
No rent and enough space to train 4-5 people and buying equipment for that eand insurance etc., 2000 its a big cut in that budget.

Altough even with my harsh words i do see some benefits from the increase, it make sure that those who affiliates probably starts the Gym with CrossFit as the main source and not just as one extra concept in the gym as an effort in increasing profit.

I am looking in to Affiliating in a few years, i don't have enough coaching experience yet so no, and i wan't to make sure i want to have the fitness industry as my main job.

And yes i do agree with "grand father" and that you probably get more for your money now then before, but still its a huge increase, next year will it go up to 4000?? thats the trend at the moment.. double each year the last 2??

as English is not my first language i might be unclear occcasionaly, but my point is not really getting thru.