C K O Kickboxing Franchise Players: Local Entrepreneurs Add Their Passion To A Proven Formula

Jennifer Zelop's decision to open a CKO Kickboxing franchise in Peekskill with her partners ultimately came down to a shared vision with the brand.

"Once we spoke with them on the phone there was just a natural click," said Zelop, recalling her conversation with CKO Kickboxing's founder. "We have the same goals for our clients. That was important to us." Passion for their product, a belief that the public will love it and a proven brand are what inspire Zelop and others to bet on franchises. Whether it's kickboxing, massages or hamburgers, local franchisees hope the business concepts they"�ve embraced will resonate with consumers.

"We really are changing people's lives," said Zelop, 43, a nutritionist from Croton, of CKO Kickboxing's $59 monthly membership. "Even though it's a franchise, it's personal. I"�m there every day and we know our members by name and it matters." Franchises appeal to many entrepreneurs because they come with a ready-made formula that new owners can follow.

"The entire reason people go into franchising is the ability to have its system leveraged, so experience is far less important than one's ability to follow the system," said Frank Dunne of FranNet, a franchise consulting firm.

Americans are most familiar with food franchises such as Burger King or Dunkin"� Donuts, but that's the tip of the iceberg, said Dunne.

"Restaurants really only represent about 6 percent of the overall franchise pie and when you get right down to it, food can be a very hard business," said Dunne.

Dunne said that some of the popular types of franchises sought by entrepreneurs include fitness, frozen yogurt or businesses that can be run on a semi-absentee basis, typically some sort of retail-based business run by a manager supervised by the owner. Some franchises, like Roto-Rooter plumbing and drain service, don"�t require storefronts and can be run from an entrepreneur's home.

"One of the hot concepts we"�re working with is in the kickboxing space," said Dunne. "There you"�ve got 1,200 square feet with nothing other than a few punching bags and some minor accessories. CKO Kickboxing's Peekskill location at 8 John Walsh Blvd. opened in May and Zelop estimated that the investment cost about $100,000.

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